By Ogo Clarkson
The Former Chairman of Delta State Football Association (DFA) and retired professional footballer, Hon. Kenneth Nwaomucha, has congratulated the Nigeria Football Federation board led by Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau and the Super Eagles on qualifying for the last four of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a 2-0 defeat of Algeria.
The former NPC and Flash Flamingo sharp shooter said it’s a joy to see the Super Eagles of Nigeria winning their matches, especially in top competitions like this.
“It wasn’t an easy task handling the national team, especially after their failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup,” he said. “It’s not an easy task to win five straight matches, including Tunisia and Algeria, convincingly, to qualify for the semi-finals.”
“Algeria, who lost to a superior Nigeria side 2-0, had defeated DR Congo, who had defeated Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers playoff,” he added.
He also noted that the drama between Victor Osimhen and the other players affected their performance against Algeria and advised them to play their normal game.
“It was clear that players of the Nigeria side were playing with caution, often passing the ball even when they had opportunities to try to score,” he said.
“It’s not out of place to release the ball on time, but they should play their normal game against host Morocco.”
He noted that Morocco is ranked the number one team in Africa and they are yet to lose a game in their last 11 matches. Nwaomucha, who is an Executive Assistant on Sports development to the Delta State Governor, commended all departments of the Super Eagles and urged the defence to continue to keep possession of the ball and warned against back passes to the goalkeeper.
Actions will resume on Wednesday, January 14th, as Senegal takes on Egypt at 5 pm at the Tangier Stadium, while Morocco plays against Nigeria at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which is also the venue for the final on January 18.
