By Tolúlopé Olátúnjí
Head Coach Finidi George has called on Nigerians to trust the Super Eagles’ technical crew following their 1-1 draw against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at FIFA World Cup qualifying series at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
Speaking at the post-match press conference on Friday night, Finidi addressed the overall performance of the team and urged fans and the media to allow the technical team to carry out their tasks without undue interference.
“We started sloppy in the first half but took over the game immediately after scoring in the second half. We missed chances, but overall it was not a bad second half for us,” he observed
Finidi George added: The players reacted well, even though it’s not the best result we wanted. We have to keep our heads up and work for the next game against Benin Republic. I am not happy about the point.”
It would be recalled that Coach Finidi George made strategic lineup decisions, starting Southampton forward Paul Onuachu over Victor Boniface of Bayern Leverkusen. Another notable inclusion was Fisayo Dele-Basiru in the midfield.
Finidi George uexplained :”Allow us to do our jobs. We wanted to introduce Boniface and Moffi, but Semi had a knock, so we brought on Moffi and Onyedika instead. The fans and media call for different players, but if they don’t perform well, the call is to take them off. ”
Nigeria, aiming to avoid a third consecutive draw, faced a setback in the 28th minute when South Africa’s Themba Zwane scored, beating goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to give the visitors an early lead.
“I am relaxed, I am not shaky. We know what is at stake. We know we want to qualify. We dropped a point and that should not break us. A positive result will change the narrative,” the Nigerian coach said
He added:” Players do have a bad day. He did not get into the game quickly, but he will bounce back.”
Hugo Broos’ team showcased disciplined defense, making crucial stops to deny both UEFA Europa League final hero Ademola Lookman and Kelechi Iheanacho.
The Super Eagles finished the first half strongly and resumed the second half with renewed energy. Their efforts paid off when Dele-Basiru netted an equalizer, beating Ronwen Williams.
Samuel Chukwueze’s introduction nearly put Nigeria ahead, but his effort hit the crossbar, keeping the scoreline level.
Despite a strong attacking effort from Nigeria, Bafana Bafana remained resolute, securing the draw.
Nigeria now sits fifth in the Group C standings with three points, one point behind South Africa, who has four points. The Super Eagles will next fly to Abidjan to face Benin Republic at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Monday at 5 PM local time.
