I sympathize with those who had faith in Eagles - Gombe
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Having watched Super Eagles lost scandalously to Pharaohs of Egypt in the opening match of group C at the on going Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Alhaji Ahmed Shaibu Gara-Gombe has said he sympathizes with Nigerians who had faith in the team.
Speaking to Trust sports ahead of today’s make or mar match between the Nigerian national team and the Squirrels of Benin, the football administrator said even before now, he had written off the Super Eagles just as he said he was called all sorts of names for saying the truth about the team.
He said “Let me say clearly that I sympathize with those who had faith in the present Super Eagles. As far as I am concerned, I am not under any pressure and I am not disappointed because I had seen what is happening today.
“Even before the team left for Angola, I had made my views known. Then I was called all sorts of names but I stood my ground. I was called a saboteur and unpatriotic Nigerian. I thank my God that today I have been vindicated by what is happening in Angola. That defeat is not only a national embarrassment but a disaster. For the first time in the history of Nigerian football, Nigeria after first round of matches in their group is miserably last on the table with no point”.
Gara-Gombe maintained that against the remaining group opponents, Nigerians should not expect anything from Eagles as he said their opponents who have so many reasons to fight for will not be easy nuts to crack.
“If you look at Eagles remaining opponents in the group, the average age of their players is 20 years. They do not have 34 year old players as we have in Kanu Nwankwo and some of his colleagues in the Eagles. When you watch these countries play, you see the exuberance and total commitment. When the two countries met, from the blast of the whistle to the final whistle, the players contested for every ball. Honestly, Benin Republic and Mozambique will not respect Nigeria any bit”.
In addition, he said the Nigerian Football Federation should not shift the blame for Eagles woeful performance to Coach Amodu Shaibu because the federation had vowed to swim and sink with him even as Nigerians called for the sack of the Edo born football coach.
“Why should they blame him? When Nigerians were calling for his sack, the same NFF said it was ready to swim or sink with the coach. Why the sudden change of heart? He asked
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I sympathize with those who had faith in Eagles - Gombe
Category: Sports Written by . Hits: 521
Having watched Super Eagles lost scandalously to Pharaohs of Egypt in the opening match of group C at the on going Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association, Alhaji Ahmed Shaibu Gara-Gombe has said he sympathizes with Nigerians who had faith in the team.
Speaking to Trust sports ahead of today’s make or mar match between the Nigerian national team and the Squirrels of Benin, the football administrator said even before now, he had written off the Super Eagles just as he said he was called all sorts of names for saying the truth about the team.
He said “Let me say clearly that I sympathize with those who had faith in the present Super Eagles. As far as I am concerned, I am not under any pressure and I am not disappointed because I had seen what is happening today.
“Even before the team left for Angola, I had made my views known. Then I was called all sorts of names but I stood my ground. I was called a saboteur and unpatriotic Nigerian. I thank my God that today I have been vindicated by what is happening in Angola. That defeat is not only a national embarrassment but a disaster. For the first time in the history of Nigerian football, Nigeria after first round of matches in their group is miserably last on the table with no point”.
Gara-Gombe maintained that against the remaining group opponents, Nigerians should not expect anything from Eagles as he said their opponents who have so many reasons to fight for will not be easy nuts to crack.
“If you look at Eagles remaining opponents in the group, the average age of their players is 20 years. They do not have 34 year old players as we have in Kanu Nwankwo and some of his colleagues in the Eagles. When you watch these countries play, you see the exuberance and total commitment. When the two countries met, from the blast of the whistle to the final whistle, the players contested for every ball. Honestly, Benin Republic and Mozambique will not respect Nigeria any bit”.
In addition, he said the Nigerian Football Federation should not shift the blame for Eagles woeful performance to Coach Amodu Shaibu because the federation had vowed to swim and sink with him even as Nigerians called for the sack of the Edo born football coach.
“Why should they blame him? When Nigerians were calling for his sack, the same NFF said it was ready to swim or sink with the coach. Why the sudden change of heart? He asked