LAGOS – Ex-international, Ndubuisi Okosieme, on Tuesday attributed the lackluster performance of the Super Eagles in their friendly matches, preparatory to the 2014 Brazil World Cup, to fear of injury.
The Eagles played 2-2 against Scotland, while their encounter with Greece ended 0-0 and their game against USA ended 1-2 in favour of their opponents.
Okosieme, a member of the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the Eagles were careful so as not to sustain injuries.
“Going through the friendly games they have played, I attribute their performance to the fact that they don’t want to get injured at this crucial point in time.
“Even the man that got injured, Echejile, had to be replaced; so, every other player is playing safe, knowing that he would be replaced if injured.
“The World Cup is a big deal; that is why the last game we played was a little shabby.
“The coach too is trying to match out his team,’’ he said.
On his expectation, the former ABC of Lagos player told NAN that he was optimistic that the team would perform well at the World Cup.
“They have a lot at stake, and they know the importance of this to the country as a whole, but I do believe we will put up a good performance at the World Cup.” (NAN)
