FASHANU: CIV CAN’T BEAT EAGLETS AGAIN

FASHANU: CIV CAN’T BEAT EAGLETS AGAIN

Posted: Apr 26, 2013

Ex-Wimbledon FC of England player, John Fashanu, tell IZUCHUKWU OKOSI in this interview that he is impressed with the performance of the Golden Eaglets at the CAF U-17 Championship, urging the team to remain focused ahead of the final match

The Golden Eaglets defeated Tunisia 4-2 in the CAF U-17 Championship in Morocco, how did you see their performance?

Wonderful! Manu Garba has done a good job and I hope they win on Saturday. They have to remain focused on the games ahead and the sky will be their limit.

This team played Cote d’Ivoire in the group stage and they lost 1-0 to the team, do you think the Golden Eaglets can win the second meeting in this tournament?

Nothing is not possible in football. And the fact that they lost the first match will give the Golden Eaglets the motivation they need to go for revenge in the match. If they play to the coach instruction, I am sure that they will win the match because they have performed extremely well since the commencement of this competition.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are poised to mediate in the differences between the Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi and Joseph Yobo, what is your reaction to that move?

That is the right thing to do. The team has to be united to achieve their goals. The coach and his players are being celebrated today because of the Africa Cup of Nations triumph in South Africa but the 2014 World Cup qualifiers is also an important project and little issues that could be solved by effective communication between both parties and dialogue should not derail it.

What is your impression about the performances of Super Eagles players for their clubs after their Africa Cup of Nations’ success?

Some of the players like Joseph Yobo, Ike Uche, Brown Ideye, Mikel Obi and Victor Moses to mention a few have been doing well. Some who were not in the Nations Cup team like Kalu Uche and Victor Anichebe have also been doing well in the leagues they play in.

What do you think about the impasse in the Nigeria Professional Football League?

What is happening in the Nigerian League is not encouraging at all and I hope that all stakeholders will come to a roundtable and resolve it. The league body received commendation for attracting sponsorships in the past but these in-fighting  will not in any way help the growth of the local league in Nigeria.

Talking about the local league, some players in the NPFL were in the Eagles squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, what impact do you think all these have on their careers?

The impact could be negative if it is not well handled. Most of the players in the local league are poorly paid and if the league body continues to get into more problems, it could adversely affect the performances and motivation of the players.

The Eagles will play Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain in the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil this summer, what are your expectations from Stephen Keshi’s team?

The Confederations Cup is an important competition because it’s a good preparation for the World Cup qualifiers and the World Cup itself. But the paramount thing is that it provides an avenue for the team to evolve. They may not necessarily reach the final but if they do, it’s a good bonus. The group games themselves are going to be against world-class teams and will be good dress- rehearsal for the qualifiers to be played by the team in June.

And are you bothered by the current position where the Super Eagles are in the African qualifying series for the 2014 FIFA World Cup?

I’m confident that Keshi’s team will get it right in the remaining qualifying matches. The away matches are very crucial as much as the one against Namibia at home. The team can make it if the commitment is good.

What is the latest about the football Academy you intend to establish in Nigeria?

The Academy will be an all-sports academy and not just a football academy. Last week, there was an acknowledgement that the Academy will be commissioned in two weeks time. The event was held at the Government House in Jos and the speaker of the State House of Assembly and the State Governor, David Jang, pledged that his administration will bankroll the project. He has given about 25 hectares of land for this project and according to His Excellency the project will be finished before he leaves the office.

How much will this project cost?

The Plateau State government has earn-marked about N5 billion for this project and it is going to be one of the very best on the continent.

What is the objective of the Ambassador John Fashanu Sports Academy?

The primary objective is to discover sporting talents in the country but the Academy will be situated in the city of Jos. Plateau State has proudly produced some excellent athletes for this country.

The Academy in conjunction with the State government wants to use this to foster peace in the state. The first intakes will be those residing in Jos, not really the indigenes. So be it Igbos, Yorubas or Hausas, the Academy hope to have all tribes represented there. The Super Eagles team that won the Nations Cup in South Africa has seven players who came from Jos and that are what we want to sustain- to raise many talents from the city because there are many talented players from there.

Thank you for your time sir

You are welcome! ---------------------- Complete Sports