Benedict Akwuegbu, a former Nigeria international, has voiced his optimism to Completesports.com, that the Super Eagles are on the path to glory at the ongoing 33rd Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Akwuegbu, who was nicknamed Austria Bomber, following his exploits in the Austrian league with several clubs, reckons that despite still having a game in hand, today’s last Group D fixture against against Guinea Bissau, and with the three time African champions already through to the knockout phase, the Super Eagles have displayed a title-winning quality.
Eguavoen’s men have won their first two Group D games, dispatching Pharaohs of Egypt 1-0 in the opening game, followed that up with an emphatic 3-1 thumping of Sudan to seal their place in the Round of 16, reducing their today’s clash against Guinea-Bissau to a dead rubber.
“I think the team has been very fantastic. Eguavoen has brought a lot of organisation to the team. Watching the Super Eagles now play reminds one of the good old days. Nigerians are now comfortably watching a national team with confidence, comfort, pride and without pressure,” Akwuegbu told he Completesports.com from his base in London.
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“Eguavoen has brought to bear his wealth of experience as a former Nigeria international, a former captain of the senior national team and a vastly experienced coach who has managed clubs across the globe within so short a time that he has been in charge.
“I’m very optimistic that if they, [Super Eagles], maintain their current form, confidence, shape and style of play, Nigeria would be crowned champions of the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, making it her fourth title win, nothing would stop us.”
Akwuegbu added: “I must give kudos to Augustine Eguavoen, he has done so well so far, starting from his assemblage of the right players, thrusting them into the right positions and you can see the way the team transits forward and defends effectively. Their game management is second to none, quite unlike in the past when the players, officials and even the fans panic even with few minutes remaining in a game with the Eagles leading with a supposed comfortable margin.
“Watching them in the last two games, you could notice the players demonstrated a high level of professionalism, with winning mentality, united, on and off the pitch, with everyone coverying for each other.
“They are like one united family, working very hard for the success of the family. They run a lot, stay compact and if they keep this form, quality and mentality, I don’t see anything stopping them in this competition.
“I’ve seen and watched the other teams in the tournament, and I’m convinced Nigeria’s Supper Eagles are the strongest team in the tournament so far. So I remain optimistic that Nigeria would be crowned champions at the end of the tournament,” the former SK Sturm Graz of Austria forward concluded.
3 Comments
SE is playing a very exciting brand of football that is very strange to the African continent……..The team has a lot of pace in it but calm on the surface…… They keep the ball on the ground and rely on the wingers to tournament the opposition…….Once they lose the ball the attack it back immediately and win it back……They are always wanting to score first by mounting early pressure on the opponent hence their high chances created…….If it’s not a fluke and this pattern in mentained throughout the Afcon then there is no team that I have seen so far in this tournament that can survive SE.
My dear brother you have said it all…it’s a fantastic model and very energy sapping!!! you need to eat a lot of fufu to survive this….This is what the likes of aAmokachi and Amuneke were used to…Now, Amoo will surely fits into this style of play….
Sir Akpa you said a right talk about Super Eagles new style of playing which is strange in African football veteran coach Eguavoen on Sudan match played with 4-2-3-1 with a qiuck change to 4-2-4 to press on Sudan team because Sudan team is quick and have speed than Egyptian team who have a slow performance; I think on other strong matches on knock-out Euga will play a strong pressing and combative style because the teams he will meet have a strong mentality on how to deal with this phase of the tournament.Egua must play with 3-5-2 or 4-2-3-1 in order to keep the ball for a long time then he can press strongly on the rival, bedevil and baffle the rival’s accounts to look for an anti- tactic to change the current of the match.