1,000 Nigeria Supporters Club Members to Cheer Super Eagles in Russia 2018 World Cup

Samuel Ikpea, National Chairman, Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), on Thursday said the club would take 1,000 of its members to cheer the Super Eagles at Russia 2018 World Cup.


Ikpea made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos while reviewing the club’s preparations for the World Cup holding in June.


He said the club had set machinery in motion toward ensuring that the supporters club was adequately represented in the quadrennial football fiesta in Russia.

“We are already mobilising our members for the World Cup in Russia. We have sent messages to the 20 registered member states and Abuja to send 50 of their members for the competition.


“We have been in the business of doing that for a very long time now, we also have members outside the country and we are ensuring that wherever they are, they are going to Russia.


“Our Marketing Unit is already saddled with sourcing of funds and the sponsors of our trip to Russia because we are a non-governmental organisation (NGO), so we need to source for the funds.


“I want to assure Nigerians that we have been doing that for the past 62 years when the club was formed and we will not fail this time around,’’ he said.


Ikpea said that the club had received little support from the Nigeria Football Federation and the Federal Ministry of Sports, adding that this would not derail its programme in Russia.


“We have not have not been able to receive any good support from NFF or the Sports Ministry, since the inception of the new government as against the last administration when we received N50 million.


“We are hoping that since this is a World Cup, something may come out, but we have been talking to various corporate bodies, we have put a machinery in place to achieve that.


“We have not had any issues like Visa racketeering since the club was formed and to my knowledge of about 16 years in the administration of NFSC, we have yet to record such.


“We have good understanding with all the embassies as far as visa issuance is concerned and none of our member has ever absconded after competitions. The records are there.’’

“I use this medium to call on corporate organisations to give their support now that the national team needs it and not until they come with victory then everybody wants to associate with them,’’ he said.