Kaduna soccer fans surprised over Saudi's victory against Argentina

Football enthusiasts in Kaduna have expressed surprise and shock over Saudi Arabia's victory against Argentina on Tuesday at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The underdog Saudi team defeated World Cup favorites Argentina 2-1 in their first game.

Kaduna fans, however, congratulated the Saudi team after the game while expressing shock over their victory.

Abdul Musa, a Football Viewing Center operator, said, "One great lesson to learn here is the fact that Saudi Arabia has been developing its football program for some years now."

"I can recall that they have a league running where the clubs sign, invite, and induce good older players to come and play."

"All in the quest for the upcoming local players to learn and develop." "Rome was not built in a day," he said.

He also said that the Saudis' victory was unbelievable and absolutely beyond the arithmetic of pundits.

"Football is truly a game; anything can happen." Saudi Arabia has gotten not only the result but huge confidence in the competition. "I wish them more success ahead," Musa said.

Also, Rayyan Ibrahim, a football fan and local footballer at Unguwar Muazu Senior Team, said people always believed football game was not for Arab Nations, stressing that Saudi's victory had proved many wrong.

"When the coaching crew is good, then the right players will be selected and the path to victory is set; that was the exact situation that led to Saudi's victory," he said.

Another football enthusiast, Emmanuel Andrew, popularly known as Emma Coach, said the fact that Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1 showed that their league has improved tremendously.

"There is nothing impossible in the game of football; Saudi Arabia is not a walkover; they will shock the world."

"In football, you don't underestimate any team; that is what happened to Argentina; they underrated Saudi Arabia and they got shocked by their astonishing performance; congratulations to them; they should keep it up," Andrew said.

Another football fan, David Kuna, said somehow it sounded like Saudi Arabia defeated the mighty Argentina.

"Saudi trained very hard, and despite the fact that the football god (Lionel Messi) was in the field, they came out victorious. Argentina has always been many nations' albatross in the world cup," he said.

He said that Argentina had let the "favorite" tag (Champions) get into their heads.

"They thought every team would just quack its boot in fear of their mighty powers." They expected the Saudis to park the bus and try to avoid an embarrassing defeat.

"Now they are left with a mighty fight to qualify from the group stages. "That is the price you pay for arrogance," Kuna said.

He noted that all the Saudi players were from their local league, and the fact that none of them played outside their country was really amazing.

He called on Nigerian footballers playing fantastically overseas to be patriotic by availing themselves in times of national need and imbibing discipline and hard work for the nation to succeed in subsequent World Cups.

Buhari Shehu, however, said it was not Argentina's first shock World Cup defeat.

He recalled that in 1990, as the defending champions, they were humbled by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, 1-0, with the great Diego Maradona in action.

"A solitary goal from Francois Oman Biyik was enough to beat the mighty Argentina;

This is the first win for Saudi Arabia in their history of coming to the World Cup.

"This is not an ordinary victory; it is remarkable to have won Argentina."

"Congratulations to Saudi Arabia," Shehu said.