Fidelis Ebu
23 June 2008
Lagos — The Equatorial Guinea coach Jordan Da Freitas has said that the Super Eagles destabilised his game plans, which frustrated his players' efforts in the return leg of the 2010 World Cup/African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Abuja National Stadium Saturday.
It was also a day the Nigerian coach said his critics have not been fair to the results the Eagles have achieved. The Super Eagles walked out taller with a 2-0 win. Last week, they piped the Equatorial Guineans 1-0 in Malabo. "We respect the Super Eagles. Our strategy could not work, because our players fumbled; especially in the first half of the match," Jordan Da Freitas said moments after the Abuja match.
"The Super Eagles destabilised our game plans and cashed on our flaws to flog us the way they did", said the Equatorial Guinean coach through an interpreter. PEAK MAN - Super Eagles' Osaze Odemwingie receives the Peak Man of the Match award after the match against Equatorial Guinea in Abuja. Nigeria won 2-0. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. He was however full of praises for the Eagles saying that, "Nigeria is a big and good team that can adequately represent Africa at the World Cup". The quiet talking coach also said that he was building a team for the future. "We have a very young side that can stand on its own in the nearest future".
His Nigerian counterpart, Amodu Shuaibu used the occasion to rap critics who, he said, see almost nothing good in the series. He hoped that Saturday's victory would restrain the critics. Amodu, who said that he and his assistants started on a very rough note added that "the important thing is that we have been winning the matches played so far.
"We started on a rough note, but the Equatorial Guineans were a good side who were able to hold on to the ball, and I would like to commend them. I think our critics should see something good in us too while they criticise our wrongs. I think that winning all our four matches so far should not be swept under the carpet. We need to be encouraged," he said. .
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