O'jez rejects compromise over Eagles victory

More and more Nigerians battling against feverish fits over the Sunday, September 4 2005 Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification high hurdle to determine the country's flag hoisting at the Finals. The Algerian clash with the Eagles, is but the first of the two stumbling blocks which lie on the nation's giant soccer birds' path to the mundial...the Zimbabweans' is next and final hurdle. But as forest fire as the pre-match fever may have spread, one man stands out, exuding unflinching confidence over the nation's victory flight in Algeria on Sunday.

That person is the Chief Executive of O'jez Entertainment, Mr Joe Odobeatu, whose O'jez Restaurant and Bar in the mainbowl of the National Stadium, Lagos has become the 'Jerusalem' of social relaxation for both Nigerians and foriegn visitors to the complex. In an exclusive chat with nigeriasports.com in our Lagos office, Odobeatu, who has to an appreciable extent, turned around the hitherto diminishing status and fortunes of sports edifice, declared:

"Victory of course", he exclaimed emphatically. " Winning is the only word I know and that is what I believe in right now. I am sure that, I'm not alone in this regard. All Nigerians are expecting nothing short of victory on Sunday. That is the only language I understand now and can speak very well for now. I and as a matter of fact we, Nigerians expect that the Super Eagles should win on Sunday.

"This is because the encounter is very crucial to our qualification to participate at the World Cup in Germany next year. If we fail to make it to the World Cup, I wonder what we have achieved in the game since after our Korea/Japan woeful appearance. The match is a very big test for the Coach Austin Eguavoen-led technical crew and it is equally a bigger one for the players of the Super Eagles themselves. And anything short of a win, is not acceptable."

On the reported absence of Captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha from Sunday's cliff hanger, the Entertainment Executive and the Executive Producer of 'Oruka', a chart-bursting musical piece in the country, stated: "Why should Okocha's absence bother people? Does it mean that, the Super Eagles cannot be, if Okocha was not what he is in the game today?

"I don't think that Okocha's non-participation in Sunday's World Cup qualifier would affect the team. I don't know why some people think of one particular player. Does that mean that, we should forget Sunday's match because Okocha is injured and won't be able to play? Does that also mean that, without a particular player, the country cannot move on?

"The country is blessed with abundant players...some of them are even better than Okocha. I think that we should by and large, conscentrate on forging ahead and playing well on Sunday to beat Algeria. We should not continue to think of the absence of a particular player in the squad. This could even dampen the morale of those in camp because, they could start nursing the feeling and thought that, the authorities and Nigerians respect and have a soft spot for one player than the others,"submitted Odobeatu, who derives joy rather than profits from ensuring the peoples' pleasure in the Sportscity.