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Eagles: Disbanded team lined up for S’Korea friendly
Written by Duncan Wednesday, 21 July 2010
ShareThe disbanded Super Eagles that failed to reach
the knockout stage of the 2010 World Cup have been listed to play South
Korea in a friendly game scheduled to hold on August 11.
The
Nigeria Football Federation said it would commit itself to rebuilding
the team with new players as it instructed coach Augustine Eguavoen to
take charge while coach Lars Lagerback was on leave.
Eguavoen
however said he would consider some of the players in the disbanded
squad as he prepares for the friendly game.
He said,
“Lagerback is still the boss and whatever decision we take now is a
collective one,” Eguavoen told our correspondent on the telephone on
Tuesday.
”I‘m aware of the government‘s decision on the
team but the situation is about understanding our position. The list
includes some of the players that featured at the World Cup but I still
have to present this to the NFF and explain why it is so.
”We
have a short time to the Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar in
September and this is the only opportunity we have to see how we can
rebuild the team.”
Reacting to the development, Director-
General, National Sports Commission Patrick Ekeji said he was not aware
of the plan to bring back the players. He told our correspondent on the
telephone on Tuesday that the government‘s decision to disband the team
was final.
He said, ”There is no reason to bring the same
players back to the team. We expect the NFF to come up with the plans to
present a new team for the country and I don‘t think this is difficult.
”The
decision to disband the Eagles was taken in South Africa and everyone
agreed to it.”
Meanwhile, South Korea have insisted that
the friendly game must feature at least 50 per cent of the World Cup
squad.
”This is the acceptable practise around the world
because their request is borne out of the need to make the match a
commercially viable project,” mtnfootball.com quoted a South Korea
Football Association official as saying on Tuesday.
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