Nigeria Content Online

The Super Eagles
became the first African team to arrive in South Africa for the World
Cup when they touched down in the Indian Ocean port city of Durban on
Wednesday morning.

Originally
scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, the Super Eagles had their departure
from London delayed by technical problems with their hired aircraft.
The Nigerian government however came to the team’s rescue by sending a
local carrier to fly the team to South Africa. The players and
officials finally landed in South Africa at 9:40am Nigerian time to a
rousing welcome at Durban’s new King Shaka International Airport, where
they will be based for the month-long tournament at the Protea Hotel
Waterfront in the town of Richards Bay, 160 kilometres north of Durban
which proclaims itself as the “warmest place to be for the World Cup.”

Fan support

Over 200
flag-waving, South Africa-based Nigerians, cheered and sang popular
Nigerian victory songs as the players filed out of the airport and into
their bus. In return, the players responded by waving at their
countrymen as the bus pulled out of the airport for the 90 minute drive
to Richard’s Bay.

Among those present
at the airport to welcome the two times former African champions were
the Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Buba Marwa, and the
Mayor of Richard’s Bay, Stan Larkan.

The team arrived
the Protea Hotel Waterfront at 1:30pm, and had lunch thirty minutes
later, before retiring to their rooms ahead of a dinner reception in
honour of the team by the Mayor of Richard’s Bay scheduled for
Wednesday night at the hotel.

Another dinner
reception, to be hosted by the Nigerian High Commission, is also billed
to come up on Sunday in Johannesburg when the Super Eagles travel there
for the international friendly against North Korea. The encounter
against the Asians will be the last international friendly for the
Super Eagles before their opening World Cup match against Argentina on
June 12.

They are scheduled
to fly into Johannesburg on Sunday morning, play the game against the
Koreans in the evening, and afterwards head off to the Nigerian
Consulate for the planned dinner reception before returning to
Richard’s Bay on Monday morning to continue their final preparations
for the World Cup where they have been drawn in Group B with Argentina,
South Korea and Greece.

The Super Eagles
will play their opening game of the tournament against Argentina on
June 12 in Johannesburg with Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan
expected to be present at the match venue – Ellis Park. Mr. Jonathan
will, a day earlier, be at the tournament’s opening ceremony scheduled
for Soccer City, also in Johannesburg.

The Super Eagles
will, following their game against the Argentines, take on Greece in
Bloemfontein on June 17 before coming up against South Korea in Durban
on June 22.