The Sun News On-line

The new-look Super Eagles under the technical guidance of Coach Shaibu Amodu have continued to receive loud applause for their 100 per cent record in their race for tickets to the 2010 World/Nations Cup championships.

One man, who is, however, not persuaded by the victories over the Nzelanga Nacional of Equatorial Guinea, Leone Stars of Sierra Leone and Bafana Bafana of South Africa, is Hon. Mike Kusah, former commissioner for sports in Benue State.
“Yes, Super Eagles have won four matches, but for me, I’m not celebrating, because they have yet to meet real opposition,” Kusah averred in an exclusive chat with Saturday Sunsport recently in Makurdi.

“It is not South Africa that we can use to measure the strength of the Nigerian team. It’s not Equatorial Guinea either nor Sierra Leone,” he went on. “And I still hold very strongly that patriotic spirit has not come back to the national team yet. Until that is done, I doubt if we can get to where we are going,” the vintage Kusah added.

The passionate football enthusiast and analyst looks forward to the day the Super Eagles would easily overcome oppositions from stronger African nations like Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana and Mali, and go ahead to reclaim their No.5 position in the FIFA World Ranking.
“The players have so far respected Coach Shaibu Amodu, but I still see laxity and lack of commitment in them. That patriotic zeal with which they can go into the pitch and reclaim the No.5 position in the FIFA World Ranking is not yet there. And until that spirit comes back in them, I don’t think I would have anything to cheer about. That we won matches against Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and South Africa is not enough for us to sing hallelujah.

“South Africa has never really been a threat to Nigeria in the game of football. If we are playing against Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Egypt or Mali, who tend to harass us and we are winning with the same margin we are winning at the moment, then one can say, yes, we have something to cheer about.

“We won all the matches we have played in the World/Nations Cup qualifiers so far, but let’s see what happens in the next round.”

Kusah, however, commended Lokomotiv Moscow of Russia attacking pearl, Osaze Odemwingie for his exemplary dedication and hard work whenever he dons the national team jersey, but did not give much commendation to Everton of England striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who he said had not demonstrated enough aggression in the Eagles’ attack like what Nigerians saw in the days of Dan ‘The Bull’ Amokachi.

“Osaze has always been my man. I like his fighting spirit, commitment and hard work. Each time he is on the pitch, he’s a tireless worker and you’ll see the patriotic spirit in him. If we have five other players supporting Osaze, we’ll be doing fine.
“One person I have a big problem with his attitude is Yakubu Aiyegbeni. He only scores goals when opportunities come his way. You can’t see that fighting spirit we used to see in the likes of Dan Amokachi in him.

“Aiyegbeni can do a lot better than what he’s doing at the moment, but for me, Osaze is my ideal player with the kind of fighting spirit I would want to see in the Nigerian team.”
The former Benue State sports numero uno further spoke on the search for a new playmaker for the Super Eagles to replace the retired Austin Jay Jay Okocha, and why Chelsea of England midfielder, John Mikel Obi cannot effectively play that role at the moment.

“The person who would have naturally stepped into the shoes of Okocha as Eagles’ playmaker is Mikel. I see him the way I see Lionel Messi of Argentina. He holds on to the ball and takes on the opponents. But he lacks those mesmerising moves of Jay Jay.

“Mikel is somebody who could have taken up that role, but he thinks he has not grown past his age. But I think he should be able to say, though I’m 10 years old, let me think and behave as if I’m 20. If he can take up that kind of spirit, I believe he has the capacity to become the Super Eagles’ playmaker because of his exposure with Chelsea and the kind of international exposure he has received.
“A playmaker must have the never-say-die kind of spirit. Mikel is more effective as an attacking midfielder. That’s why I likened him to Lionel Messi. And when he is in that position, his passes are usually quite productive.

“I have always said that if Mikel had gone to Manchester United of England, they probably would have used him better than he has been used at Chelsea. Chelsea have too many people in the attack, so he is like a ‘football bat’, neither an animal nor a bird. Today, he’s in the middle position, tomorrow he’s in the attack, the next day he’s drafted to the defence. He has never really defined himself.

“I watched him in one of Nigeria’s matches recently where he caused havoc and confession in the opponents’ vital area each time he made forays to the front. Players who take the ball to the defenders are the real players as far as I’m concerned. We’re talking about Fernando Toress, Santa Cruz, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They take the ball, look at the defenders and go to them.
“Mikel didn’t really have a clear definition of what he should be doing and I think that has affected his game,” Kusah submitted.