Daily Independent (Lagos)
George Akpayen
14 October 2008
Lagos — Former Nigerian international, Segun Odegbami, has doused fears that the Super Eagles could face a backlash in performance in the final phase of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in Africa after it qualified in style with a 100 per cent record.
Speaking to our correspondent at the National Stadium in Lagos over the weekend, the former Nigerian winger believes that the Super Eagles" dismal outing at the last edition of the Africa Cup of Nation would ginger the Nigerian players to ensure that they earn a place at the next Mundial in South Africa billed to hold in the summer of 2010.
"I have heard people sounding pessimistic about Super Eagles chances before a ball is kicked in the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers because they have won all their games in the first round. Agreed that the nations that the Super Eagles met in the first round were no match on paper, it should also be noted that there are no longer minnows in the game of football.
"I don"t think anyone should nurse any fear at this stage that the Super Eagles would not qualify for the 2010 World Cup because I know that the disappointment of the last Nations Cup is still fresh in the minds of the players and they really want to make amends for that terrible performance by going to the World Cup," he said.
Odegbami does not believe that the calibre of opposition that would be pitted against the Eagles in the next phase of the African qualifiers for the World Cup would affect the psyche of the team.
He said he was sure that some Super Eagles players, who were in the team during the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup, would have learnt a few lessons after failing to reach the Mundial that year.
"I am sure you still remember that Nigeria did not go to the World Cup in 2006 because the players took some of the games for granted and at the end, Angola went to the World Cup instead of Nigeria. I am sure that those players, who were part of the team then, would not want such episode to happen again and I am sure that it is one of the reasons we have seen a renewed commitment from them," he said.
Odegbami described the performance of the Nigerian side against Sierra Leone on Saturday at the Abuja National Stadium as a matured display.
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