Don’t Judge Home-based Eagles Yet, Erico Tells Nigerians

• Siasia Challenges Players To Step Up Game
Former Super Eagles assistant coach, Joe Erico, has charged the Home-based Super Eagles not to allow their defeat by the national U-23 team on to affect them in the build up to the 2017 Nations Cup qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt.

The Nigerian U-23 team shocked the home-based Super Eagles 2-0 in a test match played at the Abuja National Stadium on Wednesday and drew goalless with Nigerian National League (NNL) side, Kaduna United.

Erico, who urged the players to keep fighting hard to earn spots in the final list for the battle against Egypt, said the players needed encouragement and support to compete favorably with their foreign counterparts.

He also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to give the team the necessary logistics to earn the maximum three points against the Egyptians in Kaduna.

“The defeat against the U-23 team should not be used to castigate the home-based players. They need total support to contest with their foreign counterparts in the battle for shirts. Friendly games are usually used to blend a team. At this point, the domestic players can only be focused, if Nigerians believed in them,” he said.

The Super Eagles are preparing for an AFCON double-header against Egypt on March 25 in Kaduna, while the U-23 team are getting set for a friendly against Brazil on March 24 in the build up to the Rio Olympics.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles head coach, Samson Siasia, has challenged the home stars to show they can be relied on to deliver the goods in crucial matches whenever the need arises.

Siasia was unimpressed with the players after they struggled to a scoreless draw Thursday evening against Katsina United inside the main bowl of the National Stadium, Abuja.

“We have to step up our commitment level and show more seriousness,” the Coach opened up to his players.

“I am yet to see that hunger in all of you in all the friendly matches we have played so far since we opened this camp. We are facing Egypt in about two weeks and we will not stand any chance against them if we do not change our attitude,” Siasia said.

He added: “How can we, the Super Eagles, play against this NNL team and fail to create one clear –cut goal scoring opportunity? If we cannot create chances in this kind of games, when and where will we be able to create them? I know we are far better than this performance and will improve but we have to do so very quickly because there is no time.”