Keshi Ready To Overhaul Eagles

Newly appointed Chief Coach of Nigeriaâ€s Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi has vowed to overhaul the senior national team to a squad that will be a force to reckon with in world football.

Keshi, former coach of Hawks of Togo, promised Nigerians that he would build a new Eagles that will once again make them proud.

The coach and his team are currently preparing for two international matches against Botswana in Benin City, Edo State on Saturday and Zambia in Kaduna next Tuesday. The ex-Super Eagles†captain told journalists at the end of his first training session with the team on the Astro Turf of the Abuja National Stadium yesterday that Nigerians should forget the past and join hands with him through prayers to bring back the lost glory of the Eagles.

John Mikel Obi of Chelsea and Victor Obinna Nsofor who plays in Russia with Lokomotiv Moscow, have been ruled out of the match against the Zebras of Botswana in Benin.

Speaking on Brila FM early today, Keshi said Mikel trained separately from the team, while Nsofor did not train at all. He had an ice pack around his left knee.

He said: “Mikel and Nsofor will not be part of the team for the match against Botswana, we hope they recover quickly enough to feature in our match against Zambia on Tuesday.”

Keshi also allays fears about the level of the injuries of the two players, saying “they are not ruled out completely from the second tie on Tuesday, itâ€s important for them to take some time off and rest a bit so that they can be fresh for the game against Zambia,” Keshi said.

There have been reports that Mikel is suffering from back pain right from the moment he arrived from his base in London, while Nsoforâ€s injury may not be unconnected with a knock he suffered while playing for his club at the weekend in the Russian League.

Meanwhile, captain Joseph Yobo insists that the Super Eagles have players with the talent to be in contention for CAF African Player of the Year award. Nigerian players suffered another  blackout as CAF released its nominees for this yearâ€s awards yesterday.

Not even Osaze Odemwingie, who finished as the top African goal scorer in the English Premier League with his 15 goals last season, was on the list which saw QPRâ€s Adel Taraabt nominated.

“I believe we have the talent to be nominated for the award, but we didnâ€t qualify for the Nations Cup so that has affected us,” Yobo said.

And the Super Eagles captain may have a point. Ideye, like Odemwingie, scored 15 goals for Sochaux before moving to Dinamo Kyiv.

Emmanuel Emenike scored 14 goals for Karabukspor before his move to Fenerbahce and then to Russia.

Yobo says the Eagles will have to work to regain respect.

“We have to take it one game at a time now, whether itâ€s a friendly, or a competitive match.

“Our goal should be to start to get wins, get our confidence back and then weâ€ll see what happens.

“We have a coach who is a legend and very well respected, and I believe we can start to try to build the confidence of Nigerians back in us.”

—Bamidele Olowosagba