CHAN 2010: Amokachi, Home-Based Eagles On Trial Host Niger In Kano

The fate of ex-international, Daniel Amokachi as a national team coach and the chances of home-based players playing a part in the Super Eagles at the forthcoming World Cup in South Africa will take some shapes of sort as they host the Mena of Niger Republic in Kano, today.

It is the return leg of the African Nations Championship, CHAN, qualifying match and the Nigerian team is seeking to overhaul a first leg 2-0 deficit.

After the encounter, Nigeria’s chances of being part of the football rendez-vous for players plying their trade locally in the continent, slated for Sudan later in the year, will be sealed.

Nigeria’s first leg loss to a side regarded as light weight opposition raised huge dust and the pressure is on to cancel the arrears and go ahead to qualify.

Towards achieving this target, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, seconded James Peters to assist coach Amokachi to fashion out a winning formula.

Also, many new players were invited to beef up the squad, while about 10 players were dropped by the technical crew.

The team, which has been given the necessary assistance by the NFF will not have any excuse not to defeat the visitors today.

With the presence of Lars Lagerback, Super Eagles new technical adviser, who is in Kano to watch the match, the home-based players know that the game may be their last real chance to impress the Swede and make a statement for themselves.

Therefore, they must come out firing on all cylinders, knowing that early goals can set them on the road to achieving their objectives.

But they must be cautioUs in defence and clinical in attack.

According to reports, the Nigerians hardly threatened in the first leg, but were able to score two in only two attempts, owing largely to goalkeeping errors, while Nigeria dominated play without scoring.

Coach Amokachi and company must reverse the trend today and give Nigeria the chance to compete with their contemporaries in the second edition of the championship after missing the first held in Cote d’Ivoive   

Gabriel Nwanetanya