Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi has revealed that he had to “take away emotions” before arriving at a decision on the 23 players he will be taking to the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil. Keshi dropped seven players from his final squad and reveals that it was not a decision that he made easily. “It’s always tough when you have a relationship going on with your players. I had to take away emotions. You have been together with the players for several weeks and some have to go, it’s tough,” Keshi told journalists in the team’s training camp in Pennsylvania. The Nigeria trainer eventually dropped Daniel Akpeyi, Sunday Mba, Nnamdi Oduamadi, Nosa Igiebor, Joel Obi, Obinna Nsofor and Ejike Uzoenyi from his final 23-man squad and revealed that he “removed sentiments” before arriving at his decision. “You can’t bring emotions into this. I removed sentiments from this because I knew I had to be pure in my selection. “I was realistic and knew I had to do what I had to do. It’s not about me; it’s not even about Nigeria but about Africa because we are flying the flag of the continent in Brazil. “It’s a shame that I could not take the 30 of them (named in the provisional squad to Brazil) because if I could, I would have done it but some had to go,” he said. Nigeria will open their campaign at the World Cup against Iran at Arena da Baixada, Curitiba on June 16. The Super Eagles will then face Bosnia-Herzegovina at Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá on June 21 before rounding off their preliminary campaign against Argentina at Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre on June 25. Nigeria’s last victory in a Fifa World Cup game was against Bulgaria at Parc des Princes, Paris on June 19, 1998.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:31:31 +0000
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