The assistant coach of the senior national team of Tunisia Jalal Al-Qadri saya his team will approach their round of 16 game against Nigeria tomorrow at the Africa Cup of Nations tomorrow with high hopes.

Jalal Al-Qadri will be on the bench in place of head coach Mondher Kebaier who is not available for this game alongside over ten players after they all tested positive to Covid-19. Jalal is however confident that they can get a result against Nigeria.

He said although they will try to compete against the Nigerian team who won all their group games at the tournament despite the fact that they have to qualify as one of the third placed best team, he however admitted that they will need some elements of luck against the Super Eagles.

“We are confident and hope things go our way. We will find solutions to the Covid-19 problems. We won’t reveal our strategy. We hope luck will be on our side. Covid-19 has really affected our team. Our strength has been reduced and it can happen to any team in the world” he explained

“It is not only the players but technical staff as well. The technical crew is competent to ensure victory is on our side. Nigeria is a formidable side, Tunisia is a historic team in terms of African Football. Despite the obstacles we have a positive mindset”, further stated.

He went on to warn the Nigerian team not to underate his depleted team as they have players who can hurt the Super Eagles particularly two players who can provide the goals.

“We have skills which will enable us adopt to any situation. The Nigerian team must understand that they are meeting a competitive and battle ready Tunisian side. Football is unpredictable.

“For every game, there is a plan. We are not focusing on penalties. We are counting on Youssef Msakni and Ali Maâloul. They have played together and both scored. We have a lot that we are playing to unveil on Sunday”, he concluded

The senior national team of Nigeria will take on arch rivals Ghana in the play off for the 2022 World Cup to determine the team that will be at the tournament in Qatar.

In the draws made this afternoon, Nigeria drew Ghana and will play the first tie away from home before the return leg in Nigeria. Both games will be played in March.

Ghana were knocked out of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations at the group stage and the FA responded by firing their coach Milovan Rajevac with a new coach set to be appointed for the World Cup playoff.

Nigeria meanwhile are through to the round of 16 of the tournament with interim coach Austine Eguavoen now tipped to land the job in full capacity despite the announcement by the NFF that Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro will take over after the tournament.

For now Eguavoen will likely lead Nigeria in the games as he has impressed with the way he has steered the team at the AFCON following the sacking of Gernot Rohr. The team won all their group stages games at the tournament with a style of football rated by many as the best they have seen in recent years.

The assistant coach of the senior national team of Tunisia Jalal Al-Qadri saya he will be counting on two players to do the damage when they take on Nigeria in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations tomorrow.

Jalal Al-Qadri will be on the bench in place of head coach Mondher Kebaier who is not available for this game alongside over ten players after they all tested positive to Covid-19. Jalal is however confident that they can get a result against Nigeria.

“We are confident and hope things go our way. We will find solutions to the Covid-19 problems. We won’t reveal our strategy. We hope luck will be on our side. Covid-19 has really affected our team. Our strength has been reduced and it can happen to any team in the world” he explained

“It is not only the players but technical staff as well. The technical crew is competent to ensure victory is on our side. Nigeria is a formidable side, Tunisia is a historic team in terms of African Football. Despite the obstacles we have a positive mindset”, further stated.

He went on to warn the Nigerian team not to underate his depleted team as they have players who can hurt the Super Eagles particularly two players who can provide the goals.

“We have skills which will enable us adopt to any situation. The Nigerian team must understand that they are meeting a competitive and battle ready Tunisian side. Football is unpredictable.

“For every game, there is a plan. We are not focusing on penalties. We are counting on Youssef Msakni and Ali Maâloul. They have played together and both scored. We have a lot that we are playing to unveil on Sunday”, he concluded

The coach of the senior national team Austine Eguavoen says the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick will no longer talk to players of the team during the half time break.

Pinnick had half time talks with the players in the 1-0 win over Egypt and also had same with the players during the 3-1 win over Sudan but not in their third and final game against Guinea-Bissau.

Ahead of tomorrow’s game against Tunisia in the round of 16, Eguavoen was asked if the timing of the speech by the NFF president is appropriate considering that’s when he has time to correct lapses noticed in the first half.

He said Pinnick only visisted the dressing room during the half time break of their game against Egypt which isn’t entirely true as the official NFF handle on Instagram had video of the coach addressing the players during the break against Sudan.

Eguavoen however said in tomorrow’s game he isn’t sure the same thing will happen. “We talked about timing and I am still talking about that. it’s our culture, motivation is good. Guests can have short discussion with the team at the restaurant and not inside the dressing room”, he said.

“Against Egypt was the only time when the NFF President and the Air Peace President came to see the team and it was five minutes. In the second and third games no one came to see the team. I don’t think this will happen tomorrow”, he concluded.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says they have not signed any contract with Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro to become the substantive coach of the senior national team of Nigeria.

Peseiro was announced as the new coach of the Nigerian team with an agreement that he will take over after the Africa Cup of Nations, where he will also be on ground to monitor the team.

His job schedule begins immediately after the tournament but recent reports indicate that the NFF want to backtrack on the agreement and keep their faith in interim coach Austine Eguavoen.

The performance has now triggered the idea of keeping him in the role permanently with an idea of him also keeping his job as technical director base on the few games the team plays in a year.

“He (Peseiro) is not in Cameroon because we have not signed a contract with him yet,” the official, a member of the NFF executive council who does not want to be named, told ESPN.

“If he had signed a contract, he would have definitely been in Cameroon as planned.”

Eguavoen has impressed with the team at the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria winning all three of their games so far at the tournament with a style of football many refer to as one of the best in recent times.

