10th January, 2013
Chief Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi lost his temper on Wednesday, shortly after his team played a goalless draw against Cape Verde at the Algrave Stadium in Faro, Portugal.
The match was part of warm up matches for both teams preparing for South Africa 2013 Nations Cup, but the draw did not go down well with Keshi.
Media Officer of the Eagles, Ben Alaiya, who spoke from Faro this morning, disclosed that Keshi lambasted the entire team for the outcome of the game, stressing that they didn’t play to their capacity.
Alaiya, stated that Keshi had harsh words for the players for their poor performance, adding that “if the Eagles had played the way they engaged Catalonia, that they would have won the tie.”
“I won’t lie to Nigerians, the mood in camp is not good at all. The players and coaches are not happy at all and I can also tell football fans that Keshi really tongue lashed the players. He said the team disappointed him and feels that millions of Nigerians would have felt the same way”, Alaiya said.
The image maker of the team said Keshi fumed at the tactical approach of the Eagles against lowly rated Cape Verde, who are making their Nations Cup debut in South Africa.
Keshi was unhappy that the team could not even pass the ball to eachother during the encounter.
Alaiya further disclosed that Keshi specifically slammed Victor Moses for the tackle on Cape Verde’s captain, Nando, which earned him a yellow card.
Moses kicked Nando, who is Cape Verde’s most capped player following a bad tackle, but this did not go down well with Keshi, who blasted the Chelsea striker.
“The ‘Big boss’ was not impressed with Moses’ behaviour and slammed him during the half time in the Nigeria dressing room. The also told the other players beware of their approach to the game as they get set for the Nations Cup”.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Austin Ejide, suffered a hamstring injury during yesterday’s match.
who started the game was forced out of the on the half hour mark after he picked up a suspected hamstring injury when he stretched forward to again thwart another Cape Verde attempt at goal
The Eagles are expected to two more games, one against F CRotterdam of Holland and yet to disclosed team before hitting South Africa on 16 January five days before their first Nations Cup against Burkina Faso.