Siasia: Eagles Are Not There Yet

Despite beating the Ethiopian national team 4-0 in yesterday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Abuja National Stadium, Coach of the Super Eagles, Samson Siasia is not comfortable with the team’s performance.

Strikers Peter Utaka and Ike Uche scored twice as the Eagles thrashed their visitors in a one sided victory at the nations’ capital last night.

Siasia told P.M.Sports after the grudge encounter that though he was glad with the result and the three maximum points the team secured after the match, the performance of the Eagles was far below of what he expected of them.

He said: “I’m glad about the results of the match, but the Eagles are yet to get the right rhythm. The team are not there yet and beating the Antelopes of Ethiopia was a step forward in our rebuilding process.”

Coach of Ethiopia, Nigerian born Iffy Onuora, who came late to the post-match conference, said that his team were no match for the Eagles, as they failed to play to the expected level. “I concede  defeat to the Nigerian team. We will work more on our team and play better in our next game at home,” he said.

Thousands of football fans who watched yesterday’s match at the Abuja National Stadium mobbed the Eagles shortly after their clear victory against Ethiopia. The happy fans sang victory songs to appreciate Captain Joseph Yobo and his teammates after the match.

Security men spent about 35 minutes clearing the fans from the dressing room gate before the players were allowed to board their bus back to their Transcorp Hilton Hotel camp in Abuja.

Meanwhile, striker Obafemi Martins who plays for Birmingham of England believes that the Eagles have started well under Coach Siasia. “I’m happy that we have many players in various positions now. There is no doubt that this will bring healthy rivalry and make Eagles’ shirt very competitive,” he said.

Utaka got a rare chance in Nigeria’s starting line-up because of injuries to Martins and Osaze Odemwingie, and he wasted little time in taking advantage.

The younger brother of Montpellier’s John Utaka opened the scoring after a minute following good work by Victor Anichebe.

He rounded Ethiopia’s keeper to add a second in the 55th minute as Nigeria moved to within a point of Group B leaders Guinea at the halfway stage of the 2012 qualifiers.

Utaka then made way for injury-plagued Uche, who missed last year’s World Cup because of a knee injury.

Uche took just seven minutes to mark his return with a goal from close range.

Odemwingie, who had been ruled out on Friday, came on as a second-half substitute and set up Uche’s first goal, but a hamstring injury kept Martins from playing. Uche made it 4-0 with a long-range effort in the final minute.

—Tunde   Oyedele/Abuja