Don’t Celebrate Yet, Keshi Warns Eagles

Nigeria manager, Stephen Keshi, has told supersport.com that he is not carried away by his team’s 6-1 thrashing of Liberia in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Calabar on Saturday.

“I’m really glad that we won by such a scoreline. But this doesn’t mean we have arrived just yet. Of course we took away some very positives from the game and I won’t also say we didn’t have some shaky moments. Now that’s where we will be working on before the Nations Cup proper in South Africa next year,” he said.

But the 50-year-old Nigerian trainer was ecstatic by the fact that his front men were among the goals against Liberia’s Lone Star.He believes that the team need more games together before the Africa Cup of Nations to reach competitive level.

“Seriously just like any coach, I’m happy to see that my strikers can score goals though we should have really finished off the Liberians at some point in the game with more goals. But we need more games before the Nations Cup to keep us together as a team and form a high-level bond and blend because the Nations Cup will present a totally different ball game all together.

“Remember that there are no home and away legs in the Nations Cup. You’ve got to be decisive at such big stage if you want to compete with the big boys on the continent. One game you’re either in or out. But it will be an interesting championship as we look forward to the draws,” the former Togo and Mali manager told supersport.com.

Three Nigerian strikers, Ahmed Musa, Ikechukwu Uche and Victor Moses were among the goalscorers as well as Efe Ambrose and John Mikel Obi.

Keshi’s men progressed to South Africa 2013 with a flattering 8-3 aggregate scoreline.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will know their 2013 Afcon opponents later in October when the draws hold in South Africa. 

Source: Legit.ng