•Says rematch with Argentina unnecessary

By KATE OBODO

Following the Super Eagles disappointing 2-2 draw with Ethiopia last weekend in Addis Ababa, former Nigeria Cycling Federation president, Rev. Moses Iloh has stated that Nigeria’s chance to qualify for the Nations Cup billed for Gabon/Guinea next year is very uncertain.

The former Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC Board member said the Eagles failed to utilize their chances against Ethiopia  and were carried away with their 4-1 victory against Argentina.

“Our chances are very dicey, we have to deceive ourselves by the funny team of Argentina, which mean that our boys were so full of themselves and not  ready for that match. How can they defeat Argentina 4-1, three days after then played against Ethiopia and drew? It shows that the whole thing is wishy washy.

“The problem is that our coach is trying to put together a team instead of raising a team. There is a difference between a coach raising a team and putting a team together.  This habit of putting a team together is always a dicey thing. Today it will be good and tomorrow it is bad. Raising a team will take him time but you can almost predict the performance of your team so it will always be the question of luck. Raising a team like I earlier said, is putting the boys together and  continue to train them.

There are rich pools of talented players in Nigeria, he can begin to train them may be on weekends in different zones. It’s not about sitting down in Abuja and calling big stars outside the shores of the country, that is not it. When you are raising this team the boys will be so ambitious because they also want to be known in England. As a coach, he is going to get the best out of them because they are going to lay down their lives, he can occasionally bring people from outside to strengthen them but when you are putting billionaires and people whose loyalty is questionable, that is what we will get.

“Concerning our chances for the Nations Cup, I guess there is nothing we can do. I guess the time is very short. What I think they should do is to employ the services of a very experienced psychologist to get into the Super Eagles and find out what makes them not to blend together. Could it be either they are not friends? Or could it be that they do not work as a team or is there some sort of jealousy between them or is there  something between them that makes them inconsistent. These are the kind of problems the psychologist  should be able to research on and deal with it.

 Eagles must be In Gabon/Equatorial Guinea — Okpala

As Nigeria and Argentina set for another cracker in Dhaka, Bangladesh on September, former Rangers assistant coach Sylvanu Okpala a.k.a Quick Silver has advised Samson Siasia to focus more on qualification for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup billed for Equatorial Guinea/ Gabon  than the friendly rematch against Argentina on September 6, 2011. 

The Super Eagles on June 1, 2011 defeated the Argentina 4-1 but the defeat has been questioned  by the FIFA following allegation of a possible match fixing.

Though Okpala, a member of the 1980 Nations Cup winning squad,  praised the decision to have a rematch with the South Americans, he said that it would be better if  Siasia concentrated more on how to qualify the team for the Nations Cup as anything contrary to that will amount to failure.

“Argentina should not be Nigeria’s priority for now. Rather focus should be placed on how we will qualify for the next Nations Cup. It will be a shame after the rematch with  Argentina we do not qualify for the Nations Cup. Really there is no much to talk about the match; it’s just a friendly match. The  only thing is that  it involves Argentina, apart from that there is nothing to talk about and should not be taken serious. The rematch is okay but it is not as serious the Nations Cup qualifier. It will only be beneficial to the organizers.

“What is important is our next match against Madagascar, much more important than the match against Argentina. Guinea is leading and we must have to work very hard, what is important  is for us to win against Madagascar because a draw over there cannot do us any good.

 It is when we beat Madagascar then we will start talking about Guinea. Madagascar first before Guinea and we need to beat very well. “My advice is that  Siasia should try and ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the Nations Cup.

It is a must for Nigeria to be at that event, any thing less will be a big failure. I think he is aware of what is at stake,” Okpala said.