News Obiaks News

As Nigerian soccer analysts continue to comment on the double header international friendlies against Congo last Thursday and Cameroon on Sunday in Belgium, a former member of the executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Senator Obinna Ogba says the 3-0 win over Cameroon has saved Super Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Oliseh from critics and Nigerian football fans.

Ogba who is also the proprietor of Ebonyi Angels told journalists in Abuja that Super Eagles 2-0 defeat by Congo in the first match was due largely to the disagreement between Oliseh and former team captain, Vincent Enyeama. He observed that the fracas affected the Super Eagles. He therefore advised Oliseh and the NFF not to  destroy what was on ground before his arrival.

According to him, the outcome of the two friendlies has shown that Enyeama is still relevant in the  senior national team. “We appreciate that Oliseh has said he is building a new team but he should also remember that he must not destroy what he met on ground. Both the coach and the NFF must remember that we still need Enyeama, there are no two ways about it. Afterall, most of his mates are still playing. Enyeama is very much relevant in the national team, and I want to state that I don’t support Oliseh for that decision. Anything that should be done to bring back the first choice goalkeeper must be done because we cannot afford to miss out of the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).”

However, the lawmaker expressed his confidence that given the zeal with which the Super Eagles approached the game against arch rivals, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon which resulted in an emphatic 3-0 victory, that the next AFCON qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt will be a victory for Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick has said that he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ performance against Cameroon in Belgium on Sunday, a game in which Sunday Oliseh-led team spanked the Indomitable Lions 3-0, a revival of their  disappointing outing Thursday. Efe Ambrose gave Nigeria the first goal through a set piece from Mikel Obi, while Moses Simon drove in from the flank to make it two for the three time AFCON champions. Watford’s striker, Jude Odion Ighalo came in as a substitute and headed in the third goal for Nigeria.

Amaju Pinnick

“I must say that I am very impressed with the performance of the Eagles. It was a good game,” Pinnick said after the match in Belgium. I am sure Nigerians were impressed with what they saw. But we have not got there yet, there are still some areas that we need to touch but we should all keep supporting the team because the coach seems to have a clear direction of where he is going to. He is still building a team. And he knows who to add to the team because we do not have a say on who he invites to the team.” Pinnick added that Efe Ambrose’s opening goal, a header off a Mikel free kick, was straight from the training ground.