‘1, 000 supporters club members for Russia 2108 World Cup’

Samuel Ikpea, National Chairman, Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), yesterday 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 from 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,” he said.