AFCON Qualifiers: Something Will Be Missing Playing Without Fans – Leon Balogun

The fanfare that is associated with Super Eagles games in Nigeria will be missing on Thursday when the country’s national football team begin their campaign in the AFCON 2023 qualifiers against Sierra Leone at the M.K.O Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

Following the crowd violence that greeted Nigeria’s disappointing 1-1 draw against the Black Stars of Ghana, FIFA imposed a hefty fine on the country and also ordered that the national team must play their next game behind closed doors.

So from playing in front of a record 60,000 crowd, the Super Eagles will on Thursday be doing their thing just in front of a few accredited journalists and officials who are exempted from the FIFA pronouncement.

Some of the players have been speaking on this development one of which is former Rangers defender, Leon Balogun who admits that something will be missing playing without the fans in Abuja.

In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES in Abuja, Balogun said even though it is not the first time he would be in this kind of situation. he feels emotional about it.

“I don’t know yet maybe after the game on Thursday I can tell you,” Balogun rhetorically answered when asked how it feels playing for the Super Eagles without the cheering fans.

He continued: “We’ve had a period in our careers that we played without fans during the COVID period but definitely there will be something missing.”

“For me going back to March when we played against Ghana here in Abuja, that was a very touching experience for me seeing fans come out in that numbers and with that unconditional love and support even though it turned to anger and frustration… there would be something missing for sure but it is always nice to enjoy.

“For me when I play for either club or country, when I see fans on the way to the stadium, that always gives me a little more extra boost. It reminds me of one more reason why I do this, surely something will be missing.”

While the Rangers football club of Scotland defender is understandably expecting a tough outing against Sierra Leone, he was quick to state that the absence of the fans must not a reason for the Eagles to perform below par.

“The fans’ absence cannot be an excuse for us to give one per cent less” the defender told PREMIUM TIMES.

“It is going to be a tough game as it has always been when you come to play in Africa, no team will give you anything, you first have to earn the right to play for  Nigeria and then work towards getting the good results you desire,” Balogun concluded.