Nigeria: London Olympics – Eguavoen Unhappy With Strikers

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Peter Edema

29 March 2011

Under-23 Coach, Austin Eguavoen has expressed his dis-atisfaction with his attackers despite defeating Equatorial Guinea 5-0 in the London Olympics football event qualifier in Benin last Saturday.

He is angry at the high rate of missed chances by the players, insisting that score line was not a reflection of the chances created by the team.

According to him, the team should have won the match with not less than eight goals, stressing the need for his goal strikers to do more.

“Whatever chance we have we need to take them at this level because there would be games with stiffer opposition and all we get may be two or three chances, so there is need for our strikers to bury every chance that come their way,” Eguavoen said.

He maintained that his team would approach the return leg with a positive mentality, saying, “We are going to approach the return leg with a winning mentality and there is a need for these strikers to be clinical in front of goal but the worse case scenario will be a draw in Malabo.”

However the trio of Ekhiosun Ekigho,Obiora Nwankwo and Nnmadi Oduamadi has joined the Super Eagles camp ahead of Tuesday’s international friendly against the Harambe Stars of Kenya.

The team will play Flying Eagles in a friendly in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The friendly is expected to put the team in good stead for the second leg qualifier in Malabo in a fortnight.

Eguavoen said on Tuesday that the team would maintain its Benin camp but will not use the Samuel Ogebudia stadium as the Malabo match will be played on natural turf.

“We will remain in Benin but will now train either at the University of Benin pitch or Edopolor grammar school.”

After playing the Flying Eagles, the team will leave for Lagos the following day en-route Equitorial Guinea through Cotonou on Thursday with 22 players.

Meanwhile, brace hero in the five nil whitewash, Nosa Igiebor has ruled himself out of the return leg in a forthnight in Malabo.

The player says it would be impossible for him to make the game as he would be engaged with club activities.

“Well I don’t see this Equatorial Guinea team scoring against us in the return leg. We are a talented side and the boys on ground have all it takes to pocket the three points next week.”

Igiebor a former FC Abuja player is amongst the top 10 strikers in the Norwegian top flight league.

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