NIGER: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Niger national football team meet President Mahamadou Issoufou on return home after first ever qualification for African Cup of Nations

Record ID: 235353

  • Title: NIGER: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Niger national football team meet President Mahamadou Issoufou on return home after first ever qualification for African Cup of Nations
  • Date: 11th October 2011
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION NIAMEY, NIGER (OCTOBER 9, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NIGER NATIONAL TEAM SUPPORTERS WAITING FOR THE ARRIVALS OF THE PLAYERS FROM EGYPT VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS HOLDING BANNERS, CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) ABDOULAYE MAMAN, SUPPORTER, SAYING: "Really, it's for the first time that Niger has qualified to the CAN. I am lost for words, really. It's an immense joy which I can't even describe." (NIGHTSHOTS) PLANE WITH "REPUBLIC OF NIGER" LOGO VARIOUS OF PLAYERS COMING DOWN FROM THE PLANE (SOUNDBITE) (French) NIGER NATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN, ISSIF DANTE, SAYING: "People have now learnt that we qualified, and it's the qualifying which counts, we are very happy, very happy." COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER SALIFOU LABO BOUCHE HUGGING THE PRESIDENT OF NIGER'S FOOTBALL FEDERATION (FENIFOOT) VARIOUS OF CONVOYS OF MOTORCYCLES AND CARS BEEPING THEIR HORNS BEHIND THE PLAYERS' BUS ON STREET BUS CARRYING THE NATIONAL TEAM ARRIVING AT NIGER PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VARIOUS OF NIGER PRESIDENT MAHAMADOU ISSOUFOU RECEIVING THE NIGER FLAG FROM THE PRESIDENT OF NIGER'S FOOTBALL FEDERATION AND CONGRATULATING PLAYERS IN THE GARDEN, IN FRONT OF PRIME MINISTER AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (French) NIGER PRESIDENT, MAHAMADOU ISSOUFOU, SAYING: "It's what we've been fighting for for fifty one years, and now we've got it. We won this battle. There are more battles ahead of us and I will continue to support our team until the end." ISSOUFOU POSING FOR PICTURES WITH THE TEAM PLAYERS ENTERING THE PALACE OF CONGRESS SUPPORTERS AND PLAYERS
  • Embargoed: 26th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Niger, Niger
  • Country: Niger
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAF3XPD6Z0J6NQ0Z3G1528SS743
  • Story Text: Niger's national soccer team (MENA) received a hero's welcome when they returned from Egypt on Sunday (October 9) after qualifying for the first time ever in the African Cup of Nations (CAN).
    Niger qualified on Saturday (October 8), the penultimate day of selection for the tournament despite a loss 3-0 to Egypt on Saturday, but still finished top of their group with three wins.
    Crowds of supporters waited for their team at the airport singing and dancing.
    "It's for the first time that Niger has qualified to the CAN. I am lost for words, really. It's an immense joy which I can't even describe," said Abdoulaye Maman, a supporter waiting at the airport.
    It was a different story on Saturday when confusion reigned after the game, with most Nigeriens thinking the loss to Egypt meant they had not qualified.
    "People have now learnt that we qualified, and it's the qualifying which counts, we are very happy, very happy," said Issif Dante, the team captain.
    Crowds of supporters singing and dancing accompanied their new heroes to the presidency where Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou received the team.
    "It's what we've been fighting for for 51 years, and now we've got it. We won this battle. There are more battles ahead of us and I will continue to support our team until the end," Issoufou said.
    Angola, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Tunisia, Zambia join Niger in next year's tournament to be hosted in Gabon and Equitorial Guinea. War-torn Libya also qualified as one of the two best runners-up but Nigeria joined South Africa in missing out.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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