S’Eagles, Good Enough To Win W/Cup – Keshi

Nigeria’s coach Stephen Keshi has declared that the Super Eagles are good enough to win the World Cup in Brazil this summer.
Keshi made this assertion while reacting to a question on whether he thinks his team can live up to the ambitions of the Minister of Sports Tamuno Danagogo, who recently said that Nigeria can win the trophy.
“We can win the World Cup. Those who win the World Cup do not have two heads,” Keshi said on Monday after collecting his award as the best Nigerian coach presented to him by Chief Executive Officer of Matchmakers Consult, Shina Philips at the Ibis Hotel, Abuja.
“If the Minister said so, I pray to God that it is so. All we need to do to win is to concentrate, be free from injuries and take the matches as they come.”
Keshi used the occasion to urge Nigerians to support his team, adding that the success recorded by the ‘Class of ‘94’ was largely as a result of the popular support the team enjoyed from Nigerians.
On the Matchmakers Award, Keshi thanked the organizers as well as the media and Nigerians in general for their continued support, adding that his goal is to bring joy to Nigerians through football.
Meanwhile, Keshi has said that  his focus at the moment is his opening World Cup match against Iran.
Keshi’s team also play Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina, but most of the focus has been on the South American giants.
The  coach insists that the first game is the most important one of all. “The Argentina game is not important right now,” Keshi said.
“The most important game is against Iran and when I finish playing against Iran and Bosnia then I can have an answer to that.”
Keshi also dismissed injury concerns to his players, claiming he has spoken to them and received assurances.
“There are no injuries. I have called Austin Ejide and he made it clear that he was never injured.
“Ahmed Musa had a minor injury and l spoke to the club doctor who said in two or three weeks he would be fine.
“Musa played in the last minutes for his Russian club in a league game. I called Oduamadi and he dismissed the report of his injury. In fact he told me  that he had a match that same day, so I don’t know where all these rumours emanated from.
“But we will assess everyone very well when they come for the training camp,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, admitted yesterday that the squad he is taking to the World Cup in Brazil next month is beginning to have semblance of Nigeria’s 1994 generation under the watch of Dutchman, Clemens Westerhof, both in character and form.
Speaking in Lagos shortly after he was presented with the 2013 Nigeria Pitch Award (Best Coach category), Keshi said the bond and attitude displayed by his present Super Eagles may see the team surpass the second round achievement of the 1994 squad.
“The character and bonding my players are displaying both on the field and in the dressing room is really good and it shows that they mean to achieve something at the World Cup in Brazil. I am equally very excited that all Nigerians are praying and wishing the Super Eagles well at the World Cup. This is something, I think is driving the players not to disappoint,” stressed the former Togo and Mali gaffer.
While confirming that the task before him in Brazil was not his alone, Keshi praised the valuable support of his backroom staff and the Nigeria Football Federation.
“Everyone keeps talking of the 1994 team but it was not done by just Westerhof. That success came through collective efforts of coaches, journalists and all stakeholders. I believe if we can get together like before, we sure can go very far,” he noted.
Also throwing lights on his 30-man provisional list, the Super Eagles boss dismissed critics who are alluding to the presence of several injured players in the team.
“When I started hearing of injured players in my team, I called (Austin) Ejide to find out the truth and the goalkeeper was as surprised as myself. He said he did not know the source of the fathom injury. It was the same with (Nnamdi) Oduamadi. In short, that very day I called him, he was getting ready to player for his club which he did later. It was only (Ahmed) Musa that was injured which our doctors considered minor. Musa played last weekend. I don’t really feel happy people wishing our players injured, that is not nice at all,” he cautioned.
Keshi who admitted not to have seen his players since after the friendly with Mexico in Florida, USA, believes that the friendly with Scotland (on May 28) and other trial games during the pre-World Cup camp would enable him and the coaching crew know whether there is need for additional players.
He refused to be dragged into thinking about his clash with Argentina during the group stage.
“Right now, my mind is on Iran and not Argentina. After that we can then look at Bosnia before the last group match with Argentina. My first two games will determine what my game plan with Argentina will look like but right now, I don’t want to be distracted with talks of Argentina and Messi,” concludes the Eagles gaffer.
Speaking at the occasion, Matchmakers Consult Managing Director, Shina Philips, said the brief ceremony was organised to give the award winners the opportunity to receive their trophies and plaques in a ceremony and environment akeen to the elaborate main award ceremony held in Calabar on November 16 last year.
He also stated that decisions on winners were made by close to 100 voters spread across the 36 states of the nation making the award very credible and widely accepted.
Keshi received the award for the Coach of the Year (2013) while Jelili Ogunmuyiwa was honoured as the Referee of the Year (2013). Paul Bassey got the Special Recognition in Football Award for his invaluable contributions to the growth of sports journalism in Nigeria and Africa.
The second edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards will take place later in the year.

Super Eagles Mikel Obi (10) in action against the Spanish national team La Roja, during the last FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil