ERICO: SUPER EAGLES SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON W/CUP QUALIFIERS

ERICO: SUPER EAGLES SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON W/CUP QUALIFIERS

Posted: May 29, 2013

 Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Joe Erico in this interview with IZUCHUKWU OKOSI reminds the senior national team that playing in the World Cup finals is more prestigious than the Confederations Cup.

Erico also heaped praises on Nigeria’s foreign based players saying they were in remarkable form this season.

 The Super Eagles will be without Victor Moses, John Mikel Obi, Kalu Uche, Ahmed Musa and Gabriel Rueben for the international friendly against Mexico in Houston on Friday. How much do you think the team will miss these guys?

The Eagles will surely miss those players you mentioned for the game against Mexico but there are also other players in the team’s camp who will now have the chance to play well and stake their claim to shirts. The game is just a friendly but it’s a timely and important one because it comes just few days and weeks before some very important matches for the national team.

Do you think the FIFA Confederations Cup which holds between June 15 and 30 is a distraction to the Super Eagles’ World Cup season?

 I do not think so. The team knows the importance of the World Cup qualifiers. The Confederations Cup is a good tournament because it brings together the continental champions to play in the host country for the World Cup which will hold the next year but the World Cup qualifiers are more important because it means nothing to play in the Confederations Cup but miss out of the big one- the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It will be nice to play against the likes of Spain, Uruguay and Tahiti but they have to win the World Cup qualifiers in June to be in good stead for the World Cup.

 You were part of the technical crew of the Super Eagles that prosecuted the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali but unfortunately lost your job; would you say it was harsh of the Nigeria Football Federation to have relieved the duo of Sylnanus Okpala and Valere Houndinou of the job this time around?

If the Federation that employed you in the first place decide not to continue with your services, what can you do (laughs). If you ‘re no longer wanted, you throw in the towel. We (coaches) are always prepared for it- especially from this part of the world!

But there have been calls for the two coaches to be recalled to the Eagles fold, what is your reaction to that?

That is the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation to make and not Joe Erico. But of course, I will be happy for them because they are in the job to serve their fatherland and make a living for themselves too. Let’s see what happens.

Vincent Enyeama will return to his parent club Lille in the summer following the expiration of his loan deal at Maccabi Tel Aviv, don’t you think a goalkeeper of his status in African football should be playing for a bigger club in Europe?

One thing is that goalkeepers don’t get the same attention like outfield players. Not so many keepers have been that lucky especially African goalkeepers but perhaps if he goes back to France next season and remains there, who knows? He might attract the attention of bigger clubs. There was a time he was linked with a move to Arsenal.

 And how would you rate him and the other keepers in the Super Eagles in the just ended season?

They did well in my estimation. Enyeama was clearly the number one choice at the Africa Cup of Nations but the duo of Austin Ejide and Chigozie Agbim had their chances in some games and proved their mettle. We have good goalkeepers in the Super Eagles and it’s one position that I feel we’re well covered and should not panic going into major tournaments or big matches.

How about your rating of the outfield players this past season?

There are players we don’t get to watch on television especially those in Eastern Europe but all the same, we hear of their exploits and know that the likes of Brown Ideye, Kalu Uche and Michael Eneramo did extremely well for their clubs. We always watch the likes of Mikel Obi and Victor Moses but those guys alone cannot play in the national team. So I want to commend other players as well, especially  those whose clubs won their leagues, FA Cups and continental titles like the Chelsea boys, Ahmed Musa, Ambrose Efe and Ogenyi Onazi.

 How has the Nigeria Professional Football League gone so far in your assessment?

We’ve seen some good matches but there are still accusations of bad officiating in some matches. However the season has not ended; so let’s still observe what is happening.

What is Joe Erico doing now, not many of your fans back in those days know what you do now?

(Laughs) They don’t need to know what I’m doing now. Anyway, jokes aside, I’m into sports consultancy. There are people I do consultancy for. Right now, I’m at the national stadium and I will always be into football because that’s my life!

Thanks ‘Jogo Bonito’ for sparing us your time…

You’re welcome. It’s always a pleasure speaking with Complete Sports! ------------------------ Complete Sports