By Lekan Olaseinde
Secretary general of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barr. Musa Amadu, has opined that the results of the recent international friendlies and the ranking system by world football governing body, FIFA, do not bothered him a bit.
Speaking with a cross section of sportswriters in Abuja yesterday afternoon, Amadu urged optimistic fans not to use the poor results recorded by the Super Eagles in recent meets to totally write off the team.
The Stephen Okechukwu Keshi-led team had failed to win any of their pre-tournament friendlies, drawing 2-2 and 0-0 with Scotland and Greece respectively, while they lost 2-1 to the United States in their last warm-up game.
But Amadu, citing pre-1998 World Cup friendlies results in which Eagles lost scandalously 5 – 0 to the then Yugoslavia under Bora Milutonovic only to get to France and beat Spain 3 – 2. In the build-up to the USA ’94, the Eagles played a 1 – 1 draw with a lowly Thailand national team but when on to hit Bulgaria 3 – 0 and their conquest eventually became the bronze medalists. Amadu insisted the harsh criticisms of the team were uncalled for, as he believed they would impress when the chips were down in Brazil.
“I have no doubt in my mind that Nigeria will do well at the 2014 World Cup Finals. What really matters to me is our match against Iran. If we don’t win that match there will be problems. Until then I believe everything is okay.
“Our expectations are high. Everything that will make the boys happy has been given to them. They have everything going on well for them and I believe they will up their game when they the World Cup Finals get underway.”
Blueprint Sport also learnt that the team will depart USA today for Brazil and head straight to Curitiba where the team will confront Iran a week later.
Amadu assured that the Super Eagles had been well motivated and would put up a splendid performance as African champions.
