Technical Adviser of Lobi Stars, Solomon Ogbeide has talked up the quality of Super Eagles B team at the African Nations Championship, CHAN which has earned them semi final ticket.
The CHAN Eagles team came from behind to beat Angola 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the championship in Tangier, Morocco.
The Super Eagles will be taking Sudan in the last four on Wednesday in Marrakech for a place in the final.
While commending the players for their resilience and maturity, Ogbeide however called on Nigerians and the Nigeria Football Federation to support the team to lift the coveted trophy.
"I want to congratulate our own, Salisu Yusuf. If a Nigerian coach that is saddled with the responsibility to handle any of the national team is doing well, that means Nigerian coaches are doing well.
"I was very sad when they were losing 1-0, but when they equalized and eventually they won, I was highly elated because it sowed the quality of a Nigerian coach.
I'm happy for Nigeria and happy for Salisu because he's our own," Ogbeide said.
The former Warriors Wolves and Sunshine handler expressed confidence that the Eagles which comprises of the the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL Stars have what it takes to get past Sudan and go all the way to win the cup.
Ogbeide who was speaking to Onward News in Makurdi on Sunday shortly after Gabriel Okechukwu's extra time goal salvaged the semifinal ticket for Nigeria gave out some technical and motivational advice to Salisu Yusuf, the players and the federation.
"There's something positive you take from every win, the win has again given them more confidence to approach other matches, and the way they are going now, I believe they will clinch the trophy.
"Like I always say, managing a team is a collaborative effort, its just like a production unit where every department contributed to the production of a product.
They need the NFF, the supporters, the backroom staff, he need the prayers of average Nigerian to surmount the obstacles before him. He alone can't do it.
This is where football managers of Nigeria, that is the NFF should come behind Salisu, motivate the players, the coach and the entire contingents.
Technically he has done his job, to get to this stage was not a fluke and a team that came from behind, equalized and they won, which means that team has character.
And for a team to have character, which means everything is embedded in it. Tactical know-how is there, physical, mental attitude is there, preparation is there. They have been prepared, that's why they were able to get to this stage.
All he (Salisu) needs to do now is man management, players' management. Psyching the players individually and collectively that we can do it, we have gotten to this stage, we cannot fail the nation.
There are two types of motivation; one will come from the coach and the players themselves, the other will come from outside, the intrinsic motivation, knowing fully well by the players that they have gotten to this stage, 'look at us look at the cup oo', that motivation is there, then the other motivation come from the NFF.
'O boy, your bonuses are here, get this cup and see what the country will do for you'. Even ordinary handshake will not be enough for you.
These two motivations are very very necessary now. Those two motivations then the prayers from the average Nigerian will give us the trophy," concludes Coach Ogbeide.
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