Sports
Former national team captain Henry Nwosu has advised Super Eagles players to go for early goals in tomorrow’s 2012 Nations Cup qualifier against Guinea. Nwosu also advised Samson Siasia’s wards not to fall for the antics of the Guineans as they would employ every antic imaginable to frustrate the Nigerians. “I know the Eagles will play to win. We have the pedigree and the caliber of players to do it. We can beat Guinea but the players must go for early goals. If they can do that there will be confidence in the team and the fans would have less to worry about. They need to score early,” Nwosu told the Vanguard. “The Guineans will come to Abuja to frustrate us. They will be falling unnecessarily and want to delay the game. Our players should expect this.” Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are determined to dismiss concerns about the potentially harsh Abuja weather and knuckle down to the task of beating Guinea on Saturday. CAF have fixed the game for 2pm, ignoring a request by Nigeria to change the time, and Samson Siasia’s wards are determined to get on with it. “We would prefer to play when the sun will not be as hot as it is,” defender Taye Taiwo said. “But since they want us to play at that time, we dont have any choice. “The important thing for us now is to focus on the game, play according to the coach’s instruction and make sure we win to make Nigerians happy.” Teammate Osaze Odemwingie agrees, and adds that there is a silver lining. “We are coming from Europe where it is summer at this time, so the difference may not be much. “But we can’t make any excuses. We just have to do the job and with the support of Nigerians, we will.” Weather forecast for Abuja tomorrow has the temperature on a high of 30 degrees and low of 24, with humidity in the mid-60s, which should make life slightly easier for the players.
Former national team captain Henry Nwosu has advised Super Eagles players to go for early goals in tomorrow’s 2012 Nations Cup qualifier against Guinea.
Nwosu also advised Samson Siasia’s wards not to fall for the antics of the Guineans as they would employ every antic imaginable to frustrate the Nigerians.
“I know the Eagles will play to win. We have the pedigree and the caliber of players to do it. We can beat Guinea but the players must go for early goals. If they can do that there will be confidence in the team and the fans would have less to worry about. They need to score early,” Nwosu told the Vanguard.
“The Guineans will come to Abuja to frustrate us. They will be falling unnecessarily and want to delay the game. Our players should expect this.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Super Eagles are determined to dismiss concerns about the potentially harsh Abuja weather and knuckle down to the task of beating Guinea on Saturday.
CAF have fixed the game for 2pm, ignoring a request by Nigeria to change the time, and Samson Siasia’s wards are determined to get on with it.
“We would prefer to play when the sun will not be as hot as it is,” defender Taye Taiwo said. “But since they want us to play at that time, we dont have any choice.
“The important thing for us now is to focus on the game, play according to the coach’s instruction and make sure we win to make Nigerians happy.”
Teammate Osaze Odemwingie agrees, and adds that there is a silver lining.
“We are coming from Europe where it is summer at this time, so the difference may not be much.
“But we can’t make any excuses. We just have to do the job and with the support of Nigerians, we will.”
Weather forecast for Abuja tomorrow has the temperature on a high of 30 degrees and low of 24, with humidity in the mid-60s, which should make life slightly easier for the players.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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