Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi yesterday held crucial talks with all the 23 players listed for the battle in the Nations Cup. The talk was centred on the battle of next round qualification at hand and at refocusing the team for the remainder of the tournament.
The talks which was held at the training pitch of the Ingwenyama Sports and Leisure Club, where the team is camped was exclusively for players, technical officials and the team psychologist.
At the end of the session which lasted over 30minutes, Keshi and the players went straight into the day’s training. The coach said that the meeting was aimed at ensuring that the team excel. Striker Brown Ideye, urged Nigerians to keep supporting the team as they were focused on ensuring a good outing at AFCON 2013. “We know the expectations are high but our opponents are not also sleeping, so Nigerians must be a little patient with the team”, he said.
NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari arrived the training with, Vice President, Chief Mike Umeh,? Media Committee Chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama, Finance Committee Chairman, Shehu Adamu, two other Executive Committee members and NFF Director, Technical, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme to watch the session.
Maigari told the players that the nation still expects them to do well at the championship, despite drawing the first game against Burkina Faso. “We have confidence in the abilities of this team to do Nigeria proud here, so we must go ahead and not only win our next game but do so in style”, he said.
Sports Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Hon BolajiAbdulahi spoke to the players on speaker phone. He told the players to forget the game against the Burkinabes and focus on its remaining group games as the tournament has proven to be one full of surprises. “The entire country from President Goodluck Jonathan down to the pepper seller in the remotest part of Nigeria is solidly behind you”, he said.