Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, is equating his team for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations starting this Saturday in South Africa with the team he captained to win the trophy in Tunisia in 1994.
In an exclusive chat with supersport.com at the team’s Faro, Portugal camp Keshi said on Monday that the team has the potentials good enough to match the team that won the trophy in 1994.
“Many Nigerians don’t know how good this team is. I see great potentials in them and they can go places,” he said, adding, “In Emenike I see a player who can be like Rashidi Yekini and Godfrey Obaobona will grow in his position.”
The coach said that his only concern was building the team capable of winning the trophy and not doubts being expressed by Nigerians.
“I just make sure I concentrate on the players and make sure they understand and buy into what we want to do. Nigeria is a place that you can never satisfy every person so we just make sure we do our best”.
“We have had no distractions. The NFF has been very supportive and we are just focused on the job at hand.”
According to him, there is no any pressure on the team to win the tournament promising not to put any pressure on the players.
“I would not put any pressure on my players; my duty is to make them relax but with high concentration levels so that they can carry out the tactical plans we have during matches.”
He blame the media for the lack of patriotism being exhibited by present crop of players.
“I loved the attitude of the late Rashidi Yekini when it came to playing for Nigeria – he was always the first to arrive and was willing to do anything for the National team, I loved the man.
“The current players are different and it is also the fault of the media who hype players to all levels because of what they do at their clubs when they have played probably four or five matches for Nigeria. You need to have played consistently for the national team for at least five years before you can be called a star”.
He said the build-up was not affected negatively by the absence of the likes of Obafemi Martins, Osaze Odemwegie, Shola Ameobi and Danny Shittu.
He however admited he dearly would have loved to have Shola Ameobi in the team.
“He would have brought a lot of good things and experience because when he played with us in Miami for the friendly against Venezuela he was a brilliant influence on the pitch and in the dressing room; encouraging the players and saying a lot of the things I would have said and I was so impressed I let him continue. So this young side could have done with that.”