By Fidelis Ebu
Shaibu Amodu, the Super Eagles’ Chief Coach has slammed ‘don’t talk to local press’ order on the players as they jostle for shirts for Sunday’s crucial 2010 World Cup qualifier against the Harambee Stars of Kenya.

Amodu Shaibu

The players in strict compliance to the directive declined any media chat so as not to risk being dropped even though they naturally merit a shirt in the team.

It was learnt Amodu gave the directive on the basis that the local media have been hitting him too hard.

Even at that, Amodu is faced with the challenge of whom to select for the encounter as the players he featured to humble France last Tuesday are ready to outwit the ‘big boys’ in camp.

The selection challenge notwithstanding, Nwankwo Kanu the team’s captain is hopeful of a shirt as he is itching to make the South Africa 2010 World Cup finals his last international appearance with the Super Eagles. And he has secured a season extension with Portsmouth where he would shape up for the Mundial.

Amodu, who dished out the ‘don’t talk order’, also, declined comments about his team. But Fatai Amoo, one of his assistants was not gagged as he volunteered that the team is already thinking beyond Sunday’s tie. “We will approach Sunday’s match against Kenya the way we tackled France, and we will not allow that victory to dominate us.
“Our match against Tunisia in Tunis is the battle of all the battles,” Fatai Amoo declared.

Aloy Agwu, the goalkeeper trainer though has not come out with who would tend the post in Sunday’s tie, he said the three goalkeepers in camp – Vincent Enyeama, Bamidele Aiyebugba and Austin Ejide – are ‘fantastic’.