After scaling the first hurdle against their West African foes, Ghana, Nigeria’s Under-23 team still have more rivers to cross before confirming their proposed trip to the China Olympic Games. Nigerian coach in charge of the team, Samson Siasia, believes there’s a lot of work to be done on the team if they really want to pick the only ticket in the group.
Speaking shortly after last Sunday’s 3–2 win over Ghana’s Under-23 side at the Abuja National Stadium, Siasia said he noticed that his boys actually went to bed after scoring the first goal of the match, before they later bounced back from 1–2 down to win the match.
The former Super Eagles coach wasn’t so pleased with the way his boys lost concentration in the early minutes of the match. He said it was not good for the game and there is need to correct the mistakes once and for all.
"We need to really work very hard. There’s need for amendments in the team if we really want to qualify from the group, because our subsequent matches are not going to be easy," he said.
Nigeria are billed to take on South Africa in their next game and they also have Ethiopia on their list on home and away basis before grabbing the lone ticket in the group for the Games. But the coach would be more at home with the calibre of foreign-based players, who came around to lift the standard of the game against Ghana.
Unlike when the team played Ghana in the All Africa Games qualifiers, last Sunday’s match marked the re-union of the team, which finished second, behind Argentina in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland.
Apart from the enfant terrible of Nigerian football, John Mikel Obi, who was at the stadium to watch his friends play, players like Chinedu Ogbuke, Solomon Okoronkwo, Solomon Abwo, Dele Adeleye, Apam Onyekachi and Kenedy Chinwo were all around to give Siasia a helping hand.
Overwhelmed by the sudden turn-up of these players, Siasia promised to work hard to ensure that the players honour the match against South Africa in August. Siasia said he would do everything to ensure that all his boys are present for crucial matches of the qualifiers.
"I believe it would be suitable for us to get all the players we need, since the matches are played on FIFA match-free weekends. The fact that they would not be playing for their clubs on the same weekend with the qualifiers means it would be easy to get the players when we need them.â€
He said the Ghanaian team were a very good side and admitted that it was a tough encounter, while expressing joy that his team won at the end of the day.
The former Super Eagles attacker said he needs to commend the players for doing a good job against a formidable side like Ghana, despite coming in just three days into the match.
"It shows they have character and are determined to succeed. But there is room for improvement. Preparations for this match was not the best but, all the same, we should just have to go back and work with the FA to make sure the next one is better, and also prepare well to make sure we win the subsequent matches.
We have five more games to play, and our next match is in South Africa on August 22. My plan is to have these boys in camp, at least first week in July, so we can have six or more weeks to prepare for the match. We need to win the remaining five games to ensure qualification for the Olympic Games," Siasia said.
He also disclosed his intention to discuss with the NFA as regards the camping of players somewhere outside the country for the needed concentration for the South Africa match.
"We need to camp somewhere outside the country to ensure concentration and avoid any distractions. We will need to play at least four friendly matches, which include international ones, to put the boys in good shape for the next match. We also need everybody's cooperation to achieve our aims. The preparations for the next match must be good too and, if we can do this, we will surely pick the ticket at the end of the day," Siasia said.
He said he does not believe minnows still exist in African football and as such would not underrate any side.
"I will try and get the video clips of the South African team to know the way they play so that we can work on a strategy to dislodge them at home."
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