Erico dismisses Algeria, warns against distractions

Former Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles, Joseph Erico, has described as a tall order Algeria’s former international, Lakhdar Belloumi’s view on the FIFA.com that his country will beat the Eagles.

The Algeria’s former midfielder played a key role in his nation’s qualification for Spain 1982 World Cup. The Desert Foxes defeated Nigeria in both legs of the encounters, thereby denying the Eagles opportunity of first time appearance at the Mundial.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, Erico said Bellounmi could wish but that everything boils down to how the two nations take the match seriously.

“Man proposes but God disposes they say, but in the game of football it is how you take it that will determine what you are going to get out of it at the end of the day. Though results in football are never so predictable, but to think that the Algerians will beat us is a tall dream for him, which is never going to happen on our soil.

“But we too have to be very careful the way we go about it. I must confess that I am equally afraid of the game. I know the Algerians will come out to play us and we too will want play them. But the problem I think we may have may be monetary. Now, I hear the Nigeria Football Federation says they want to pay the players in the nation’s currency, while the players are insisting on being paid in dollars,” he said.

The former Julius Berger coach, who warned that the nation does not need this internal bickering now, said, “Things should not get on our way this time around; let us be sincere with ourselves.

“The match is going to be tough and I am afraid of what the dispute over the currency issue may bring. We do not need any distraction this time around, we should not let all these little things get on our way.”