Keshi surprised by goal margin

Plans new team for Nations Cup

SUPER Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, said he was surprised by the ease with which his team overran Liberia in their African Nations Cup qualifier on Saturday in Calabar.

The coach, who could not stop praising Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi, for steadying the midfield after the dismal performance in Liberia during the first leg, believes that Saturday’s victory is the true reflection of the gap between Nigerian football and that of Liberia.

But he is not resting in his oars.

According to Keshi, “this is the type of game I know these boys are capable of playing because they are all top professionals. But the truth is that I expected more from the Liberians after all that happened since we met in the first leg.

“The match was Mikel’s first game for me and he showed why he is rated so highly by officials of Chelsea. All the boys put in fantastic efforts and I want to congratulate them for making Nigerians happy once again.”

Keshi said he would sit down with members of the technical crew to look at the performance of the team since they took over the side late last year, adding that the team was still work in progress.

“This is not my Nations Cup team, but it will form the foundation for a solid side,” Keshi said.

Keshi told The Guardian during the state banquet organised for the team by the Cross River State government on Saturday that he would continue to work on every department of the team until he gets a team capable of winning the Nations Cup, adding that he would start his Nations Cup build up with a friendly against Venezuela.

“We will start to try some other players to gather the best Nigerians for the Nations Cup in January.

“I am not saying that we will throw away the current players. No. But for us to get good results in South Africa, we have to prepare well and assemble our best players for the competition,” he added.