Keshi Should Stick To Local Players –Isima

A member of the 1980 African Cup of Nations winning team of Nigeria, Okey Isima, has advised Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, to stick to the local players in the rebuilding process of the team.

Isima noted that Keshi should not attach much importance to professionals, who are not playing for the top five teams in their respective leagues in Europe.

He advised Keshi to build his team around the local players in Nigeria due to the hunger and patriotism these players have shown wearing the national colours of the country, and urged Nigerians not be afraid that the project will fail.

“Keshi should rebuild the team with the local players and he should only invite professionals who are playing for top five teams in top countries in Europe. If I have my way, he should stick with the local players and I am sure these players will perform very well.

“Local players should be given more playing time in the national team. And Nigerians should not fret that the team will fail with local players,” Isima told P.M .Sports in Abuja.

Isiama opined that the foreign-based professionals have failed Nigerians on many occasions in the past, stressing that these players only play for money, not for patriotism and they have been over pampered by the football administrators with mouthwatering winning allowance, yet the players do not give Nigerians excellent performance.

“We have failed with these foreign professionals. They only play for their pockets, not patriotism. I remember during our days in the national team, we played with total dedication and we were ready to die on the pitch for Nigeria, but these so-called professionals are totally different from us.”

“It is better we try the local players in the team and if we fail with them, so be it. But I don’t think these local professionals will fail Nigerians if given all the needed support like their foreign-based professionals”, he added.

—Francis Achi/ Abuja