By Maduabuchi Kalu on October 15, 2016

Former national team captain and coach, Christian Chukwu has expressed happiness over Super Eagles away victory recorded against the Chipolopolo of Zambia on Sunday, October 9 in the first game of the 2018 World Cup Group B Qualifier played in Ndola, Zambia.

Chukwu who congratulated the players and their handlers on the victory, said he was happy with the set of young talented players assembled for the prosecution of the game. He explained that this set of players could last for between five and seven years in the national team if well managed by those at the helm of affairs.

The consultant to the reigning league champions, Enugu Rangers, said inasmuch as he is happy for the victory, it is not yet uhuru, as we are yet to have a team. He explained that a football team is not built with a game but that it takes time to build a team. Chairman as he is fondly called by his numerous admirers therefore, called on the team’s gaffer, Gernot Rohr to ensure he moulds the players into a team.

Chukwu stated this in a telephone interview with Daily Sports on Monday in response to the national team’s victory on Sunday which has put them on the driver’s seat in their group as Cameroon and Algeria settled for a draw in Algiers.

“I would like to start by saying congratulations to the Super Eagles, and their handlers ably led by Gernot Rohr for making us proud on Sunday in faraway Zambia.

“I am happy that the team secured the maximum points at stake which has placed us on the driving seat of the Group B of the Africa World Cup Qualifiers for Russia 2018. I am excited just as millions of Nigerians are excited too.

“I am particularly happy for the assemblage of young talented players in the team. With this set of players, if the coach will be able to build them into a team, they have the potential to service the country for between five and seven years which will be very good for the country,” Chukwu explained.

“I think we were not in the game in the first 15minutes because it was as if we were afraid but immediately that first goal came as a result of defensive blunder of our opponents we came into the game. Of course, what matters in football is goal or goals. No matter how well you played at the end of the 90 minutes hostilities, what counts is the number of goals scored. Whoever scored the highest number of goals wins the game.

“But overall, I think we should savour our victory at the moment but at the same time realize that our next two games against Cameroon and Algeria are going to be more difficult than the one against Zambia no matter where they are played. So, it behooves on the team and their handlers to brace up to the challenge,” Chukwu said.

Speaking further, the former Harambee Stars of Kenya coach called on Gernot Rohr to take a serious look at the domestic league by watching league matches with a view to fishing out good quality players and fuse them into the national team. He explained that there are many good players in the domestic league that ought to be part of the national team. He explained it is easier to blend the home based players into a team than their foreign counterparts because they can stay longer in camp than their foreign based counterparts. He said that apart from having the advantage of staying longer in camp, it is also cheaper to maintain them.

“I believe that it is absolutely important for Rohr and his assistants to consider seriously as a matter of urgency the fusion of the home based players into the national team.

“Of course, you know my position on this issue. I have always been an advocate of making the home based the fulcrum of the national team for obvious reasons. First and foremost, it is cost effective because you spend less to maintain them in camp than their foreign counterparts.

“Secondly, home based can stay longer in camp than their foreign based counterparts and since they can stay longer the prospect of blending as a team is faster than when you assemble players from different foreign leagues. You can’t blend them as a team when the players do not play together consistently for a certain period of time. You do not assemble players together from different foreign leagues and expect them to gel within two or four days, it is not possible,” Chukwu explained.

Continuing, he said: “I think that we need to sit down with Gernot Rohr to let him know the need for him to look inward by watching the domestic league with a view to fishing out good quality players and fuse them into the national team or make them national Team B.

“I don’t believe in the current trend whereby 23 or 25 players invited to the national team come from abroad. No country does a thing like that. If not for late injuries to Victor Moses and Isaac Success, Nonso and co wouldn’t have been invited where the reserve should be the case.

“I am not saying that foreign based players should not be invited but they should be in minority for the critical areas, while those invited should have advantage over the ones at home, by virtue of their being better. This will even make our league strong as players at home will now put in more effort to ensure that they make the national team which is the desire of every player to play for his national team. As a matter of fact, playing for your national team is the peak in anybody’s football career.”

•Photo shows Christian Chukwu.

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 15, 2016

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