Super Eagles arrive in Benin Republic after boat trip from Lagos

THE Super Eagles have arrived safely in the Republic of Benin from Lagos for Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

The Nigerian players and officials took off by boat from the Falomo jetty of the Lagos Waterways Authority on Friday and reached Porto Novo at around 2pm, according to those on the trip.

The team left Lagos a few minutes before 12 noon.

Benin and Nigeria share a border just outside Badagry in the outskirts of Lagos, but the team decided to travel by the waterways to avoid the badly damaged roads on the Lagos stretch.

Some of the players were initially sceptical about travelling by water when there were other alternatives, but they were said to have enjoyed the smooth journey that took close to two hours.

The Super Eagles are on top of Group L of the qualifiers with eight points and need to avoid defeat to Benin Republic to claim their spot at the AFCON in Cameroon next year.

The Squirrels of Benin are second in the group with seven points, while Sierra Leone have three points and Lesotho two.

Lesoth host Sierra Leone also on Saturday, before Tuesday’s final qualifying games between Nigeria and Lesotho in Lagos, and Sierra Leone and Benin in Freetown.