You need help, Pinnick tells Keshi

‘Eagles should expect hostile reception in Sudan’

Caoch allays fear over Astro turf

Don’t put team under pressure, says Amuneke

Babatunde undergoes late fitness test

NEWLY-ELECTED Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick, has said Stephen Keshi has to accept extra technical assistance if he must remain as Super Eagles’ coach.

Keshi Tuesday demanded that the team fly to Sudan on chartered flight to avoid fatigue on the players, just as former Super Eagles player, Emmanuel Amuneke, charged the team to trend with caution when they confront Sudan in Saturday’s win or burst Nations Cup qualifier.

Keshi, who is out of a contract but will handle the country’s team in two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Sudan this month, dismissed suggestions before the FIFA World Cup that he be assisted in Brazil with more technical expertise.

But Pinnick, who was elected NFF president last week, has now insisted the coach will have to accept such assistance to stay on his post.

“Right now Keshi is out of contract, but he is coaching the team. I am not going to tell you today that I am going to sack Keshi, I am not going to also tell you that he would be there, but if Keshi were to stay, we would help him,” he said.

“And even if you want to help a coach, there are processes. But I can assure you we are not going to do anything that is against the interest of Nigerians.

He added: “We are going to create a technical study group that would build a data bank of Nigeria players playing abroad. And how they play regularly.

“We would have the A-league, B-league and C-league as the case may be. If for example you have someone playing in the A-league and scoring goals, you cannot bring someone from China to come and bench that person, we cannot allow that.

“We will give him a pool where he picks players from, that is what is done all over the world.”

Pinnick, who last week announced that he would take responsibility should the Eagles fail to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, also said Keshi has to build his capacity.

“There was a time I made a comment that Keshi has reached his limit and needs to build his capacity,” he said.

“But one thing we must say about Keshi is that he is a hero and as a hero we must accord him that respect. He won the Nations Cup as a player and won it as a coach, there are only two of them like that in Africa.”

All the invited players trained in Abuja Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s AFCON qualifier in Sudan.

Keshi said yesterday that a commercial flight would mean the Eagles would most likely stop over in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and only arrive in Sudan the night before the Saturday showdown.

Among the players who trained Tuesday included Chelsea star Mikel Obi, Vincent Enyeama, Kenneth Omeruo, Hope Akpan, Aaron Samuel, Nosa Igiebor, Emmanuel Emenike and Elderson Echeijile.

Others are Austin Ejide, Ogenyi Onazi, Babatunde Michael, Efe Ambrose, Ighodaro Osagouna, Gbolahan Salami and Chigozie Agbim.

Meanwhile, Volin Lutsk FC of Ukraine forward, Michael Babatunde, is expected to undergo a late fitness test yesterday to know his fate before the team’s departure.

Babatunde who battles with a fresh injury, which he picked recently at his club after recovering from the one he got during g the World Cup in Brazil, was among the last set of players that arrived the Eagles camp Tuesday. He was not able to train with the rest of the players.

Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, confirmed Tuesday saying that the team’s medical team would carry out a fitness test on the player before the coach would make his final decision on whether he would be listed for the trip or not.

“The coach tried to use him during morning training session on Tuesday, but he could not cope. I cannot tell you if he will be fit for the game or not. Only the medical team can tell that as soon as they are done with their test,” Alaiya said.

The Super Eagles were forced to train at the main bowl of the re-grassed Abuja National Stadium Tuesday despite the fact that they are expected to face the Sudanese on an artificial turf.

The shift to the main bowl was to give their female counterparts, the Super Falcons to use the NFF FIFA goal project artificial turf in preparation for the AWC, which begins this weekend in Namibia.

The former African footballer of the year, Emmanuel Amuneke, who is now the coach of the Golden Eaglets told The Guardian Tuesday that Keshi needs to work hard on his players to avoid complacency during the game.

He said that the game against Sudan would be tough for the Eagles, owing to the fact that the Eagles have not been having favourably away results.

Amuneke noted that the Eagles have the best legs that can give the Sudanese a good fight, if only the big boss select the right players for the match.

He, however, pleaded with the NFF to give Keshi all assistance needed to book the Nations Cup ticket.

“The game against Sudan will not be easy for the Eagles because I believe the Sudanese have nothing to lose in the game. Their target is to halt Super Eagles chances of booking the ticket to Morocco 2015. Eagles need to approach the tie with caution to avoid unnecessary yellow cards or penalty.

“Playing away from home had not been easy for the team in previous international engagements. Keshi needs to make is players approach the tie with high level of technical discipline. We have skillful players that can beat Sudan, if only the coach can use the right players to prosecute the match. The Eagles should not be put under pressure to win the game,’’ Amuneke added.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya, has stated Keshi is not bothered over the team playing on Astro turf pitch in Sudan. He disclosed that all the players invited for the game have arrived Abuja and are training twice daily in the FIFA goal project Astro turf pitch, adding that the players have not complained on the pitch since training resumed on Monday

Former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has warned that the team should expect a hostile reception from Sudan when they clash in an AFCON qualifier on Saturday.

He said the African champions should expect a lot of distractions from their hosts, but they must be steadfast and concentrate on the job on the pitch.

“Eagles must respect Sudan and not take them for granted. They should expect the hosts to be hostile to them, they will do everything to intimidate them in all aspects in order to see that the Eagles do not win,” he said.

The former AC Milan and Auxerre star said he expects Nigeria to employ counter attack to beat Sudan on Saturday.

“Eagles must stay back and use counter attack to get the goals. I was there the last time we beat Sudan 4-0 and I see us winning this game also,” Taribo said on a radio interview in Lagos.

Nigeria won 4-0 in Sudan in 2001 in a 2002 World Cup qualifier.