Super Eagles home-based team have set their sights on winning the African Nations Championship holding next year in South Africa. After breaking the jinx of two previous failed attempts to qualify in 2009 and 2011, the Coach Stephen Keshi-tinkered Nigerian side, weekend in Abidjan, qualified for the tournament, with a 4-3 aggregate win over the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire. Spain's forward Fernando Torres heads the ball to score against Nigeria during their FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Group B football match, at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza on June 23, 2013. AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE Spain’s forward Fernando Torres heads the ball to score against Nigeria during their FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 Group B football match, at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza on June 23, 2013. AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE And speaking on the challenges ahead, team’s spokesman, Ben Alaiya said that having surmounted the obstacle of qualification, that the Eagles can feel confident to hunt for the title at the 16-team tournament in South African cities of Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Polokwane next January. “We have achieved our first objective of qualifying for the CHAN tournament, which in itself, is the first even achieved by a Nigerian side. The road to qualification was difficult but we thanks God that we were able to progress. “On the issue of the target at the tournament, like any other team going to South Africa, our mission is to win the Cup, which is within our reach, if we play to our strength. We want to win but it is going to take a lot of extra work because we expect a stiff and competitive Championship”, Alaiya told Sports Vanguard. “We may most probably miss the services of the major characters who executed this qualification because they might go abroad in search of greener pastures, which is good for their development but Coach Keshi has already started searching for the replacements, through his network of coaches scattered in every league in the country. “Keshi is not limiting his search to players in the Premier League but those in the National League and the amateur cadre, as the case may be. He said he wants the best and is prepared to get the players from anywhere in Nigeria”, added Alaiya. The Eagles will be competing for glory against the likes of Burkina Faso, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Uganda, Burundi and South Africa, who qualified automatically as hosts. The remaining four places will be split between countries from the central and southern regions in a regional qualifying competition. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/eagles-target-chan-title/#sthash.CfaCaEiB.dpuf
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