Ex players condemn Super Eagles' lacklustre performance against Thunders of Equatorial Guinea

Posted : 15 January 2024

Some former Super Eagles have condemned the lackluster performances of the team against Africa's underdog, the Thunders of Equatorial Guinea, in the second match of Group A.

However, three former players of the senior national team, Olympics gold medalist Mobi Oparaku, 2013 AFCON winner Benedict Akwuegbu, and AFCON 1994 winner Edema Fuludu, all shared their thoughts in an interview in Lagos.

Recall that the Super Eagles of Nigeria played a grueling 1-1 draw against the National Thunder of Equatorial Guinea in the second match of Group A at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan.

The Super Eagles came back to draw level as Stanley Nwabili failed to prevent Equatorial Guinea from taking the lead against the run of play in the 36th minute, as Iván Salvador drew first blood.

Nigeria got the much-needed equalizer as Atlanta FC of Italy squared a pass to the high half-marked head of the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, to level at 1-1.

The game, however, failed to produce any other goals.

Speaking on the match, Nigeria's wonder petit right-winger and Olympics gold medalist, Oparaku, described the performances of the Eagles as below par.

"I don't want to say the players are bad or good, but I want to condemn their actions as they played against the Equatorial Guineans.

"Our players lacked bite, we did not play them the way they played us; this country is an underdog in African football, the Eagles lacked possession.

"When the Eagles are in possession, they lack options, but when their opponents are in possession, they have many options. When the Guineans have the ball, they play with precision.

"We did not play well against them at all and did not checkmate them. I have said that Nigeria has players but doesn't have a team," he said.

Oparaku, a former Super Eagles right-back, also said that Osimhen could have done better in handling the ball given to him with clear chances to score, which he failed to deliver.

"Osimhen needs to brace up; he can't be missing such chances in games like this. Those misses are not his type of game.

"The goal against Nigeria is not good at all; imagine three defenders that blocked the goalkeeper's view.

"I am angry with the way the team played," he concluded.

Another Ex-Eagle and AFCON 2013 winner, Akwuegbu, who spoke from his base in the U.K., disclosed that poor tactics led to the senior national team's lackluster performance.

"The match is very poor; we played poorly. Coach Jose Peseiro played the wrong tactics, and that is the reason we can't win the match.

"How can Peseiro play with a lone striker in this type of match? This is our first match, and we need two strikers upfront.

"Our midfielders should have held onto the ball a bit while Peseiro should have deployed Moses Simon on the right and Samuel Chukwueze on the left to feed Osimhen in the middle.

"We should have played more attacking football and put the Guineans under pressure; we need not defend against a country that is not so good," he queried.

Akwuegbu claimed that Nigeria did not play against a big country, so the tactical approach should have been to attack and not defend.

"We should have put pressure on the Guineans and not allowed them to play and build confidence. If we attack well, Osimhen can score three goals," he said.

For AFCON 1994 winning Edema Fuludu, Peseiro should take the blame.

"I have said that we lack a good Coach; we don't deserve someone like Peseiro," he said.

Ex players condemn Super Eagles' lacklustre performance against Thunders of Equatorial Guinea

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