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Sports Analyst Wants Olympic Team Graduated to Super Eagles

7th Oct.'08

Nigerian Sports analyst Austin Akabueze has called on Nigerian soccer authorities to graduate the football team to the Beijing Olympic games in China to a future Super Eagles. In a statement, Akabueze, a Business Consultant who currently lives in the US, said having watched the Super Eagles African Nations Cup performance in Ghana early in the year and the dream team 4's outing in Beijing, he was convinced that most of the Olympian players ought to be and also have permanent positions in the Super Eagles.

Akabueze said: "I do not see how players like Kanu Nwankwo, John Utaka, Dickson Etuhu, and Seyi Olofinjana should man the Super Eagles midfield ahead of Sani Kaita, Ebenezer Ajilore and Emmanul Ekpo. "These Dream team players showed better ball control, pace, precision and were better poised to deliver the ball to the attackers than the Super Eagles players mentioned."

Akabueze, a former Senior Correspondent with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who covered the African Nations Cup in Morocco in 1988 and the 1989 Under-16 World Cup in Scotland, urged the Eagles' handlers to take a decision now to drop Obafemi Martins from the Super Eagles for good. He said "Martins always has reasons to stay away from national duties and has shown his lack of interest in playing for Nigeria.

"How many goals has Martins scored for Nigeria since his debut over five years ago, Akabueze questioned, suggesting that Yakubu Aiyegbenu should also be dropped in favour of upcoming stars." According to Akabueze, the new Eagles attack should constitute of the following: Solomon Okoronkwo, Chinedu Ogbuke, Isaac Promise, Obinna Nsofor, Ikechukwu Uche, Victor Anichebe and Osaze Odenwingie.

In the defence, he said Adeleye, Olubayo Adefemi, Apam, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Shittu, Yobo, Taye Taiwo and Chinedu Odia should be deployed, adding that his vision of the new Super Eagles would earn Nigeria another five years of African dominance. He recalled the Super Eagles of the 1990s, saying Nigeria's successes arose from Clemence Westerhof's decision to expose young players like Daniel Amokachi, Jay Jay Okocha, Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke.

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