Eagles need young, hungry players to excel, says Pinnick

FOR the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, the only way of ensuring that Nigeria will not be missing in future international championships is by ensuring that the Super Eagles is reorganized with younger and hungry players. 

  Pinnick, who just returned from African Cup of Nations (AFCON) duty in Equatorial Guinea, Monday assured Nigerians that his board would work towards having young and talented players in the senior national team, noting that his experience at the AFCON has shown that there is the need to give younger players the opportunity to represent the country.

  The NFF boss noted that most of the teams at the championship paraded young players that didn’t have any big name in football, adding, 

  “in Equatorial Guinea, I saw young and talented players… I saw zeal, national morale and selflessness, as well as the hunger to excel. They were hungry, you could see that there was no Eto’o, no Drogba, no Muntari and no Michael Essien, may be apart from Yaya Toure and Asamoah Gyan, there was no such other big name.

  “In fact, when you see these players on television you think they are very old but seeing them in person revealed that they are very young. As a match commissioner, I went into their dressing rooms with their captains and referees and you see these players are young. In fact I asked one about his age and he told me he is 18 years and truly he looked it. So, I am telling you these are players that are hungry, people between the ages of 18 and 22 and that is what we possibly lack in the Super Eagles.”

 According to Pinnick, “before we won the AFCON in 2013, there was hunger in some of the players. You could see what Mba did… how he twisted his leg to score one of the goals, it was very daring; that could have ended his career, but I don’t think he may want to do that again because possibly he would want to save his leg.”

  The NFF boss added that he used the opportunity of the championship to underscore the fact that Nigeria is a well respected member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), a position CAF president, Isa Hayatou, reaffirmed at the general meeting of the continental body.