Nigeria: 2010 World Cup/Nations Cup - Not Yet Uhuru for Eagles
July 21, 2008
20 July 2008
Posted to the web 21 July 2008
Fidelis Ebu
Embattled Executive member of the Nigeria Football Association,(NFA) Dr Peter Singabele believes that the Super Eagles would clinch the tickets to the 2010 World Cup and the African Cup of Nations, but strongly doubts the team making impact at the mundial.
Dr Singabele, whose suspension is yet to be lifted by the NFA, was emphatic when he said that the Eagles were still far from that 2010 World Cup/African Cup of Nations target.
"If I want to recall my briefing in Lagos shortly after the Nations Cup in Ghana, I made a point that this is the time for us to bring in our indigenous coaches. For me it doesn’t matter who comes in, but provided he is one of the competent hands in the land. So, Amodu’s coming in is most welcome.
"So far so good, I also want to agree with those who believe that our performance is still not good enough even though we’ve won all our qualifying matches played so far.
"We are talking of teams that are yet not too strong. We should be able to increase our goal tallies. Like Segun Odegbami said "almost any coach can make us qualify, because the materials are there.
" "My worry and the biggest problem is performance when the real thing comes otherwise in the Nations Cup, and in the World Cup, we are not there yet. We still need to do a lot of work", Dr Singabele said. While emphasising that the Super Eagles would pick the ticket to the World Cup finals and the African Cup of Nations, the permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State Sports Ministry said, "Yes, we will qualify, but making impact at the next Nations Cup and in the World Cup is still something else.
We are still far from that target. "I’m not a coach, but I want to believe that we still need to engage more of our younger players; those who are hungry to play this game, not really relying on the ones that are fading out now, because 2010 is still some two years away.
We should be thinking of younger players; in particular the squad from that Under-17 that did us proud. Get some of these younger ones from the Under-23 and begin to build a stronger squad around younger players who are hungry to play the game," said Dr. Singabele, who believes that he is still part of the Executive Board of the NFA.
He however hinted that the process of reconciling with the NFA is in top gear, which perhaps might be resolved in the forthcoming Annual General Meeting scheduled for this weekend in Makurdi, Benue State capital.