The Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, on Thursday subjected his players to a 20-minutes drill, following the team’s 1-1 draw with Nasarawa United in a friendly.
The drill was a punishment for their “not too impressive’’ performance in the match.
Ibrahim Ibrahim put Nasarawa United in front in the 18th minute, following a defensive error in the Eagles back line.
The Eagles, however, levelled scores in the 44th minute through a spot kick converted by Sunday Mba but it was not enough to wade-off Keshi’s punishment for them.
The match was put together as part of the team’s build-up to the 2013 African Cup of Nations tournament, scheduled to kick-off next month in South Africa.
The Nasarawa side managed by veteran coach Alphonsus Dike, played their hearts-out in the encounter but it was the national team that showed more maturity and should have easily won the game.
The Eagles featured Femi Thomas, Solomon Kwambe, Benjamin Francis, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwueke, Gabriel Reuben, Sunday Mba, Fegor Ogude, Tony Okputu, Ejike Uzoenyi and Gambo Mohammed in the first half and changed all the players for a new set of 11 players in the second.
The Eagles dominated the game in the early part of the game and would have been at least two goals up in the first 10 minutes but the chances that came their way were wasted by Mba, Reuben and Gambo.
The Eagles who played in the second half include Gomo Onduko, Ubale Mannir, Papa Idris, Henry Uche, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Zango Umar and goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.
The Eagles seemed to have the attacking speed but the Nasarawa side kept it tight at the back to run away with a draw.
Dike who was satisfied with his team’s performance said he was impressed with the quality of players who were picked for the national assignment but admonished the team handlers to work on the concentration level of the players.
“The players were quite good and among the best in the country but they need to improve in the area of concentration because that was what caused the goal my team scored against them,’’ he said.