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Emmanuel Okala
Former senior national team goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala has advised the football administrators and the technical crew of the Super Eagles to study the loopholes noticed at the 2019 AFCON, and fashion ways forward.
The lanky goalkeeper who won both a bronze (1976) and gold (1980) in the tournament, said they must take patience to study the loopholes, as well as strengths in the entire tournament.
He insisted that Nigeria is not occupying her rightful position in game in the continent saying “Sincerely, we are not where we ought to be in football, especially in African football,’’
Emmanuel Okala, a former Rangers International goalkeeper, an All African Games Football gold medalist also congratulated Nigeria’s Super Eagles for winning the 2019 AFCON third-place match in Egypt, saying “bronze medals were better than coming back with nothing”.
Odion Ighalo goal after three minutes of play on Wednesday in Cairo ensured the Eagles beat their Tunisian counterparts 1-0.
Okala, who helped Rangers to win the African Winners Cup in 1977 spoke in Enugu shortly after the match in Egypt, describing it as a difficult encounter.
According to him, it was however good that the Super Eagles triumphed at the end of the day.
“Bronze medals are better than coming back with nothing. I must laud the Super Eagles for their commitment.
“They have shown patriotism and love for the country in discharging this national assignment (participation in 2019 AFCON) on behalf of Nigerians, both at home and abroad,’’
He finally reiterated that the Super Eagles had to go back to the drawing board.
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