Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi reveals his plans for perfect his AFCON team in this exclusive interview with JOHNNY EDWARD as he promises that captain Joseph Yobo will be fit for the South Africa tournament
Having qualified the national team for the 2013 Africa Nations Cup, what are your plans on strengthening the squad ahead of the competition?
Plans are in top gear to build a formidable team and better our recent performance in the competition. We just need to work collectively to achieve our aims at the tournament. We all know the threats the likes of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Zambia can cause if we underrate them and I won’t want that to happen at all. I loved the commitment of those players that played the Liberia game both home and away and I believe with more sessions together, they could perform better than what Nigerians saw in both legs. Other coaches from the group have been talking tough but my team will stay focused for the task of putting a good show in South Africa. I just pray that all my players are in good health.
Also, skipper Joseph Yobo according to media reports is a major doubt for the Nations Cup. Could you tell us the actual state of his health?
I spoke with Yobo last week and he is getting better. He was injured and on the verge of going for surgery but after further tests and MRI scans, there was no need for that anymore. He will be fit for the Nations Cup. All he needs is to just adhere strictly to his rehabilitation directives at his club.
November will make it a year since you took charge of the senior national team in which you captained for over a decade, are you satisfied with the kind of impact you have made so far on the team?
Well, I’m not satisfied with the level where we are, but I believe gradually, we will reach the zenith. The team is in good transition. We just need to plug some worrying holes which we in the technical crew have observed so far.
Talking about plugging holes, you don’t have a natural right back in the team right now. How do you intend to conquer Africa without a natural player in that position?
That’s true but we have players who can play that role effectively for us and it’s not a big problem as far as we are concerned. It’s good for us to have players who can play in different positions in the team and we are blessed to have the duo of Godfrey Oboabona and Efe Ambrose who can function in that regard. My only problem is that I don’t have enough time with these players so as to impart in them how I really want them to play- mostly with these overseas-based players. They don’t usually come in time and when they do, we’d barely have four to five training sessions before a game and it’s been tough.
Having released the list of home-based players for the Venezuela game in United States of America, when will you be release the list of the foreign based players for the friendly and are we going to see a new set of players for the encounter?
Well, every Nigerian player playing regularly for his club stands a good chance of playing for the national team, but we must be watchful of how we integrate them into the team. There are few players who will be tried for the game, no doubt. But the likes of Obafemi Martins, Ayodele Adeleye, Joseph Akpala, Nsofor Obinna and the rest are still relevant and we will invite them to see what they can add to the team.
You will agree that the average Nigerian fan is expecting great results in the AFCON. What message do you have for such people?
I hope to match their expectations with good results but they must equally know that they must be patient with the team. We are getting there and at the same time playing good football. All this takes time to manifest. Look at a team like Barcelona, they already have a good team, but they still injected more quality to their squad which makes them more solid in all departments. But don’t forget they still have those players who are pillars in the team for the past seven years around doing great from game to game. I’m trying to find a perfect balance for the team and once I get that, these Eagles will fly again by God’s grace.
Coach, talking about our players, do you think we still have the kind of players that can win the Nations Cup in South Africa?
I believe that we still have some great players around. Most of these players need to have the right mentality that they are not playing for themselves but for the nation. There are thousands of Nigerian players that could be assembled to win the Africa Nations Cup but without the right mentality, they won’t go far. I believe we stand a good chance of winning if we start well in the competition.
Having qualified the national team for the 2013 Africa Nations Cup, what are your plans on strengthening the squad ahead of the competition?
Plans are in top gear to build a formidable team and better our recent performance in the competition. We just need to work collectively to achieve our aims at the tournament. We all know the threats the likes of Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Zambia can cause if we underrate them and I won’t want that to happen at all. I loved the commitment of those players that played the Liberia game both home and away and I believe with more sessions together, they could perform better than what Nigerians saw in both legs. Other coaches from the group have been talking tough but my team will stay focused for the task of putting a good show in South Africa. I just pray that all my players are in good health.
Also, skipper Joseph Yobo according to media reports is a major doubt for the Nations Cup. Could you tell us the actual state of his health?
I spoke with Yobo last week and he is getting better. He was injured and on the verge of going for surgery but after further tests and MRI scans, there was no need for that anymore. He will be fit for the Nations Cup. All he needs is to just adhere strictly to his rehabilitation directives at his club.
November will make it a year since you took charge of the senior national team in which you captained for over a decade, are you satisfied with the kind of impact you have made so far on the team?
Well, I’m not satisfied with the level where we are, but I believe gradually, we will reach the zenith. The team is in good transition. We just need to plug some worrying holes which we in the technical crew have observed so far.
Talking about plugging holes, you don’t have a natural right back in the team right now. How do you intend to conquer Africa without a natural player in that position?
That’s true but we have players who can play that role effectively for us and it’s not a big problem as far as we are concerned. It’s good for us to have players who can play in different positions in the team and we are blessed to have the duo of Godfrey Oboabona and Efe Ambrose who can function in that regard. My only problem is that I don’t have enough time with these players so as to impart in them how I really want them to play- mostly with these overseas-based players. They don’t usually come in time and when they do, we’d barely have four to five training sessions before a game and it’s been tough.
Having released the list of home-based players for the Venezuela game in United States of America, when will you be release the list of the foreign based players for the friendly and are we going to see a new set of players for the encounter?
Well, every Nigerian player playing regularly for his club stands a good chance of playing for the national team, but we must be watchful of how we integrate them into the team. There are few players who will be tried for the game, no doubt. But the likes of Obafemi Martins, Ayodele Adeleye, Joseph Akpala, Nsofor Obinna and the rest are still relevant and we will invite them to see what they can add to the team.
You will agree that the average Nigerian fan is expecting great results in the AFCON. What message do you have for such people?
I hope to match their expectations with good results but they must equally know that they must be patient with the team. We are getting there and at the same time playing good football. All this takes time to manifest. Look at a team like Barcelona, they already have a good team, but they still injected more quality to their squad which makes them more solid in all departments. But don’t forget they still have those players who are pillars in the team for the past seven years around doing great from game to game. I’m trying to find a perfect balance for the team and once I get that, these Eagles will fly again by God’s grace.
Coach, talking about our players, do you think we still have the kind of players that can win the Nations Cup in South Africa?
I believe that we still have some great players around. Most of these players need to have the right mentality that they are not playing for themselves but for the nation. There are thousands of Nigerian players that could be assembled to win the Africa Nations Cup but without the right mentality, they won’t go far. I believe we stand a good chance of winning if we start well in the competition.
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