Nigeria deserves World Cup spot, says Nooij

By Ifeanyi Ibeh

Coach of the Mozambican team, Martin Nooij believes the Super Eagles, and not Tunisia, deserve to be at the World Cup as he is of the opinion that the Nigerian team has a better international status than the North Africans.

Nooij, on Saturday, guided Mozambique to their first African Cup of Nations appearance since 1998 following their 1-0 win over the Tunisians in Maputo, a result which guaranteed a spot at next year’s tournament in South Africa for a Super Eagles side that won 3-2 in Kenya. Having played against both Nigeria and Tunisia in the qualifiers, he feels the Super Eagles have a better chance of making the rest of Africa proud at the World Cup than the Carthage Eagles.

“I have seen both of them play and they are good teams,” said Nooij in a telephone chat with NEXTSports, “but I think the Nigerian team is stronger and Africa will be proud of them at the World Cup.

“There are a lot of good players in the Nigerian team, players who play in Europe like (Nwankwo) Kanu, (Joseph) Yobo, (John Obi) Mikel, (Aiyegbeni) Yakubu and (Osaze) Odemwingie. They are all big players and any coach would like to have players like that.

“But the problem with the Nigerian team is that most of the time they don’t play as a team,” added the Dutchman. “They are more like a collection of individuals and that was why they found it difficult when playing against teams that play collectively like us.”

Teamwork

The Super Eagles all through the qualifiers found the going tough whenever they came up against coherent sides and Nooij feels that was as a result of the core of the team being based overseas which left the team’s coaching crew with little time to spend with the players prior to matches.

Although he doesn’t see that scenario changing considerably before the World Cup, Nooij hopes Shaibu Amodu and his assistants will find a way of making the most of any opportunity that may arise before the tournament gets underway in June next year.

Angola 2010

One of such opportunities, besides friendly matches, will be at January’s African Cup of Nations in Angola where Amodu will have the rare chance of spending between two to five weeks with his players depending on how far the Super Eagles go in the three-week tournament whose draws will be conducted on November 20 in Luanda.

There is a possibility that the Super Eagles will get to clash once again with the Mozambicans at Angola 2010 and if it comes to pass,

Nooij feels it will be a great opportunity for his side to avenge their 1-0 loss to Nigeria in Abuja, even though victory over one of the teams he considers favourites for the Cup of Nations isn’t his main priority.

“If we meet Nigeria in Angola I think we will win especially if they keep depending on individuality rather than collective teamwork,” continued Nooij. “But our target is to go very far in Angola,” added the Mambas coach who also feels the quartet of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and defending champions Egypt all stand a good chance of winning the Nations Cup.