Keshi won't fuss over AFCON foes
Eagles forward Nsofor - Keshi is considering recalling him
Keshi for AFCON draw
Coach Stephen Keshi has said he is open about the team the Super
Eagles will face in the final round of the 2013 Nations Cup qualifiers.
The draw for the final round of the qualifying series will be staged in Johannesburg on Thursday and Nigeria are among the 15 teams seeded and they will be drawn against 15 unseeded teams.
“We won’t run away from any team for the final qualifiers. Any team we are drawn against, we will be fine,” said Keshi, who will be at the draw alongside top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Top of the unseeded teams are Senegal, who Keshi refused to play against in a friendly in January as he had only just resumed as Eagles coach.
Malawi, who are already pitched against Nigeria in the qualifying tournament for the 2014 World Cup and forced the Eagles to a 1-1 draw in Blantyre last month, could also be matched against Keshi’s team.
Togo, who Keshi qualified to the 2006 World Cup, as well as Niger and Botswana, who both featured for the first time at the AFCON finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea earlier this year, are also in the second pot of teams not seeded.
The Eagles coach told MTNFootball.com he was not shocked that seven-time champions Egypt were ousted out of the competition by less fancied Central African Republic.
“I was not surprised (that Egypt crashed out). That’s one thing we need to realise in Nigeria, it’s not our birthright to beat the other team. We have to plan. The Egyptians planned for a year and we planned for just a week and you want to win?” he asked rhetorically.
“I'm not surprised, its football, there are no longer small teams and so whoever comes our way, we will take seriously.”
In the meantime, Keshi has said he is satisfied with his team after his first three competitive games in June.
Nigeria beat Namibia 1-0 and then drew 1-1 in Malawi in World Cup qualifiers before they defeated Rwanda 2-0 to reach the final round of qualifiers for the 2013 AFCON.
“I’m satisfied with the team so far,” he said.
“In the coming matches, we will give other players like Obafemi Martins and Obinna Nsofor a chance in the team as well.”
The draw for the final round of the qualifying series will be staged in Johannesburg on Thursday and Nigeria are among the 15 teams seeded and they will be drawn against 15 unseeded teams.
“We won’t run away from any team for the final qualifiers. Any team we are drawn against, we will be fine,” said Keshi, who will be at the draw alongside top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Top of the unseeded teams are Senegal, who Keshi refused to play against in a friendly in January as he had only just resumed as Eagles coach.
Malawi, who are already pitched against Nigeria in the qualifying tournament for the 2014 World Cup and forced the Eagles to a 1-1 draw in Blantyre last month, could also be matched against Keshi’s team.
Togo, who Keshi qualified to the 2006 World Cup, as well as Niger and Botswana, who both featured for the first time at the AFCON finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea earlier this year, are also in the second pot of teams not seeded.
The Eagles coach told MTNFootball.com he was not shocked that seven-time champions Egypt were ousted out of the competition by less fancied Central African Republic.
“I was not surprised (that Egypt crashed out). That’s one thing we need to realise in Nigeria, it’s not our birthright to beat the other team. We have to plan. The Egyptians planned for a year and we planned for just a week and you want to win?” he asked rhetorically.
“I'm not surprised, its football, there are no longer small teams and so whoever comes our way, we will take seriously.”
In the meantime, Keshi has said he is satisfied with his team after his first three competitive games in June.
Nigeria beat Namibia 1-0 and then drew 1-1 in Malawi in World Cup qualifiers before they defeated Rwanda 2-0 to reach the final round of qualifiers for the 2013 AFCON.
“I’m satisfied with the team so far,” he said.
“In the coming matches, we will give other players like Obafemi Martins and Obinna Nsofor a chance in the team as well.”
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