We’re Not Scared Of Eagles —Namibia Coach

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been told not to expect a jittery Namibian team when both sides clash on Sunday in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match scheduled for U. J. Esuene Sports Stadium, Calabar, Cross River State.

The interim coach of the Brave Warriors, Bernand Norii Kaanjuka, said on Brila FM from their training camp in Germany early today that: “We are aware of the fact that we will be playing against one of Africa’s top football nations, but we will not be scared as we are already to play the match like every other game we have been playing.”

He disclosed that a 30-man delegation of the Namibian football team, which includes 23 players and 7 officials, will arrive Lagos tomorrow at 5.25pm aboard a Lufthansa Airline flight from Frankfurt, adding that: “We are not looking forward to create an upset but we hope to play a good game to get a result that would favour us.”

Namibia drew 0-0 with Mozambique in an exhibition match on Saturday in Würzburg, Germany, and have since returned to their training base in Kamen-Kaiserau from where they will travel to Nigeria tomorrow. The Brave Warriors are currently ranked 120th on FIFA ranking released in May, as against Nigeria that are in the 63rd position.

Meanwhile, Eagles’ boss, Stephen Keshi, has said he will focus his attention on improving his boys’ goal scoring abilities.

Keshi stated his resolve at ensuring that the national team scores many goals, not only against Namibia, but against any of their opponents in the qualifiers for the Nations Cup 2012 and the World Cup 2014.

For Keshi, no matter how the team plays, goal scoring remains the ultimate decider of matches, hence his advice to Eagles strikers, not only to be aggressive in front of the goal, but to ensure that they are 70 per cent on target at all times.

Keshi relished his time playing for the national team while addressing the team saying: “In our time, matches against teams like Namibia are not discussed in terms of whether we will win but how many goals we will score and that is what I want us to return to in the new Super Eagles.”

His training was also targeted at getting goals, as he said the Namibians, who have been training in Germany for the qualifier, must not be underrated.

“They say we are the super power and Namibians are minnows, those are only words, and until we show it on the pitch we will just be living in a fool’s paradise.”

—Bamidele Olowosagba