The Super Eagles of Nigeria will go into the World Cup as goodwill ambassadors of the United Nations after the body picked the team to be the face of its "Protect the Goal Initiative"

Special Adviser to Executive Director, United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS) Djibril Diallo made this known at a news conference in Abuja to announce the launch of its "Protect the Goal Initiative."

The Initiative seeks to use football as a platform during the World Cup to promote an Aids-free generation that can be achieved through zero infection, zero discrimination ad zero Aids-related deaths.

The Super Eagles will help use their brand to promote and campaign against issues related to HIV-Aids and spread the message as Diallo explained that the choice of Nigeria as UN ambassadors was because of their pedigree in football as well as the political and economic role Nigeria plays on the African continent.

"We as United Nations want to focus on using HIV and Aids as an entry point to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the post-2015 agenda.

"We are focusing heavily on using sports as a means to accelerate the MDGs in developing countries, while having the solidarity and partnership of the industrialised nations," he said.

Diallo also disclosed that the Initiative was targeted at the 32 countries that will take part at the World Cup, but Nigeria will be the forebearers of the message.

"The campaign kicked off on 5 March in South Africa during the friendly game between Brazil and South Africa; we had the signature of President Jacob Zuma on the ball. The campaign will go to the five African nations that have qualified for the World Cup.

"After Nigeria, we are going to Cote d'Ivoire where the President and the football team will do the same exercise and from there to Algeria. We will also go to Ghana and do the same thing with the Head of State and the national football team," Diallo explained.

He said that the campaign would transverse Mexico and Chile between 25 May and 5 June before leaving for Brazil on 7 June for the world launch on 9 June.

"President Goodluck Jonathan as the special guest will hand over the ball to the president of Brazil on that day," he said.