CHAN: Eagles Are Fully Ready for Mozambique

Super Eagles psychologist, Dr. Robinson Okosun, believes there will be a positive response from the Nigerian footballers at the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa when they face Mozambique tomorrow.

The Super Eagles were largely unimpressive in their opening game of the championship on Saturday which they lost 1-2 to Mali in Cape Town.

Tomorrow, the home-based Eagles will face Mozambique in their second preliminary game and Okosun believes a much better performance is guaranteed against the Mambas.

“I have spoken to all the 23 players and the dominant feeling, even amongst those that did not play (against Mali in their opening game) on Saturday is anger. They are angry with themselves for not performing as well as they know they can and will channel that in a positive manner to deliver a crucial victory on Wednesday,” Okosun said on telephone from Eagles camp in Cape Town.

He then called for patience and support from the Nigerian fans as he attempted to draw parallels between Nigeria’s successful 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign and the 2014 CHAN.

“I recall vividly that after our first game at the 2013 AFCON against Burkina Faso, there was a lot of criticism back home with the fans complaining that the Super Eagles did not play well.

“The complaints continued even after we defeated Ethiopia in our last group game to qualify for the quarter finals.

“We only began to convince the fans after our fourth game of the tournament against the Ivory Coast. Back then, I had no doubts that the team will do well and I feel the same way now,” he added.

Okosun concluded by reminding the fans that the coaches had had to work under “difficult conditions and circumstances they couldn’t control” while expressing confidence that the Super Eagles will turn the corner from their next game.

“The domestic league (in Nigeria) has been on break for months so they boys have hardly played any competitive game for some time.

“Coach Stephen Keshi and his team have also had to deal with difficult conditions and circumstances they couldn’t control because no less than seven players that were supposed to be here joined European clubs.

“This team had been together for less than a month so it is understandable that they did not play too well in their first game.

“However, having spoken to all of them (players), I am sure they will bounce back.
“Most of them have never played at this level before but they have vowed to fight and do the nation proud beginning from their next game,” he said.

But Mambas of Mozambique Head Coach, Joao Chisano, insisted yesterday Nigeria is the most pressured of all the teams in Group A of the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Chisano, whose team is sharing the same Garden Court De Waal Hotel with Nigeria said he made the assertion because even if his team is beaten by Eagles, the Mambas have nothing to lose but the reverse will be the case if Nigeria were to lose to his side.
“The Eagles are the big brothers in Africa, the African champions and Stephen Keshi is the African Coach of the Year. We don’t have any of those accolades, so pressure is on Nigeria not Mozambique,” reasoned the Mozambican coach.
On likely qualifiers from the group, Chisano said even if his side were to be beaten tomorrow, the Eagles still have an uphill task against Bafana Bafana on Sunday. “With their massive fans and the Vivuzelas, Nigeria will again be under pressure to perform as African champions”.
The youthful coach said he will however not be surprised if his team was eliminated from the first round, because according to him the pitch in Cape Town is very poor and that accounted for his side’s 3-1 loss to the host in the opening match.
He also said he’s looking to build a strong side in the future that his countrymen will be proud of.