Koichi Suga may be Japanese by birth but this hasn’t stopped him from affectionately following the Super Eagles.
As a college student, he scrimped and saved to buy tickets to watch the men in green at Japan-Korea 2002, endured heartbreak when they failed to qualify for the 2006 event in Germany, then saved even more desperately to travel 9000 miles to South Africa in 2010.
Now, he will travel another 5000-plus mile, from his home in California, to see them compete and not his native Japan.
koichi felt the first stirrings of love when the ‘Dream Team’ defeated Japan in the group stages in Atlanta.
“I was neutral since I was not paying attention to Olympic Games so much,” he told KweséESPN. “But since I am a Japanese, I was slightly supporting the Japanese side.”
It blossomed into true love though, with a Golden Goal semi-final win over Brazil, and the thrilling Gold medal game against Argentina.
“I have to say, it was really versus Brazil, versus Argentina… it completely changed my life and my outlook of soccer as itself,” he says. “I was surprised that such a big comeback and giant-killing can happen. Honestly, I didn’t know about Super Eagles before that game.
“And to me, Brazil and Argentina were really the best teams in the world. But the Eagles changed my life.”
Koichi follows the Nigerian national team that he could effortlessly name all the generation of Eagles after Atlanta Olympics.
“I like Victor Moses, Moses Simon, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Odion Ighalo and Alex Iwobi.So… the whole team, basically.”
Nigeria will begin their campaign against Croatia then followed by clashes with Iceland and Argentina.
Don’t be surprised to spot an Asian cheering the Africans from the stands.
