How Eagles can avoid disgrace in South Africa, DISU

The major thing that will make the Super Eagles avoid being disgraced at the first World Cup to be hosted on the African continent in South Africa is for them to play top friendly matches preparatory to the summer soccer festival.

Former Super Eagles coach, Tunde Disu said that top friendly matches will be the only solution to get a formidable team that would put up a respectable performance at the World Cup.

The bearded coach known for his American slangs stressed that the country has quality players on ground from which Lagerback could select but that the problem remains how he would go about selectingÂ the best without sentiment.

Disu who expressed some worry that the country was yet to assemble a team with less than two months to the World Cup, pointed out thatÂ blending the players who will make the final team is another problemÂ the Swede technical adviser,Â Lagerback, if he is able to get the players he believes are worthy to represent the country at the Mundial, would face

â€œWhat Lars Lagerback should do is to play some friendly matches with top European clubs side and top football countries in the world if the team wants to excel in South Africa. If he (Lagerback) is able to get a team before then, what about the cohesion in the team?

â€œNew players who have established themselves in Europe and some others in our league should also be given a chance to prove their worth and if they impress the technical crew, they should be given the chance. A lot of Nigerians were not happy with the playersâ€™ performance at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

There was no attraction the way we played at the Nations Cup that was not the Eagles pattern of play. There was no play maker in the team and we struggled all through the biennial competition.

â€œI know that Lagerback has a lot to offer. For him to have said that he knows some Nigerian players who are doing well in Europe and saying that the countyâ€™s best players are not in the present Super Eagles team, signify that he knows what is here for,â€ Disu stressed.

The former Flying Eagles handler, who led the team to a silver medal at the Saudi â€˜98 U-20 World Cup, hinted that the new Eagles that would be raised by the new technical adviser will be a scoring one.

He said that there is nothing wrong if his contract could be extended after the World Cup because he is ready to spread his tentacles in order to bring out the best in Nigerian players.

Disu who also handled Lobi Stars of Makurdi at a time stressed that the assignment of Austin Eguavoen and Daniel Amokachi in the technical crew will give them more room to be exposed to our local league and enrich their knowledge of this round leather game.

He urged the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, to employ more coaches to work with Lagerback from the gallery during matches to give him feedback as it is done in top football nations.

â€œIn top football nations, it is not all members of the technical crew that always on the bench. Some are in the gallery also watching while some will be sent out to spy their opponents. They might even see some things that the head coach was unable to detect.

â€œLet me give you an example, Brazil goes to the World Cup with at least with ten coaches who have different assignments. Some will be at the gallery, some will be sent out to spy, some will be workingÂ on the players fitness while some others are psychologist. If that could be done in Nigeria, it will help the game of football in this country,â€ Disu surmised.

By Philips Adefioye, Nigeria

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