Former Golden Eaglets’ coach, Godwin Izilein, and Baldwin Bazuaye, Head coach of Bendel Insurance FC of Benin, have congratulated the Super Eagles for their qualification to the round of 16, in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt, but urged them to improve on their tactical play in future matches.
İizilein, who also once coached the Super Falcons, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin after watching the Eagles beat Guinea in their second game in group B.
While noting that the Eagles had a good game against Guinea, he however, noted that there was room for improvement.
He particularly stated that the Eagles and their handlers needed to work on the midfielders as well as the attackers to become ‘deadly’ and clinical in their finishing.
According to him, “it is a very good beginning for the team. On the average, they are playing well but they need to improve on their capacity in their next matches.
“Performance of the players is not encouraging in the midfield. They need also to improve on their finishing; they need to get the goal early to consolidate.”
While he singled out Kenneth Omeruo as his Man of the Match, especially for scoring the only goal of the match, he condemned the play style of Odion Ighalo, who he described as a selfish player.
“Omeruo should be applauded and be encouraged to do more. Ighalo on his own was selfish and forgot that the game is for eleven characters.
“It will not augur well for the team in subsequent matches should he continue like this.
“The sole intention of the team is to win matches irrespective of who scores; the game is for eleven characters.
“On the overall, our game against Guinea was a good one, tough but we can improve on it,” stated İizilein.
Nigeria, playing in group B with Guinea, Madagascar and Burundi, won their first game against Burundi with a lone goal scored in the 77th minutes of the match by ighalo.
Similarly, Bazuaye applauded the Super Eagles of Nigeria over their defeat of Guinea, saying “it’s a good victory for all Nigerians.
“The players should ensure they put in their best as the competition progresses; I want them to go for more goals.
“But if they score one goal they should ensure they put in their very best to defend the goal to the end of the game.
“Coach Gernot Rohr should work on the mid fielders to spray good passes on time to the attackers if we have to score many goals,” he said