Nigeria’s footballers said Wednesday that a bomb attack that killed at least 21 people watching a World Cup game in their country gives them added determination to do well in Brazil.
The bomb exploded in the midst of a crowd watching Brazil play Mexico on a giant screen in Damataru, capital of Yobe state, on Tuesday night.
Nigeria’s players held a minute’s silence before they started training under the floodlights in Campinas, outside Sao Paulo, on Wednesday.
“It’s unfortunate, especially as it concerns football,” said team media officer Ben Alaiya of the attack.
“It further boosts the determination of the players to do well against Bosnia and win for them because it’s the love of football that led to so many people dying, while they were watching the game. It’s sad that it happened.”
Nigeria play their next Group F game against Bosnia in Cuiaba on Saturday.
Nearly all of the Nigerian squad play in European and other foreign teams. But Alaiya said football is a unifying force in the West African nation.
