Ekpo canvasses quality players for Super Eagles

By Ifeanyi Eduzor

After taking a critical look at the poor performance of Super Eagles in recent times, ex- international, Friday Ekpo has advised the technical crew of the national team to ensure that only players who are fit and can play full ninety minutes are considered for invitation to the team.

He was particularly sad that apart from Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze who can play full 90 minutes, others are substitute material just as he appealed for inclusion of home based players in the team

” It’s quite sad that these days, teams who ordinarily will be shaking before Nigeria on the field of play are now rubbing shoulders with us. Some of them even came here and defeated us which is a very big shame and embarrassment, began the former Shell of Gabon playmaker

“We’ve a bunch of talented players  in this country but how to assemble them is always a problem and when this is the case, you cannot get the best from the team

“I’ve said it time without number that whenever a coach invites 25 or 3O players for a match, he goes on confusing himself because he will be confronted with the big question of who to use and who to  drop.

“It’s high time we stop inviting players who cannot play for 70-75 minutes to our team as well as inviting fiddle players who cannot hold their own to the Super Eagles which because it’s an anomaly.

“What I expect the present handlers of the team to do is to introduce a system whereby three or more  home based players are invited to the team and used as substitutes and gradually they will become full fledged members of the team.

” A situation where a coach depends solely on foreign based players; going around all over Europe and Asia to invite players whose Leagues are below that of Nigeria must be discouraged before we can get it right”, concluded the former Calabar Rovers player