Ismaila Lere With Agency Reports
9 June 2009
Former Green Eagles' left winger Adokiye Amiesimeka yesterday in Port Harcourt called on former Super Eagles' skipper Austin Okocha to come out of retirement.
Reacting to Nigeria's 3-0 win over Kenya in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday in Abuja, Amiesimeka said that the former midfield maestro should return to the national team.
He said Okocha would be more useful to Nigeria in the national team than in the Presidential Task Force Committee set up by President Umaru Yar'Adua to ensure the Super Eagles' qualification for South Africa 2010.
Okocha is a member of the 12-man Presidential Task Force headed by Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers.
He argued that the former skipper should resume his role in the midfield which he said was weak and lacking in creativity in Sunday's game.
"We had a weak midfield, no penetrating passes until Nwankwo Kanu came in and gave us a penalty. I believe Okocha will be more useful in the midfield than on the Presidential Committee," he said.
He said the team played without passion, fire, and enthusiasm, giving the Kenyans much room to operate.
"We should have played them like the Nigeria-Belgium match at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games," he said.
Rivers' FA Chairman, Chris Green, called on the team to work harder if they must pick the ticket from the group.
"We need to work extra hard because our team was not that too good.
The Kenyans played well and were better technically," Green said.
"We are walking a tight rope because we still have Tunisia ahead of us. Our next match against Tunisia is a must-win match," he said.
Similarly, Paul Hamilton, a former Super Eagles coach, described the match in Tunis as a 'must-win' for Nigeria to feature in the finals of the mundial.
"The match in Tunis on June 20 is a must-win for the Super Eagles if Nigeria is to be at the World Cup final in 2010.
"As such, the boys must raise the tempo of their game in Tunisia. The Eagles did their best against Kenya in Abuja on Sunday.
"A lot still needs to be done by the coaching crew and the players for Nigeria to pick the Group B ticket for South Africa 2010 World Cup," Hamilton said.
Etim Esin, a former Nigerian international, urged Super Eagles' coach to retain the team which featured against the Harambee Stars of Kenya on Sunday for their next match in Tunisia.
"The boys are okay. No good manager anywhere in the world will want to change a winning team," he said.
But, Patrick Ibeh, a journalist, said the technical crew must work harder on the midfield before the match in Tunisia.
"It is not yet 'uhuru'. Good that we got the three points from the match against Kenya but there was no coordination between the midfield and the defence.
" We do not have a team yet. What we only have is a bunch of players who tried to impress.
"Amodu (the coach) must correct these flaws before our next match in Tunis if we want to go to the World Cup," he said.
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