By Jacob Ajom
Former National team handler, Christian Chukwu, has challenged the Nigeria Football Federation to give the legion of Nigerian foreign-based professionals a break and prosecute the rest of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with home-based players.

chukwu

In a telephone chat with Sports Vanguard Monday, the former coach of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu sweat merchant who was reacting to the 0-1 loss the Eagles suffered in the hands of lowly rated Guinea Sunday said, “it is a pity that many people were disappointed with their performance but I am of the opinion that these foreign-based players should be given some rest because they are tired.

I f you watch their game you would agree with me that they were tired because Guinea outplayed us in all departments of the game. I advocate that our foreign-based players should be rested for now.”

Continuing, the former national team captain said, “the home-based players should be made to prosecute the remaining qualifiers for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup because if we depend on these foreign-based players, they can disappoint us.”

He based his suggestion on the premise that the players who are now plying their trade in Europe   were once home-based.

“They all started here,”he insisted, asking, “didn’t you see the game change when two home-based plyers were introduced?”He believes it is not in every match that foreign-based players should becalled, afterall, countries like Guinea, Mozambique, etc use the home-based as the nucleus of their national teams.”If we went to Guinea with home-based players and lost 1-0 it wouldn’t  have made any difference,” he remarked.

Chukwu refused to agree those who believe that the non-appointment of a substantive coach was affecting the team.
“No, that should not be an excuse,” he said. “Eguavoen who took them there is a qualified coach. I repeat, drop the foreign-based for now. They are tired.”