Not Good For Eagles, Akpoborie Slams Local Players

Despite the applause they received after playing a barren draw against Angola in an international friendly game in Abuja last week, former Super Eagles striker, Jonathan Akpoborie, still believes the local players are not good enough for the senior national team.

Akpoborie does not believe in the ability of the players, from the Nigeria Premier League, NPL, to live up to expectations on the big stage. He added that they lack the tactical prowess to play international matches.

The former Hansa Rostock of Germany player told Brila F.M early today that with what he saw of the local players invited to the Eagles’ camp by Chief Coach Stephen Keshi, he believes that they are not good enough for the team.

Akpoborie said that most of the players still lack the required qualities to fight for shirts with the foreign-based players.

“I still feel strongly that all these local players we are grooming presently to replace the foreign-based players are still not good enough for the Eagles. They still need to up their game and show their understanding of modern techniques and tactics of the game. They lack the hunger to play at the international stage, unlike what we had during my playing days in the local league,” the former Julius Berger star said.

He also decried the poor state of Nigerian football and the local league, saying “if our league is in a good shape, we won’t have problems with our football. To me, coaching is never our problem but the bad foundation and a disorganised structure.”

Reacting to Keshi’s decision to bring some of the local players that played the friendly match against Angola into the Super Eagles, Akpoborie said: “We are supposed to always rely on players from the local league and the grassroots when we have difficulties as it is done in other countries, but it is glaring that we have not always done our home work and this leaves the country at the mercy of the foreign-based players and their clubs.”

—Bamidele Olowosagba