It came as a surprise last weekend when the Super Eagles of Nigeria lost their first AFCON qualifier match to a determined Congolese team.
Even with the mayhem rocking the NFF, many could not believe that there was a chance that the Congolese morale for the match would be boosted, taking into consideration that their Nigerian counterparts presently have organisational problems.
Keshi’s decision to start with an unproven striker like Uche Nwofor gave our opponent the necessary confidence to go all out and strike a blow to our qualification hopes.
It remains to be seen how Keshi will motivate his players for the next challenge as this is our second loss in 2014 after suffering a defeat to France at the last World Cup. It raises the question, “will Keshi attempt to alter the present 4-2-3-1 formation which has not been effective to a 4-4-2 formation which won us the last African Cup of Nations?”
Now, the Super Eagles have to bring hope back to Nigerians by going all out against a rejuvenated South African Side who just made a bold statement by demolishing Sudan away from home.
Though it is a fact that the South Africans have always come second to the Super Eagles on several occasions, that should not make the Super Eagles underestimate their opponents, as now more than ever they have something to prove with the acquisition of a new coach.
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This article was first published on 9th September 2014
obimartins
Martins Okafor is a Sports Writer for Connect Nigeria. He has been a sport buff for years, following stories and development in leagues and international competitions. His interest led him to writing stories – reporting on sporting events. He has superior interest in soccer, but knows much about other sports. He plans to have a blog and to advance in sport journalism. You can email him at: obimartins85 [at] gmail.com
Comments (1)
It came as a surprise last weekend when the Super Eagles of Nigeria lost their first AFCON qualifier match to a determined Congolese team.
Even with the mayhem rocking the NFF, many could not believe that there was a chance that the Congolese morale for the match would be boosted, taking into consideration that their Nigerian counterparts presently have organisational problems.
Keshi’s decision to start with an unproven striker like Uche Nwofor gave our opponent the necessary confidence to go all out and strike a blow to our qualification hopes.
It remains to be seen how Keshi will motivate his players for the next challenge as this is our second loss in 2014 after suffering a defeat to France at the last World Cup. It raises the question, “will Keshi attempt to alter the present 4-2-3-1 formation which has not been effective to a 4-4-2 formation which won us the last African Cup of Nations?”
Now, the Super Eagles have to bring hope back to Nigerians by going all out against a rejuvenated South African Side who just made a bold statement by demolishing Sudan away from home.
Though it is a fact that the South Africans have always come second to the Super Eagles on several occasions, that should not make the Super Eagles underestimate their opponents, as now more than ever they have something to prove with the acquisition of a new coach.
I bet SA will go down by 3 goals, Emenike will score two tomorrow.