Former national coach Tunde Disu tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI that
the controversy surrounding selection of players by Super Eagles coach
Steven Keshi has put a pressure on the team ahead of the Nations Cup
How will you describe the misunderstanding between Super Eagles coach Steen Keshi and Osaze Odemwingie?
It
is distracting, unnecessary and unhealthy for Nigeria. I worked with
Keshi many years ago and I know how he feels in situation like this.
From his experience in the Togolese national team, I think he should
have craftily avoided this situation.
The
implication is that if he fails to win in South Africa, Nigerians will
say that he caused it by engaging his player in battle of words when he
should be thinking of how the team would do well. People would also say
that he approached the competition with the wrong players.
Apart
from dropping Osaze, there are other players like Taye Taiwo, Obafemi
Martins and Kalu Uche who are not going to be in South Africa. Can
Nigeria afford to do without the players?
I
think the final selection is also bringing argument because you cannot
satisfy every player. Victor Anichebe has a history of injury while
Taiwo and Martins had a chance to impress Keshi. Maybe they did not do
enough to be there. As for Osaze, there is discipline problem and I
think he can manage the exclusion more maturely. He has a different
mentality from normal Nigerian because he has a different background,
but that should not be an excuse. But if Mikel can return to the team,
Osaze could have done the same if he keeps his calm.
The
players who are dropped are experienced but one major factor people are
missing is that although we have a young team, the players have played
together well enough and they have featured in big matches.
Ahmed
Musa and Victor Moses are young but they have played in the Champions
League and other big events. Mikel and most of the players in Keshi’s
team are in the same category, they have played together in friendly
matches and by the time they finish the Faro camping, they will come out
better. So I think we have enough cover for those who are not going.
What about the depth of the team?
That
is an aspect we must consider. Keshi has a young team with lots of
quality but sometimes, you need time to gain the required experience to
win a championship like the Nations Cup.
Will it be too much to ask the team to win in South Africa?
No,
if Zambia could do it, we should be able to do that. Cameroon will not
be our worry now because they are not there. Ivory Coast is good but if
we play as a team, we can stop them at any stage. To earn respect, we
must start on a good note at the group stage.
Do you think Nigeria has a structure to develop younger players for future Eagles?
The National Sports Festival provides an opportunity to do it but we have overlooked its importance.
I
was part of the technical structure that worked to ensure that Lagos
State won the football event in the male and female categories.
It
involved hard work and I saw fantastic young talents that are capable
ruling the world. These players will join clubs in Nigeria and abroad
but if we monitor their development and organise a way of bringing them
together regularly, we have a good opportunity to respond to global
trend in the sport.
Punch Nigeria
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