Former Super Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde and one-time youth international Kola Anubi have both expressed their beliefs that the Nigerian national team will post a good performance at the World Cup.
Following the Super Eagles’ dour performance in their last friendly game before the World Cup in the early hours of Sunday(in Nigeria), against USA which they lost 2-1, most Nigerian fans are sceptical about the chances of Stephen Keshi’s team to advance beyond Group F of the World Cup which kicks off on Thursday in Brazil.
But Onigbinde, a man who never finds it convenient to criticise another coach’s team offers a word of encouragement while speaking with Completesportsnigeria.com on Sunday.
“The team were playing friendlies in order to achieve team chemistry. Remember that these players come together and train or play friendlies as the case may be within the spate of few days or weeks.
“The performances in the friendlies played both in England and the US may not have been fantastic but let’s give the team the benefit of the doubt.
“After their game against Iran, then shall we say there has been some improvements or not,” Onigbinde who led the Eagles to the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan concluded.
On his part, Kola Anubi, who was a teammate of Super Eagles midfielder John Mikel Obi during the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Holland where Nigeria were losing finalists believes there could be a fundamental reason why the players’ games didn’t excite Nigerians.
“Nigerians should not give up on the team. That is what I have to say. These are friendly matches and they(players) are playing for their World Cup places.
“No player wants to cop an injury that will ruin his chances of playing at the World Cup. The game against USA was not really fantastic, admittedly, but I believe that result will spur the team when they play Iran on the 16th, ” the Warri Wolves midfielder tells Completesportsnigeria.com
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