Eagles, Team Melli draw not acceptable, Nigerians tell Keshi

Football fans in Abuja said the Super Eagles opening match against Iran that ended goalless at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil was casual and not acceptable by Nigerians.

A cross section of those who spoke to Peoples Daily Sports yesterday said though it was a technical game, Nigeria still tried their best to hold Iran to a goalless match.

Ahmid Lawal said the game was highly technical, adding that more experienced players were needed to start the match in the first half.

He said Eagles had so many chances in the first half but were too casual about the game.

“The match was played technically; our boys were so casual while Iran was defensive but I must say that it was a technical match.

“The Iranians were taller, I can recalled during their qualifiers, they played their heart without losing any match, the Eagles’ cooperation was very poor, there was only one attacker Emmanuel Eminike, the supply from midfield was low.

“In our next match, Mikel should be brought forward and our experienced players should start the match first, not waiting till the second half,” Lawal advised the technical crew.

Panda Gabriel Elian, a businessman and a teacher, said he was not impressed about the team’s performance, stating that their passes were inaccurate and did not look ready for the game.

He said they had the opportunity to win the match but they were too slow and not set for the challenge.

“Our players were just indecisive; they didn’t seem to know what to do with the ball their passes were inaccurate; the long passes were a complete mess, “Elian noted.

David Sunday Job, a civil servant, said Super Eagles did not seem to have a game plan, stating that they had to improve before their next match.

He said if they continued to play in that manner, the boys would soon be home after the group stage matches.

Although, some football enthusiasts still believe the Eagles did not record a victory as expected, the team would get better as the tourney progressed.

However, Mrs Holiness Akota said that the result was a blessing in disguise, adding that the Super Eagles were always slow starters.

“You recall that even on their way to becoming the African champions they started slowly but picked up form in the latter stages of the tournament.

“I believe they would step up their game in the next two matches and hopefully progress to the second round,” he said.

Newton Tilo, also said much was expected from the Eagles, but all hope was not lost.

“Everyone expected the team to win this game comfortably but I must confess that Iran were very solid in defence today.

“What that tells you is that you can never write-off any team in this tournament because if you do, you might get punished.

“We saw what happened to teams like Spain and Uruguay; that’s what you get when you underrate your opponents.

“Having said that, I believe the Eagles will perform much better in their next match as the coach must have seen one or two lapses in the team and would hopefully correct them,” he said.