Former Super Eagles defender, Sam Sodje has submitted that the Eagles need to play some A class friendlies even as the Eagles are looking good at the moment.
According to the former Reading FC of England defender, Sodje, the team’s 4-2 win over Argentina earlier this month in an international friendly has exposed the team’s potentials.
With the Super Eagles of Nigeria looking to prepare well ahead of next year’s world cup in Russia, Sodje advised the NFF to secure more quality friendly games to further boost the team’s confidence ahead of the FIFA Mundial.
Sodje made his debut for Nigeria in a 3–0 friendly defeat to Romania in Bucharest, playing the full 90 minutes.
After some impressive performances for Leeds United, Sodje was recalled to the Nigerian squad for friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and France at the end of the 08/09 season.
He started both games and played the full 90 minutes each. The former Charlton Athletic defender made his competitive debut for Nigeria in June 2009.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of NFF Technical Committee, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf Fresh confirmed yesterday that the Franco-German coach has submitted his programme to the federation.
The plan details where the coach would want the team to camp leading to the World Cup and the number of friendly matches he will like to play.
Nigeria qualified for her sixth World Cup finals last month in a manner that left no one in doubt about the ability of the Eagles to excel on the global stage.
The Super Eagles were unbeaten in six matches and secured their ticket as the group winner with one game at hand from a tough pool made up of Cameroon, Algeria, and Zambia.
Yusuf said the Technical Committee will consider in details Rohr’s proposal and make recommendations to the NFF board for ratification.
“I can confirm that Rohr has submitted his programmes. The Technical Committee will look at it and table our findings to the board. NFF will make the details of the programme public as soon as it is approved,” he said.
Rohr, who once handled the national teams of Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon is currently in Europe, keeping a tab on the form of the players he plans to use for the World Cup.
In spite of its talented crop of players, Nigeria has never advanced beyond the second round at the quadrennial tournament, achieving that milestone in the 1994, 1998 and 2014 finals.
The Eagles, who are already classified in the seeding Pot 4 will know their group at the World Cup Draw coming up at the Kremlin Palace, Moscow on December 1.
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