Lagos — Super Eagles Chief Coach Shaibu Amodu yesterday

said that he accepted responsibility for the 2-1 defeat of the team by Senegal in the semi-final of the 23rd African Nations Cup in Mali. The Super Eagles, beaten 2-1 by Lions of Senegal, will take on Mali today in the city of Mopti in the third place match.

Amodu said that he was not going to make excuses for the team s failure and was not prepared to say much for now on the performance of the team in the tournament.

Amodu declared: "I assembled the team and I take responsibility for the results.

Frustrated by Super Eagles 2-1 defeat by Senegal in the semi-finals of the 23rd African Nations Cup in Mali, soccer enthusiasts in Abuja have called for an overhauled of the team. Out of anger and disbelief, at the dismal performance of the team, the fans insisted that radical changes be effected if they are to do well at the Korea/Japan World Cup.

"I am happy that we lost because we are not supposed to have reached that stage. We fielded old players. God was with us, referee was with us yet we could not win, said Isa Hussaini, a civil servant. A soccer enthusiast, Mr.

Shehu Abui, Editor-In-Chief of NAN, called for an overhaul of the team, saying that the aged players among them should give way to younger ones.

"There are still some few young ones that can be retained, but players like Finidi George, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Taribo west should give way, stated Abui.

Mr. Dejo Olatoye, an Abuja-based journalist noted: "Eagles crash has saved the country from a possible disgrace in the hands of Cameroon in the final match. "If we had reached the final, it could have been the forth consecutive defeat in the hands of Cameroon in the Nations Cup. That could have been terribly bad.

Olatoye then suggested that, considering Shaibu Amodu s antecedents at African Club level competitions, he (Amodu) should be made to raise a new team that could restore the country s fading glory in soccer.

A cross section of fans, however, observed that the national team lost the match because they lacked some essentials ingredients professionalism, stamina, speed and commitment.(ACONS)