By Ime Bassey
Coach of Gateway FC of Abeokuta and ex- Super Eagles midfielder, Toyin Ayinla has advised Super Eagles handler, Stephen Keshi not to underrate Rwanda ahead of their first leg 2013 Nations Cup qualifier billed for Kigali on February 29.

The 1990 African Cup Winners Cup medallist with BCC Lions of Gboko told Saturday Vanguard Sports that selecting more than two of the home-based players in the Super Eagles will help the team’s balance.

He opined that only two of the NPL players should be selected for the tie because the league has not gotten its stride back as it was in the late 80s and 90s.

“There is no small team again in football. Nobody gave Equatorial Guinea a chance to qualify for the quarter finals of the on-going Nations Cup but they did it in grand style. This implies that Keshi needs to select a team of players that are playing regularly for their various clubs sides and also ready to commit their all for the nation and not those who want to use the national team to get a new club.

“He shouldn’t look at the Rwandese as a walkover. They might not be a name to reckon with but they possess the capacity to spoil his dreams if he doesn’t take them serious.

Notwithstanding, I expect him to select one or two of the home-based players to play the game as it will help bring stability in the team. I would not want him to select much them because they are just getting their strides back as players in the league.

“Keshi is not mediocre in coaching. His experience with two African sides is no joke so I want to believe that he knows what he is doing. For me, what he needs now is our total support but with constructive criticism in other for him to see what he might not be able to see in the tick of the action,” Ayinla said.

On whether the Eagles will qualify for the next stage of the series, the former Abiola Babes star said, “I am optimistic that we will qualify ahead of Rwanda if Keshi do the right thing,” Ayinla added.