5th July, 2013
Former Chief Coach of the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, Monday Odigie has said that the home-based Super Eagles will not find an easy match in the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, when both teams clash in the first leg of the Africa Nations Championship, CHAN 2014 qualifier Saturday at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna State.
The current Chief Coach of Rangers International of Enugu said the Ivoiriens would want to play negative football but urged the Coach Stephen Keshi-led side not to approach the game the same way as their opponents.
Odigie, who was part of the Nigeria 2009 Golden Eaglets’ technical crew said the Ivoirians would want to do all they can to deny the Eagles from scoring hence the need for the Eagles’ striker to be more clinical in front of goal.
He further advised the Eagles to go for early goals arguing that it would unsettle the Ivoirians, “The Elephants would be hard nuts to crack because they would want to prove a point against the home-based Eagles.”
The soccer tactician warned the Eagles not to allow their opponents score because if they do, it would give them the confidence going into the reverse with the belief that they can go ahead to win.
Meanwhile, major sponsor of the Nigeria national teams, Globacom, has charged the home-based to ensure total victory over the Elephants.
Nigeria have not qualified for the continental competition since its debut in 2010 and the three-time Africa Nations Cup winners are determined to stem the unimpressive run.
Globacom encouraged the team and their handlers not to leave anything to chance, particularly since the home-based Ivoirians would be out to avenge the loss their main team suffered to Nigeria at the quarter finals of the AFCON 2013 in South Africa.
“Super Eagles must be motivated by the history that needs to be re-written in the CHAN qualification.”
—Adebobola Alawode