NFA still backing Vogts
Under-fire Nigeria coach Berti Vogts has won a vote confidence from the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) despite the team's below-par performances at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria are on the brink of a first round elimination after taking only one point from two matches in Group B of the tournament in Ghana.
Vogts has come under fire from both the public and the press for the team's performances and there have been suggestions that he could be quickly on the way out after only 10 months in charge.
However, NFA chairman, Sani Lulu, told reporters that Vogts is the best man for the job and that he was not to blame for the team's poor showing in Ghana.
"We have utmost confidence in Berti Vogts. We will still give him time. It is too early to say sack him or disband the team," said Lulu.
"You can't entirely blame him for the team's performance here. If you follow the team's trainings, it is clear the players have not been doing on match day what they do in training."
Two-time champions Nigeria will now need to beat Benin Tuesday by at least two clear goals and hope Group B leaders Ivory Coast also beat close rivals Mali, if they are to make it to the knockout stages of the competition.
"Personally, I have lost hope in us getting to the next round but God in his miraculous ways could still give us the results we need," said Lulu.
The Super Eagles last failed to go past the first round of the Nations Cup at the 1982 edition in Libya when they lost to both Algeria and Zambia.
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