Eagles Tackle Venezuela In America

Coach Stephen Keshi and his new-look Super Eagles team will tonight in Miami, Florida, United States of America, USA, face a tough test, when they file out against the national football team of Venezuela in an international friendly match.

If the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, released on 7 November is anything to go by, then the Eagles are in for a tough battle. The South Americans are placed 48th as against the 57th position occupied by the Eagles, who also would be fielding a half strength side following the late withdrawal of some top players and injuries to the others.

Just as the Eagles’ coaches have replaced some of their key players who backed out of the tie, the South Americans have also rang a few changes in their team that would face the West Africans.

Venezuela coach Cesar Farias was forced to hand a late invitation to striker Fernando Aristeguieta of Caracas Football Club ahead of the clash, following an injury suffered by Josef Martinez of Young Boys Football Club of Switzerland.

The General Coordinator of the Venezuelan National team, Alirio Granadillo, disclosed that Martinez suffered the injury on Saturday (in the thigh), during one of his club’s training session in Switzerland.

Several days ago there was another casualty, Francisco Pol of Panachaiki, Greece, who has also been replaced by Tomás Rincón of Hamburg, Alamenia.

31-year-old Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi, who turned down an invitation to play for the Eagles few years ago and Bright Dike, who stars in the MLS for Timberwolves, could make their debut if they make the coaches’ cut.

In form returnee Levante of Spain striker, Obafemi Martins is set to come up against Venezuela striker, Jose Salomon Rondon, who took over from Martins at Russian club, Rubin Kazan last summer. Rondon was bought by Kazan for 10 million Euros from Spanish club, Malaga, making him the most expensive player from Venezuela. Three years ago he featured for his country at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt.

Tonight’s game would be the second time both countries will clash at full international level. Both teams first clashed in a tune-up match to the Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup for the Eagles in London with the Eagles running away 1-0 winners, thanks to Austin “Jay Jay’ Okocha. The South Americans would want to avenge the defeat handed them more than a decade ago.

Expected to lead the onslaught of the La Vinotinto is their all-time top scorer, Giancarlo Maldonado, who has scored 22 goals in 64 matches, but Maldonado would rely heavily on the midfield artistry of Frank Feltscher Martínez, who plays for Grasshoppers FC of Switzerland to wreck havoc on the shaky defence of the Eagles, who will play without skipper Joseph Yobo of Fenerbahçe of Turkey.

While the Venezuelans may be using the tie to test their squad against the Eagles, same cannot be said of the Nigerians as some of them would want to use it to lay claim to shirts in the absence of some notable players, aware of the fact that the technical crew would want to use the match to test their ability for the Nations Cup proper.

Martins, who is also returning to the team after a long absence would want to use the game to convince the coaches that he can help solve the goal scoring problems that the Eagles have experienced since Coach Keshi took the mantle of leadership from former teammate, Samson Siasia.

Despite losing some of his players for the clash, Coach Keshi still believes the tie is a good test for the Eagles considering the pedigree of their opponents.

“Venezuela is not a small country when it comes to football, but to us we are going to use it as an avenue to test some of the new players that have been invited and we will see if they can fit into our plans for next year’s Nations Cup”, Keshi said.

—ADEBOBOLA   ALAWODE