Nigeria's final match to be shown on local TV- BON

Nigeria’s sensational run to the final of the African Cup of Nations has united the often divided country in football pride and given a nation that has grown weary with bad news a reason to celebrate. News also filtered in that the final match would be shown on local television stations. This is the first time in a long time that matches of a Nations' cup are not broadcast live.

With Africa’s largest population and massive oil wealth, many see Nigeria as a natural powerhouse held back by corruption and division, but some football fans say that reputation could be improved with a win on Sunday.

After shocking star-laden Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-finals and thrashing Mali in the semi-finals, Nigeria will face Burkina Faso for a chance to win its first continental title since 1994.

“We are going to show what kind of country we are on Sunday… you’ll see,” said Kola Obe, standing on the sidewalk at a busy intersection in the Lagos Island area of Nigeria’s economic capital.

“Nigeria is a nation to watch and we are coming up and we are going to get there,” insisted the 45-year-old father of two. A win against Burkina Faso, he added, “is going to improve our image.”

Obe and others on Lagos Island, one of the oldest areas of the city, conceded that outsiders often view Nigeria as a case of unfulfilled promise, including when it comes to sport.

The country boasts a population of roughly 160 million people and the continent’s second biggest economy, not to mention hordes of passionate football fans: so the 19-year AFCON title gap has been frustrating for many.
Nigeria failed to even qualify for last year’s AFCON, and the team’s performance in the 2010 World Cup was so dismal that President Goodluck Jonathan sought to ban the team — a move he later rescinded.