The team had arrived Johannesburg early from Rustenburg for a flight to Durban that was scheduled for 1pm, but a mix-up in flight arrangement ensured that the team did not depart the Oliver Tambo International Airport until 4pm for the 55 minutes flight from there to Durban.
Once in Durban at about 5:30pm, the team was moved in a convoy to its hotel at Southern Sun, in the heart of the city.
By 7pm local time, the players and officials had checked into their rooms in a near flawless arrangement, apparently to make up for the delayed arrival in Durban.
The team was unable to train on Monday due to its late arrival in Durban and the downpour in the city the moment the team arrived, which one of the Local Organising Committee members described as showers of blessing for Nigeria, as it was the first rains in the year.
Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has meanwhile demanded total concentration for the game against Mali, insisting that the euphoria that greeted Nigeria’s defeat of cup favourites, Cote d’Ivoire is over and the team needs all the concentration it can muster to win Wednesday’s tricky game against Mali, a team which Keshi coached to the Nations Cup two editions ago.
Meanwhile, Africa soccer icon and skipper of the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, Didier Drogba, is convinced that Nigeria’s Super Eagles will win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations going by the performance of the team so far in the tournament.
Drogba stormed the dressing room of the Eagles after Sunday’s match to felicitate with his former club teammates, John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses, whom he said are being missed badly by Chelsea of England.
“You guys should go and win the cup guys because you have shown the character of a champion,” Drogba said as he hugged Keshi, Mikel and Moses.
Players of the national team have also vowed to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan is present at the final of the Cup of Nations next weekend by winning its semi-final game against Mali.
Team Skipper, Joseph Yobo, said after the victory over Cote d’Ivoire that the players have resolved to fulfil the promise they made to Jonathan when he visited the team in training in Abuja last year.
Yobo, said he was also delighted to learn that business mogul, Aliko Dangote, is expected to cheer the national team in the final and urged all others to join in supporting the Eagles ahead of the semi-final clash against Mali.
Earlier, the Nigerian Ambassador in South Africa, Ambassador S.S. Yusuf, had reiterated the desire of Jonathan to be physically present at the final of the Africa Cup of Nations if the Eagles make the final on Wednesday.
“The President watched you and was excited that you showed true character of the Nigerian and his Private Secretary just called to say you should just fulfil your own part of the bargain and leave the rest to Mr. President,” the ambassador said.
Yusuf also revealed that his Zambian counterpart in South Africa has tipped the Eagles to be African champions and has graciously offered to plan a good hand-over ceremony when Nigeria wins the cup.
“With what we have seen of this team, we are sure you will not disappoint Nigerians on Wednesday and even in the final,” he said.
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