After the exit of Cameroun, Ghana (who were expected to
better their impressive 2010 performance) and the highly rated Ivorian team
which parades African biggest stars Former Super Eagles start Tijjani Babangida
believes the problem with African teams is that they are technically naïve and
keep creating opportunities for teams from other continents to beat them with
ease. The former Ajax of Amsterdam gave the verdict after
yesterday’s Black Stars of Ghana 2-1 loss to Portugal, which eliminated them
from the tournament.
Babangida who played for Nigeria at the 1998 World Cup in
France noted that most of the African teams have exhibited technical
deficiencies in the way they play against their more technically sound
opponents from Europe and Latin America.
He said most times, African players “allow their opponents
to mount too much pressure on them,” and in the process, they are forced into
committing pedestrian errors that are instantly punished by their array of
clinical finishers.
"What is happening is very clear to see? African teams are
not technically sound and that’s where they have to improve. They allow too
much pressure on themselves. Their more experienced opponents keep mounting
pressure on them and they are forced to make costly mistakes."
The Taraba FC Chairman added that "For instance, against
Argentina, the Super Eagles defenders were constantly under pressure. There were
so many hard balls in between their legs and in the process, they could not
conveniently deal with some of them.
"Meanwhile, the Argentines did not allow Eagles to make
similar passes, they did everything to tackle our players in the midfield to
cut off every attack," he said.
Ivory Coast defender Kolo Habibu Toure who was seething
after his team’s ouster from Mundial at the hands of Greece says the problem is
African teams in tight situations don’t think deep enough
"We gave them the stick to beat us, we gave them the match," Kolo said in reaction to his side’s first round exit.
"We first managed to hold on, but all of us must defend.
People often question Côte d’Ivoire’s defense, but we saw it again today.
"When there is thirty seconds remaining and you have gotten
the needed result, your mentality must change, you must have eleven players
within your own 18 meters.
"Unfortunately, this is the problem of the African teams, we
don’t think enough."
Africa’s participation could all but end on Monday when its
remaining representatives, Nigeria, tackle a revived French team under the
guidance of Didier Deschamps in Brasilia and Algeria renew their 1982 enmity
with Germany in Porto Alegre in the day’s second game.
7 Comments
Tz true
ReplyDeleteTrue talk..d very tin ned done be4 d box
ReplyDeleteAfrican countries stil haf a lot to learn
ReplyDeleteI fink tz fear
ReplyDeleteThumbs up
ReplyDeleteBew Argentina and Nigeria match at a point it was as if Argentina ws paying alone becos nobody tackled drm...especially in d 1st half..I don't fink dats gud futball
ReplyDeleteIf only dey wil learn more
ReplyDelete