Udeze cautions against continued debate on team list as Eguavoen searches for midfielders

Super Eagles former defender, Ifeanyi Udeze, has urged national team fans to halt the debate on the quality of players invited for Nigeria’s last Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying matches against Ghana, saying that such talks could distract the team from the goal of beating the Black Stars to the ticket.

Udeze’s warning came yesterday even as Super Eagles Coach, Augustine Eguavoen, revealed that he is still on the look out for strong and mobile midfielders to fortify his team.

Since Eguavioen released the squad list for the matches billed to hold in Cape Coast on March 25 and Abuja on March 29, there has been criticism on the choice of players. While some have criticized the list for not including home-based players, there are others who believe that players like Odion Ighalo and Ogenyi Onazi  not have made the cut.

But Udeze has said that continuous debate on the coach’s choice could distract the team from their preparation for the matches, adding that the best thing to do now is to support the team to success.

“For me, I am not happy that no player in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) made the list. But I believe the coaches have their reasons for that decision. We need the best players to get the World Cup ticket for Nigeria and if Coach Eguaveon feels the players invited are good enough to give us the ticket, all we have to do is to support them and stop complaining,” he said.

He advised home-based players to work hard on their game to attract the coaches’ attention, adding that it is no coincidence that former coach, Gernot Rohr and his successor, Eguavoen, do not see them as good enough for the Eagles.

He said: “I played in the NPFL and made my mark in the Eagles. There are quality players in the league but at this point our focus should be on supporting the Eagles’ coaches to get the World Cup ticket.” 

Meanwhile, Eguavoen has revealed that he is still searching for quality attacking midfielders from the rank of Nigeria’s Europe-based players and the NPFL, saying that his team needs effective attacking midfielders to compete against the world’s best.

Glasgow Rangers’ Joe ARibo is Eguavoen’s current number one attacking midfielder, but the return of Oghenekaro Etebo and inclusion of Emmanuel Dennis is expected to boost that department.