Former Nigerian international, Efe Ambrose has revealed that the Super Eagles lack team work in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ambrose made this assertion on the backdrop of Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in their group A opening game on Sunday.
In an interview with BBC Sports, Ambrose noted that individual talents without proper team work won’t help Nigeria at the tournament.
“You have to play first as a team – it is not about individuals.
Read Also: EXCLUSIVE: Adebayor Visits Super Eagles Camp, Backs Peseiro’s Men To Win AFCON 2023 Title
” I think that is what we are lacking right now – that team, that togetherness.
“I don’t think that it is not there, but it is not up to where it should be.
“Individuals will have the talent, they have everything but it is about how to assemble the right players with quality together, to work together as one.”
Photo by Ganiu Yusuf
4 Comments
Mr. Ambrose,
When your team won the AFCON in 2013, did your team have the ‘togetherness’ or ‘play as a team’ that you are talking about during the first game, or even the whole of the group stage?
Because I remembered you guys were piss poor and beyond mediocre, after two 1-1 draws with Burkina Faso and Zambia, to the extent that the NFF were trying to organize your return tickets because Nigerians had zero hope of you making it out of the group. This 2024 team played 1000 times better than the shit-show you and your team mates put up back then.
If I also recall, your team only made it through because of two lucky penalties against Ethiopia, late in the 2nd half.
Moral of the story is: if you don’t have anything positive to say, you are better off keeping quiet, instead of coming across like a dullard!
You should be the one to shut-up, you honestly want to compare this mediocre team to that of 2013. Are you for real, please if someone borrowed you data, kindly use it wisely, instead of coming here to make a fool of yourselves. The so called minnows are beginning to up their games. So their win against ivory coast who were tipped to win the tournament was a fluke? Mr Benakay, dey play. Or is it the semi finals against Mali, honestly you must be smoking something dangerous affecting your brain
@shina it’s you who doesn’t know what you are saying probably you were still a kid in 2013 to not know the story we are talking about. The 2013 team were so poor in their group matches that you hardly knew it was Nigeria playing . The ginger came when we beat Ivory . You can’t compared the present team with 2013 team . What was the value of the team in 2013 compared t the present team , the most valuable team in Africa and tenth in the whole world. Do you think na joke.
However Ambrose is right the team need to be playing as a unit and they need to play for each other . Scoring goals should not be competitive .
You are right @reciprocal. I don’t understand the problem with this team or set of players. I hope they can one day make Nigeria proud before most of them get old. It’s been one shame to another.
Now look at the misfortune happening to the team. The injuries.
Now that we were celebrating Yusuf – a battler in midfield, we risk losing him to injuries again.
Oshimen is also almost a doubt now. Injuries too many.
Is it because there’s injustice in player selection. I don’t know.
Goals that should be going in don’t go in.
After some of them lost chances in a friendly against Saudi they got to their clubs and almost all the forwards score for their clubs.
Well for the next match don’t expect anything just wish them well. It’s still going to be many goal misses. Then the concede one careless goal and then we lost.
I hope this won’t be the case. But don’t raise your hope and blog pressure. I wish them the best anyway