Former Nigeria international,
Friday Ekpo has said the Super
Eagles need to play more African
teams as they begin a build up to
the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
The reigning African
champions who missed out
of the 2015 biannual African
football showpiece will face
Cote d’Ivoire and Sudan in Abu
Dhabi.
According to the former
player of the defunct Abiola
Babes, playing African teams
will help the senior national
team in its rebuilding process.
“I believe that for us to
succeed ahead of the 2017
AFCON, we need to start a
very solid rebuilding process
for the Eagles in 2015, because
from now till then, there isn’t
any tangible competition to take
part in.
Ekpo said; “The preparation
should begin with playing
quality friendly matches. The
matches aren’t just against any
side; I am talking of friendly
matches against African
countries.The Eagles need to
play friendlies against African
sides because those are the
sides we will meet when the
qualifiers for the 2017 AFCON
begin. We need to get these
matches to keep the team busy
and together to achieve the
cohesion needed.”
He also cautioned that the
Nigeria Football Federation
should ensure that, the
friendlies against African
oppositions are not played on
European soil. Saying; “Also,
the matches should be played
on the continent. The NFF
should avoid taking matches
against African countries to
Europe or getting friendly
matches against non-African
sides, as the Europeans do play
themselves more than they play
Africans, which they do mainly
in the World Cup preparations’’.
“If they want to play, they
don’t bring their matches
to Africa. They play against
themselves in Europe. So, we
should organise our friendly
matches against African
countries and play them here
in Africa. We can play against
Gabon and use Tunisia as
the venue. It all will help the
team in the long run when the
qualifiers will eventually begin
for the next AFCON.”
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