Former Super Eagles winger, Emmanuel Amunike, has given the team some tips on how to beat hosts, Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, when they meet tomorrow in their second group game at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Against all expectations, the Coach Jose Peseiro-led Eagles forced Equatorial Guinea to a 1-1 draw on Sunday, after squandering a lot of chances. While the Eagles lost two points in their first game, the Elephants got all points, winning 2-0 against Guinea-Bissau.
Amunike told BSNSports.com.ng, that the Super Eagles must have the capacity to manage the game against the Elephants. He said: “First of all, we expected that Nigeria is going to beat Equatorial Guinea, which was normal. Unfortunately, we were not able to win that game. We had some chances in the second half but thanks to their goalkeeper, who was exceptional and was able to stop those opportunities that could have given us the three points.
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“We just need to go back and look at the team. I keep on saying you can’t go into a battle based on your strength, you have to look at the strengths and weak points of your opponents and also look at your strength and then know what you can do.
“The game against Equatorial Guinea is gone. What matters now is for the Eagles to look at the areas they need to improve and reinforce against Cote d’Ivoire. Playing against the hosts will not be an easy game looking at the rivalry and pedigree between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire. The Eagles must have the capacity to manage the game.
“In modern football now, if you are a team that cannot manage the game, then you find it difficult. That means you must be chasing the balls always. If they can manage the game and be able to keep it compact, and not only just sending the long balls to Osimhen, I see the Eagles winning. Everybody is expecting Osimhen to do miracles.
“The midfielders need to be involved more in the game. They need to support more on the offensive aspect. They need to have more balance and also when you don’t have the balls, they need to be in positions to close the spaces. These are areas you have to bear in mind that you have to be compact when you are defending,” Amunike stated.
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