Eagles Must Win in South Africa, Says Keshi
Eagles Must Win in South Africa, Says Keshi
CAN 2015 QUALIFIED
Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi,
has said his team is now pressed to win in South Africa on Wednesday
after the African champions fell 3-2 at home to Congo last Saturday.
South Africa is top of Group A of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying stage after the Bafana Bafana won 3-0 in Sudan on Friday and they welcome the Nigeria in Cape Town midweek.
South Africa is top of Group A of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying stage after the Bafana Bafana won 3-0 in Sudan on Friday and they welcome the Nigeria in Cape Town midweek.
Keshi has now called for support while hoping the Super Eagles could redeem themselves in South Africa on Wednesday.
“It’s football. Brazil lost 7-1 and we lost (on Saturday). Everybody is going to lose someday. We cannot win all the games all the time. This is where we need the media and Nigerians. They have to be behind the team, so that we can go to South Africa and win,” said a disappointed Keshi.
“I’m very disappointed. It was not just the result but the way we played in the first half. I was like a soothsayer because I saw it coming and I talked to the boys that they had to be aggressive and first to the ball.
“I’ve played against the Congolese team before and I know they play tip-tap football. We scored the first goal and that was it. It’s a shame that we had opportunities, mostly in the second half, but we could not score.”
Keshi said the Eagles played with a lot more aggression but Congo frustrated them with their defensive and delay tactics.
“I told them (players) they were not playing their game. They were not themselves, they were not playing, they were second to the ball and they needed to change the mentality,” he said.
“It’s football. Brazil lost 7-1 and we lost (on Saturday). Everybody is going to lose someday. We cannot win all the games all the time. This is where we need the media and Nigerians. They have to be behind the team, so that we can go to South Africa and win,” said a disappointed Keshi.
“I’m very disappointed. It was not just the result but the way we played in the first half. I was like a soothsayer because I saw it coming and I talked to the boys that they had to be aggressive and first to the ball.
“I’ve played against the Congolese team before and I know they play tip-tap football. We scored the first goal and that was it. It’s a shame that we had opportunities, mostly in the second half, but we could not score.”
Keshi said the Eagles played with a lot more aggression but Congo frustrated them with their defensive and delay tactics.
“I told them (players) they were not playing their game. They were not themselves, they were not playing, they were second to the ball and they needed to change the mentality,” he said.
“They came back in the second half and you could see the difference.
But if you are playing a team like this, they are going to come hard and
park the bus. And that’s what they did in the second half. Who won’t do
it?
“I can understand the frustration, the Congolese team delaying the game, killing the game. It became an anger problem and its part of the game.”
“I can understand the frustration, the Congolese team delaying the game, killing the game. It became an anger problem and its part of the game.”
Meanwhile, Super Eagles departed Nigeria for Johannesburg last night
ahead of the game against South Africa billed for Wednesday in Cape
Town.
The Eagles, who were originally scheduled to depart Nigeria for South Africa on Tuesday, left the Murtala Mohammed International Airport last night.
The Eagles, who were originally scheduled to depart Nigeria for South Africa on Tuesday, left the Murtala Mohammed International Airport last night.
"We are travelling to South African today (Sunday) through the Lagos airport," a player informed AfricanFootball.com
The Eagles are in a must-win situation against South Africa after surprisingly losing their opening game to Congo. The other midweek group game is between host Congo and Sudan.
The Eagles are in a must-win situation against South Africa after surprisingly losing their opening game to Congo. The other midweek group game is between host Congo and Sudan.
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