By Eddie Akalonu

Former Nigeria Football Association technical controller, Kashimawo Laloko, has said that for Nigeria to meet the target set for the African Cup of Nations in South Africa next year, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, must work hard to get the Eagles to be in super form.

He has also advised that those in-charge of the national team must not go by the assumption that Nigeria and Zambia already have automatic tickets over other group contenders, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. In the draws for the Nations Cup made by CAF on Wednesday, Nigeria landed in the Group C, alongside cup holders, Zambia, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso who were hosts and finalists in 1998. The draws prompted comments that tipped champions, Zambia and Nigeria to grab the tickets to the next round of the competition.

But Laloko, who is director of Pepsi Football Academy and a former coach of the defunct Super Stores F.C of Lagos, said a total no to such talks. “I think it’s absolutely wrong to assume Nigeria and Zambia will have automatic tickets to the next the round. That is giving room not to work hard. It leaves loop-holes that could be exploited by other teams.

The key is to continue getting ready to fight to be the best,” he said. I say so because, right now, we do not know the strength and form of Burkina Faso or even Ethiopia since the competition is still months away. Let us also recall that Zambia who won the last edition was never considered by anyone among the top contenders.

Rather than go by mere beliefs and empty talk that our team and Zambia will advance to next round from the group, what we should bother about right now is preparing our team to be very ready to compete against the other qualified teams.

I’m of the view that Zambia will go there with the sole aim of defending the cup very well and if any of the other teams should stand up to deny Zambia the the gift of retaining the cup, Nigeria should be that country.