Coach faces selection headache
SUPER Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, has warned his players not to be carried away by the recent victory over Liberia in Monrovia, warning that the February 29 Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda would be a tough task considering the little time for the home-based stars to blend with their foreign-based counterparts before the game.
Keshi told The Guardian at the weekend that he would start plotting his strategy for the game, noting that the tendency of African teams to cheat to victory while playing at home could make the game difficult for the Eagles.
Meanwhile, the coach is having some problem selecting his final team for the Rwanda game following the excellent form of the home-based players. Though Keshi admitted that the high altitude the players would face in Kigali could work against Nigeria, he believes the current mental fitness of his players would help the team overcome every obstacle it would face in Rwanda.
“Away games in Africa are always tough because most host teams have the tendency of playing against the rules. But we have already prepared the players for anything that would happen in Kigali. They have the mental toughness to go on away game and survive,” he said.
“They did well against Liberia, but I aim to ensure they are sound in Rwanda. I want them to understand our pattern very well and be fit for 90 minutes. So far, I am pleased with their mental fitness, I hope they continue this way.”
He added: “The foreign-based players would not break my game plan. The only problem is that we will not have enough time to train together before the match in Rwanda. But with a lot of teaching before the match and ball work, they will understand the game.”
Speaking of the difficulty in choosing the team for the game, the former coach of Togo said all the home-based players in camp were qualified to make the team. He explained: “I invited only 11 foreign-based players because I have players here that continue to impress me in both training and friendly matches. So why not give them a chance?
“They can play football too and they are also professionals too, even though they are playing at home. They have been working hard and very impressive. Even the 10 players I sent home before the match against Liberia, it was very difficult for me to let them go because they were good too.
“But I took that decision because I had to reduce the number of players in camp. They gave me everything I wanted in training and my heart bleeds that I had to let them go.
“It is difficult for me to pick the home-based players to join the professionals now, but I have to do it because that is my job. So, those that will go home should know that it is not the end of the road because they are good players with bright future.”
SUPER Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, has warned his players not to be carried away by the recent victory over Liberia in Monrovia, warning that the February 29 Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda would be a tough task considering the little time for the home-based stars to blend with their foreign-based counterparts before the game.
Keshi told The Guardian at the weekend that he would start plotting his strategy for the game, noting that the tendency of African teams to cheat to victory while playing at home could make the game difficult for the Eagles.
Meanwhile, the coach is having some problem selecting his final team for the Rwanda game following the excellent form of the home-based players. Though Keshi admitted that the high altitude the players would face in Kigali could work against Nigeria, he believes the current mental fitness of his players would help the team overcome every obstacle it would face in Rwanda.
“Away games in Africa are always tough because most host teams have the tendency of playing against the rules. But we have already prepared the players for anything that would happen in Kigali. They have the mental toughness to go on away game and survive,” he said.
“They did well against Liberia, but I aim to ensure they are sound in Rwanda. I want them to understand our pattern very well and be fit for 90 minutes. So far, I am pleased with their mental fitness, I hope they continue this way.”
He added: “The foreign-based players would not break my game plan. The only problem is that we will not have enough time to train together before the match in Rwanda. But with a lot of teaching before the match and ball work, they will understand the game.”
Speaking of the difficulty in choosing the team for the game, the former coach of Togo said all the home-based players in camp were qualified to make the team. He explained: “I invited only 11 foreign-based players because I have players here that continue to impress me in both training and friendly matches. So why not give them a chance?
“They can play football too and they are also professionals too, even though they are playing at home. They have been working hard and very impressive. Even the 10 players I sent home before the match against Liberia, it was very difficult for me to let them go because they were good too.
“But I took that decision because I had to reduce the number of players in camp. They gave me everything I wanted in training and my heart bleeds that I had to let them go.
“It is difficult for me to pick the home-based players to join the professionals now, but I have to do it because that is my job. So, those that will go home should know that it is not the end of the road because they are good players with bright future.”
No comments:
Post a Comment