Former Nigerian international, Julius Aghahowa has urged the Super Eagles to develop a winning mentality culture at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Having been pitted in Group A against Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, the three-time AFCON champions will gunning for a fourth title.
The Super Eagles will open their campaign at AFCON 2023 against Equatorial Guinea at the Alhassan Quattara Stadium, Ebimpe on January 14.
However, in an interview with News Agency Of Nigeria (NAN), Aghahowa stated that the players must show commitment and resilience if they are to make a good impact at the tournament.
Read Also: Sports Minister Holds Meeting with NFF, Peseiro Over AFCON Plans
“The players are in Europe which is easier because everybody is playing the same style, but coming to Africa to play and vie for major tournaments like World Cup qualifiers or AFCON, we are not going to have it easy,” Aghahowa told NAN.
“Our players need to have it at the back of their minds that it will be difficult to match and be well prepared. Once they sort that out, the rest will be history.
“The players can do it, and I believe in them, but that commitment and resilience that the game is a must-win should be added to their mentality,” he said.
5 Comments
These players are not of your mold Aghawonder. Remember the famous Womble to the final and your role.in the penultimate match? Aside Victor Osimhen the team has no fighter.He is a striker unlike you who could come.from behind to score.
We miss your bravery and bold players like you, Emmanuel Emenike, Da Bull comes once a decade. Great and skillful players like Victor Moses are missing in this team so when the chips are down, these PLAYERS WILL RATHER EAT THE CHIPS THAN IMPROVISE.
The players need to develop a winning mentality.
But winning mentality starts from proper administration.
NFF needs to develop a PAYING MENTALITY.
Paying coaches’ salaries and players’ bonuses is important. No exceptions, no excuses!
NFF also need to be more involved in players’ treatment after injury, instead of just shipping the player back to his or her club, and having the club shoulder the whole problem. Awoniyi that just got injured playing for Nigeria, has NFF offered to help Nottingham Forest in any way regarding his treatment? This is USE AND DUMP MENTALITY. It is counter productive.
It’s not only winning mentality and resilience captin Aghahowa , it’s style of playing and player’s choosing for Super Eagles; I think coach peseiro has done great mistakes and errors to change SE style of play which has affected to thier performance and results; Peseiro has been playing with vertical and long passes and offensive style of play then he has left defensive side , has left SE style of play with short and quick passes, playing in depth, playing of wings, has a strong and resilient goalkerper; so he has failed to get good performance and results from SE; so I recommend NFF technical committee to meet with Peseiro then ordering him with mandatory insturctions that he must change his style of play with SE style of play which regarded to short quick passes, wing crosses playing, strong strict defensive playing, choosing strong and resilient goalkeepers, this a problem of SE at this time.
If the advice is for Nff to instruct peisero to change style, why hiring a peisero in the first place? You should be advising Nff to coach se.
The buck stops at the top.
Asking players to show must show commitment and resilience whilst they are owed match allowances for 16 games is gaslighting.
The NFF must show must show commitment and resilience to the team, to the squad, to the coaching crew and to the target. The NFF is a serial debtor. Every tournament we see news of “money matters”. Is this the way to instil commitment and resilience in the players/team/squad?
How do you ask for commitment and resilience when you don’t do the same? Is that not being hypocritical?