Super strong Super Eagles
2008-08-26 22:08
Johannesburg - Nigeria are expecting that a strong complement of players from the squad that performed with panache and precision while gaining a silver medal at the Olympic Games in China will find their way into the Super Eagles' World Cup squad in South Africa in 2010.
But, for the moment, the equally formidable Nigeria 20-man squad selected to meet Bafana Bafana in an African Nations Cup and World Cup qualifier in Port Elizabeth next Saturday does not include any of the youthful Beijing ball wizards.
"The two squads were chosen on entirely different tiers," said a Nigerian official, "with different coaches and different short-term objectives - so that we did not even call up three players over the age of 23 that Fifa permits in the Olympic Games squad.
"In this way," he added, "we have groomed a youthful contingent of players who are ready to fill any breach that might arise in the senior squad - and even hold their own as was proved so impressively at the Olympic Games."
In contrast to Nigeria's calculated planning, Bafana would still appear to be precariously placed between the devil and the deep blue sea as coach Joel Santana prepares to name the squad to face The Super Eagles on Wednesday with only the forlorn hope of qualifying for the 2010 African Nations Cup in mind.
Only three are home-based
Pointedly also, the 39 players who make up Nigeria's current senior team and the one that was narrowly beaten 1-0 by Argentina in the Olympic Games Final consists of 36 players who are currently with clubs outside the country and only three who are home-based.
"We have to face the reality that our best players are being snapped up by clubs all over the world, particularly in Europe where they are suitably rewarded for their talent," added the Nigerian spokesperson.
"But when it comes to selection for national squads the only criterion is choosing the best available - irrespective of where they are based."
And here too the Nigerian planners seem to be well in advance of their South African counterparts, who often become embroiled in the aimless issue of whether to give preference to South African-based players or those who are plying their trade overseas.
- SAPA