Coach Augustine Eguavoen has expressed his mixed feelings about the general performance of the Super Eagles during their 2-0 friendly win over Garoua-based Cameroonian club Cotton Sport.
A goal in each half by captain Ahmed Musa and Villarreal speedster Samuel Chukwueze gave Nigeria a straightforward victory over the 15-time Cameroon league winners.
After the encounter, Eguavoen confessed that he was impressed with how the boys stuck to the coaching crew’s game plan, working well with the ball, increasing the pace of their movements, and winning the game.
“I can tell you we struggled a little bit with the weather, but in terms of ball possession and movement, I think we were very impressed,” Eguavoen told NFF TV.
“Winning this game is a very good thing for us.”
But there were a few grey areas of concern for the 1994 Afcon-winning defender.
Despite fielding two different teams in each half of the match, the Eagles were fatigued in the later phases of the encounter.
Eguavoen also noticed that the team’s midfielders were not arriving in the opponents’ danger area to capitalise on the chances being created. And the former Gent star has vowed to get the Eagles back on the training ground to remove the lapses.
Eguavoen added: “As the game progressed, you could see fatigue started setting in. So the ball movement became a bit slower.
“But whenever they recuperate, they always go out there and do exactly what we want them to do.
“But in front of goal, we are too few. That’s something we have to work on too. Because crosses are coming in well, ball possession is good.
“Playing to the sides, which is our strength, is very good. But arriving in the box with fewer players is not so good. That’s what we are going to work on in the next few days.”
The Super Eagles continue their Afcon preparations ahead of their first group game against Mohamed Salah-inspired Egypt on Tuesday, January 11.
