The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has praised the Super Eagles’ performances in their recent international matches, Footynaija.com reports.
Speaking after the Unity Cup in London and the friendly against Russia, he said the team has made real progress.
Arokodare, was on target in the 1–1 draw against Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium, capitalising on a loose ball in the box to cancel out an earlier own goal by Semi Ajayi.
“We saw Arokodare score a poacher’s goal,” Gusau said, praising the 24-year-old, in a report by Arise News. “And that’s the type of sharpness we need in the team. It is encouraging to see players grab their opportunities like that.”
He also used the opportunity to highlight the aim of the matches. “I can tell you categorically that we achieved our sporting objectives, which were the most important in this case.”
According to him, the real value of the games was to help the coaches assess new talents. “The principal goal was to provide windows for the coach and his crew to take a look at new players that might be positive additions to the team going forward.”
The Super Eagles had earlier beaten Ghana and Jamaica to win the Four-Nation Unity Cup. Gusau said the matches were valuable in spotting new names for the national setup.
“The tournament in London afforded us the opportunity to see players like Benjamin Frederick, Felix Agu, Christantus Uche and Igoh Ogbu. We saw more of Cyriel Dessers.”
He also mentioned the home-based players who featured. “The home-based professionals – Papa Daniel Mustapha, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Collins Ogwueze – did not fare badly either.”
In the match against Russia, Gusau singled out a few more performances. “We saw more of Uche, and we saw Arokodare score a poacher’s goal. Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was excellent on his return, and captain William Troost-Ekong led the defence well.”
He stressed that the squad is now stronger than before. “Now, we have options in defence, midfield and the attack, and I am quite satisfied with the team’s output in the three matches.”
Gusau concluded with a message of optimism. “Now, we have good options in all areas as we look ahead to the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, and I am certain that the technical crew is happy with that.”