“What we all agree on is that we want the team to do well, to play good football, to make Nigerians happy and to win trophies.

“It doesn’t matter who the coach is, what matters is the objective. If that objective can be achieved with Eguavoen as we can see now, then why not?

“We removed Rohr because Nigerians were not happy with the play and we were not blind to see that we were not going in the right direction the way we were playing.”

“What we are even thinking of right now is to give Eguavoen the two jobs. The national team plays about 10 matches a year, so during those times when they are not playing, he can carry on with his other responsibilities,” the official said.

Interim coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen says immediate past coach of the Super Eagles Gernot Rohr deserves credit for the success of the Super Eagles so far at AFCON 2021.

Nigeria qualified with maximum points from their first three group games following yesterday’s 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau and according to Eguavoen, the success of the team is largely due to the ex German tactician of the team.

He said 98% of the boys were assembled by the coach hence the need to give him credit. “There is no way we are not going to give Gernot Rohr credit because he’s the one who put this team together,” Eguavoen said at his post-match press conference after Nigeria’s win over Guinea-Bissau.

“We still inherited a team of about 98% Gernot Rohr together, so there is no way we are going to leave Gernot Rohr out of this.

“He did a good job assembling these boys, but it’s quite unfortunate what has happened and if we win the Africa Cup of Nations, it’s for everyone, not just me alone.”

Head coach of the B team of Real Sociedad Xavi Alonso says Nigerian striker Sadiq Umar is hard to stop when in full flight terming him as a player with a bright future.

Alonso made this remark when Sadiq scored the second goal for Almeria over his team in October last year. He also set up the first goal scored by Jose Carlos Lazo as they ease their way to a 3-1 win to stay top of the Segunda.

A part of the Nigerian team to the ongoing 2021 delayed Africa Cup of Nations, he opened his senior international goal account yesterday with a goal as Nigeria run out 2-0 winners over Guinea-Bissau in their final group game.

Asked about the characteristics of the Nigerian top scorer, the former Liverpool Real Madrid and Bayern Munich ace predicts a promising future for him if he continues in this line. In addition, he recognizes that his next career move would not be too big for him based on his performance and the qualities that have led him to become a fearsome footballer:

” Unbalancing, powerful, decisive , and I have no doubt that in a higher category or league he will be just as decisive . I foresee a bright future for Umar Sadiq, but not just him, because not only Sadiq, Almería as a whole is a good team. 

“For my team it was an enormous physical and mental exhaustion having to run the ninety minutes behind the striker: “Tying Sadiq down for 90 minutes is impossible, because of the imbalance he has”, he concluded

It’s clear to see that despite the difficulties he is facing in adapting to the system of play of the Nigerian team, his talent is clearly not in doubt and he could yet come good for Nigeria if they go all the way.

Almeria and Nigeria international striker Sadiq Umar says scoring for the Super Eagles gave him a special kind of feeling that he hasn’t had before in his career.

The lanky forward made up for his mistake in the first half by finishing a well worked team move with a far post touch from a cross by Kelechi Iheanacho to open scoring for Nigeria in their 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau.

Sadiq who has been the hottest striker in the Spanish second division since moving to Almeria with 28 goals and 10 assits in 59 games said scoring for Nigeria feels entirely different and special.

“I’m so excited getting on the scoresheet, it is a special moment for me and my family”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

He said the Nigeria team isn’t dreaming of lifting the trophy yet as they intend to go one game at a time, noting that the more progress they make, the harder the opponent you face.

“Every game is different, the more you go forward the more you face hard hames. We have to prepare our minds and be ready for what the future brings. You can see a lot of hardworking players and talents”, he said.

When asked if he is bothered by the criticism he is facing from a section of the fans of the team he said it’s not something that he can control; “We will keep moving as a team and go forward together and for people criticising me. It’s nothing I have control over. My job is to keep helping my team when I am needed. That’s the aspect I can control”, he said.

Former Super Eagles captain Austine Jay Jay Okocha says the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen isn’t getting the best out of the duo of Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The duo started for Nigeria in yesterday’s 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau with Iwobi playing on the right of attack while Iheanacho was deployed in the number ten role.

Okocha was in the studio as an analyst and he pointed out that Iwobi became more effective when he was moved to the number ten role insisting that Iheanacho isn’t fit for the role. He said he is better off as a striker.

“I’d like to see the coach play players in their right positions,” Okocha said on Super Sports.

“Iwobi became a better player when he took over the No.10 from Kelechi Iheanacho.

Iheanacho is not a typical No.10. He is a top finisher. I can understand why the coach is playing him in that position because he can convert a half chance.

“I am really impressed with the general performance of the Super Eagles against Guinea-Bissau despite playing the second team.

“This shows that Eguavoen is blessed with an array of talents that are capable of reaching the final if well utilized,” he rounded up.

Super Eagles rave of the moment Moses Simon says the winning mentality of the Nigerian team is responsible for their run of three wins in three games so far at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria will be the only team to pick up maximum points from all games as the group stage comes to an end today, and Simon who has been pivotal to the performance of the team narrowed it down to the way they approach games.

The Nantes star who was introduced as a substitute in yesterday’s 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau said their aim in every game is to push any team they are up against backward. He made this known while speaking after the game yesterday.

“The mentality we have in the team is winning. We try to push the opponent backward. I believe that’s why the coach called on me in the second half and I am grateful to him for the opportunity”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com after the game.

“We all have one goal, it is not about playing. It’s all about winning the Cup. We talk to each other, everyone believe in the same objective and we are ready to make it happen.

“I can’t really say how far we can go in this tournament. We just need to take things step by step”, he stated.