BRAZIL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 3214: French and Nigeria supporters expect a tight World Cup match

Record ID: 236824

  • Title: BRAZIL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: WORLD CUP 3214: French and Nigeria supporters expect a tight World Cup match
  • Date: 30th June 2014
  • Summary: BRASILIA, BRAZIL (JUNE 30, 2014) (REUTERS) VIEW OVER STADIUM FROM NEARBY TV TOWER VIEW OVER STADIUM, PEOPLE ARRIVING PEOPLE QUEUING TO GET INSIDE STADIUM POLICE OFFICERS OUTSIDE STADIUM FRENCH SUPPORTER GETTING HIS FACE PAINTED WOMAN WITH FRENCH FLAG PAINTED ON FACE FRENCH SUPPORTERS WHO CALL THEMSELVES 'LES PICARDFOOT' OR 'THE DALTON' CHEERING AND POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH OTHER SUPPORTERS MEMBERS OF 'LES PICARDFOOT' CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCE SUPPORTER FROM 'LE PICARDFOOT', HERVE MOUQUET, SAYING: "It's true we had a tough period but now, since the rebuilding by Laurent Blanc and for the last two years with Didier Deschamps, we can feel a new group, a new generation, and some pleasure, so obviously French supporters are coming along." VARIOUS OF MAN WEARING NIGERIA SHIRT WITH THE NAME "YAKUBU" ON THE BACK OF IT NIGERIA SUPPORTER ARIYO IGBAYILOLA JUMPING AND CHEERING SHIRT OF NIGERIA SUPPORTER SAMUEL BONFAM BONFAM TALKING WITH FRENCH SUPPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIA SUPPORTER FROM LAGOS, SAMUEL BONFAM, SAYING: "I think it's going to be a hard game today. I think French are playing well, but the last game, Nigeria against Argentina, Nigeria played really well, so if Nigeria can keep up with the tempo I think they will do better than the French." THE FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE FOOTBALL CREST ON A FRANCE FAN'S SHIRT / FRANCE FAN WITH A FRENCH FLAG PAINTED ON HIS FACE FRANCE FAN ARMEL BEVER IN COSTUME POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH OTHER FANS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRANCE SUPPORTER, ARMEL BEVER, SAYING: "These are World Cup games, everything will be extremely tight I think. If we win today we will face Germany or Algeria, so let's see There will be another three games to win before being world champions. It's a cup, everything can happen over one game. However, I think there are teams which are stronger than ours but we can win over stronger teams in a football game." FRANCE AND COLOMBIA FANS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIA FAN, KEVIN IKEME, SAYING: "The Nigeria team I know of is a they fight a lot harder, they don't give up, they don't give up easily, so they fight a lot hard, so I believe they will keep on fighting till the final whistle you know. With their fighting ability, their determination, they will do better in the game." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE QUEUING TO ENTER STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIGERIA FAN, ARIYO IGBAYILOLA, SAYING: "We are not afraid of anything, we are African champions, African champions." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ENTERING STADIUM
  • Embargoed: 15th July 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAGY64MFLGRPO1Q3BUWT3ODX9D
  • Story Text: Fans arrived at the Brasilia national stadium on Monday (June 30) with African champions Nigeria eyeing an upset victory over France in their last-16 clash and a first World Cup quarter-final berth.
    France won Group E, beating Honduras and Switzerland before drawing with Ecuador and their recent good form has led to a rekindled fondness from fans.
    A group of five friends calling themselves 'The Dalton' from Amiens, in France's Picardie region, arrived at the stadium dressed in outfits with blue, white and red stripes.
    "It's true we had a tough period but now, since the rebuilding by Laurent Blanc and for the last two years with Didier Deschamps, we can feel a new group, a new generation, and some pleasure, so obviously French supporters are coming along," Herve Mouquet told Reuters TV.
    Nigeria supporter Samuel Bonfam expected a tough game but hoped Nigeria would repeat their performance against Argentina when forward Ahmed Musa scored twice as they narrowly lost 3-2.
    "I think it's going to be a hard game today. I think French are playing well, but the last game, Nigeria against Argentina, Nigeria played really well, so if Nigeria can keep up with the tempo I think they will do better than the French," Bonfam, a supporter from Nigeria's economic capital Lagos, said.
    French supporter Armel Bever, from Dunkerque, believed France could become world champions again even if he said they were not the strongest team around.
    "These are World Cup games, everything will be extremely tight I think," he said. "If we win today we will face Germany or Algeria, so let's see There will be another three games to win before being world champions. It's a cup, everything can happen over one game. However I think there are teams which are stronger than ours but we can win over stronger teams in a football game."
    Some Nigeria fans were also confident ahead of the match.
    "The Nigeria team I know of is a they fight a lot harder, they don't give up, they don't give up easily, so they fight a lot hard, so I believe they will keep on fighting till the final whistle you know. With their fighting ability, their determination, they will do better in the game," Kevin Ikeme said.
    Ariyo Igbayilola, added: "We are not afraid of anything, we are African champions, African champions."
    France will be pinning a lot of their hopes on forward Karim Benzema. The Real Madrid player has earned effusive praise from coach Didier Deschamps and his team mates and France will need the 26-year-old to maintain his form if they are to beat Nigeria.
    Benzema came into the World Cup following a fine season with Real when he netted 24 goals in 52 games in all competitions and helped the world's richest club by income to win a 10th Champions League crown and the King's Cup.
    He has put a scoring drought for Les Bleus behind him that stretched for more than 1,200 minutes, and led to him temporarily losing his place in the national team, and looks fit and hungry for success.
    A more mature personality after a series of off-field problems and struggles with his weight, he has become a leader in the French side not only in the forward line but in a wider sense as well.
    Deschamps, the Basque-born 45-year-old coach, who took over in July 2012, is trying to lead France to a second World Cup crown after their triumph in 1998 following a series of woeful performances at major tournaments marred by infighting and ill-discipline.
    Nigeria's preparations have been disrupted after they became the latest African country to be embroiled in a money row and the players threatened not to train.
    Team officials said on Friday (June 27) promises of quick payment from the country's president had resolved the situation but it is hardly the best way for the African champions to prepare for the France game.
    Nigeria reached the second round on their first two World Cup appearances in 1994 and 1998 but were eliminated at the group stage at their two subsequent finals in 2002 and 2010.
    Their progress to the last 16 has been overshadowed by a suspected bomb attack in the capital Abuja during rush hour on Wednesday when at least 21 people died. An explosion overnight in the northeastern city of Bauchi killed 10 people.
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