Dr Rafiu Oladipo, the President General, World Wide Nigeria Football Supporters Club, on Saturday urged Nigerians to pray for the Super Eagles so that they would perform well at the Russia 2018 World Cup.

Oladipo made the appeal at the launch of a music video and compact discs (CDs) at the Eagles’ Club, Surulere, Lagos.

It was to raise money for the Nigeria Football Supporters Club and the artistes that produced the video.

He said that Nigerians should not be discouraged because the Super Eagles did not win their friendly matches, adding it did not mean they would not go far in the forthcoming tournament.

“Friendly is just meant to know the team’s weaknesses and correct them, it is not for them to go and kill themselves,’’ he said.

Oladipo appealed to football lovers to buy copies of the CD and the music video.

He said that the supporters’ club members would use part of the proceeds to augment their fares for flight tickets to Russia.

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He said that they were going to Russia to cheer up the Eagles to victory because “they always perform better whenever they hear our inspirational songs.

“So, for us to be there, we need to raise money on our own; we do not rely on government to do it for us,’’ he said.

Also, Effiong Nyong, the coordinator of the event, and a Sports’ journalist, said that he saw that the young artistes that composed the songs were talented.

He said that he had to encourage them to put their songs together so that the supporters’ club could use it to cheer-up the Super Eagles in Russia.

Nyong, also the chairman, Ghetto Music Entertainment said, “Part of the proceeds from the music video will be used to support the Nigerian Football Supporters Club going for Russia 2018.

“Also, part of it will be used to pay the artistes that put the music together,’’ he said

He said that the supporters’ club was thickly populated and they had been deploying strategies to relieve the government of some burdens.

“Government has power but the real power is the people and the secret of any nation is the small and medium scale businesses.

“Nigeria is not different, our small contributions can go a long way,” he said.

Nyong said that he believed that Nigerians were talented and “I hope the Super Eagles will go beyond the first round at the competition.

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“Over the years, Nigeria had produced world class footballers like the team that won the Under 13-African Nations’ Cup in South Africa.

“The Under 17-World Cup in 2015, the Olympic team that won bronze in Brazil in 2016.

“We should be able to harness the experiences from those tournaments and present them as a formidable team to the world in Russia 2018,’’ he said.

Temitayo Otun, the spokesperson for the musicians that produced the video and the CD, said the artistes were happy to package the music.

He said that the music would boost the morale of the Super Eagles in Russia during the forthcoming World Cup.

Otun popularly known as “Dilo’’ said that the Super Eagles needed encouragement and the support of every Nigerian for them to excel in Russia.

The artistes that featured in the music video and CD are: Kasual, Tomzy, Jerry Jesu, FBI and Pupa Sunny, the music was produced by Sherrif.

(NAN)