Super Eagles’ draw with Taifa Stars is a loss, says Nwosu

FORMER Super Eagles Captain, Henry Nwosu, has described the draw against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania in Dar Es Salaam at the weekend as not what the country expected. Nwosu’s assertion is coming on the heels of former Super Falcons’ coach, Godwin Izilien’s call on Coach Sunday Oliseh to recall Osaze Odemwingi, Victor Moses and Odion Ighalo to the senior national team.

Nigeria on Saturday played a goalless draw with Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, while group rivals, Egypt, went to Ndjamena to beat Chad 5-1.

Nigeria is on four points from two games, while Egypt leads the group with six points.
The Eagles will meet Egypt in two home and away matches in March, 2016.

Speaking in Ibadan at the weekend, Nwosu said: “As far as I am concerned the draw was like a loss. To me, we lost the match. Tanzania is not a team that we should play a draw with. This is a team we have beaten before on their soil. However, we should put the disappointment behind us and concentrate on the next game.”

The former Under-17 Golden Eaglets handler, who wondered why Oliseh should discard 80 per cent of the old Eagles, said: “There is no justification in his decision to drop 80 per cent of the former team, especially when you are coming in as a new coach.

“The normal thing he should have done was to retain at least 50 per cent of the old team and then mix it with some of the players he thinks can help him to succeed as the new Super Eagles helmsman. From there, he can now gradually ease out some of the players that cannot fit into his plan. That is the thinking in football. But replacing 80 per cent of the old team with new players might not help him.

“The swift change is not just necessary. If he thinks the draw was a good start I will be surprised. But to some of us, it’s not and I would want him to something quickly in that regard.”

Also speaking on the game, Izilien called on Oliseh to invite more experienced players like John Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Osaze Odemwingie and Odion Ighalo to help the Eagles qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Izilien stated that experimenting with players at this stage of the qualifiers was capable of putting the Eagles in a precarious situation when they face a more organised team like Egypt.

Izilien also called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to monitor the quality of players invited to the senior national team, saying this would save the country the embarrassment of not qualifying for the Nations Cup for two consecutive editions.

He said: “Oliseh’s major task is to get the Nations Cup ticket. The rebuilding process should commence immediately after the Eagles’ qualification for Gabon 2017. Again, the NFF should monitor the quality of players invited to the Eagles to ensure nobody came to the team due to sentiments.”