Don't expect too much in Angola, Amodu tells Nigerians
From Ezeocha Nzeh, Abuja

CONTRARY to what Nigerians expect at the 2010 Africa Nations Cup, Super Eagles' coach, Shaibu Amodu, has warned fans not to expect any miracle during the tourney because he has no personal target in the continental championship.

Amodu, who said that winning the Nations Cup was not important to him, wondered what Nigerians expected from the team in Angola considering the little time it has to train before the competition kicks off. Listen to him: "Nobody should expect too many surprises from the team in Angola considering the fact that there is no time for preparations.

"I do not know what Nigerians expect from me but every coach desires to win and I think getting a semi-final ticket will mean a good performance from the team."

Adding that he had done his best as required by his employers, Amodu also dismissed fears over the availability of injured Wolfsburg of Germany striker, Obafemi Martins, for the Nations Cup camp, which opens in Durban, South Africa, on the 29th of this month. Martins has been sidelined by injury since November, raising fears that that the team's top striker will not recover early to play for Nigeria in the Nations Cup, which begins next month.

Amodu told The Guardian yesterday at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Secretariat in Abuja that he had been in contact with the player, who has assured him that his doctors were doing everything necessary to ensure that he was fit to play for Nigeria in Angola.

"I have always been in contact with Obafemi Martins and I want to assure Nigerians that he will be ready for the Nations Cup," Amodu said, also feeling that Eagles' camp will be competitive considering the number and calibre of players invited.

He revealed that most of the players invited for camping in Fairmont Zimbali Lodge in Durban have told him that they would fly direct to Durban from their bases on January 2, 2010, four days later than stipulated. He added that none of them was expected in Nigeria, as they would not be released by their clubs before the New Year, which would make it difficult for the team to play together for one week before the first match against the Pharaohs of Egypt.

Amodu also justified his inclusion of only three home-based players in his 32-man Nations Cup list, stating that the list he submitted to the NFF was what he needed to prosecute the competition irrespective of where the player plies his trade.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/sports/article01//indexn3_html?pdate=171209&ptitle=Don't%20expect%20too%20much%20in%20Angola,%20Amodu%20tells%20Nigerians&cpdate=171209

Amodu is a total failure.

little time to train b4 the competition

so which of the teams will train for donkey years?

chei; amodu na oloshi i swear

Amodu. . .

he is d best coach since 2002 Nigeria has ever had.
AMODU KNOWS WHAT TO DO

I was wishing Nigeria would win something in 2010. If the nation's cup is in doubt, then,

Haba Amodu,its too early to start giving Nigerians heartaches.What have we done to deserve this.
Why not throw in the towel for some one man and Coach enough to accept and prosecute the
challenge?When are we gonna learn to resign if we are not capable.I reject your bad luck-good team or not.

Nobody expect anything from Amodu. If anyone expect anything, then he or she should also expect heart attack.

I will be surprised if this coach and his players go beyond the second round.

He says no time to prepare.
Come to think of it,is it not the same set of players
that gave him the over hpyed results he is boasting of being the
best coach ever?
He played all friendlies,w/cup and nations cup qualifiers with this guys
yet he claims not to have enough time to train and blend?

In otherwords,the nations cup is just mere participatory.
Traditionally,the w/c is just to show face.

A looser loses even be4 he starts the contest proper.

FBS:

Don't expect too much in Angola, Amodu tells Nigerians

CONTRARY to what Nigerians expect at the 2010 Africa Nations Cup, Super Eagles' coach, Shaibu Amodu, has warned fans not to expect any miracle during the tourney because he has no personal target in the continental championship.

Amodu, who said that winning the Nations Cup was not important to him, wondered what Nigerians expected from the team in Angola considering the little time it has to train before the competition kicks off. Listen to him: "Nobody should expect too many surprises from the team in Angola considering the fact that there is no time for preparations.

"I do not know what Nigerians expect from me but every coach desires to win and I think getting a semi-final ticket will mean a good performance from the team."

Abeg, where are the pro-Amodu, Amodu must coach us. Is it not time we should bury our head in shame including our dear coach?
If he were to be a foreign coach, wont we ask for his Sack?
A coach who already made his failure known to us even b4 the tournament.
As usual he is already blaming lack of preparation for his failure, as if the winner of the tournament started preparing for decades? Someone who coached SE for more than 2years now is still complaining for lack of preparation. Are we not tired of semi finals?

Couldn't agree with him more.

1) Expect no miracles, it is not a Redemption Camp taking place on Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Nigeria is not one of the best 3 teams in Africa, so don't assume you would or are entitled to win the ANC. If you do win, dance till the cows come home as you just saw exceptionality.

2) A semi-final berth is a good performance based on the quality of players we have when compared to the likes of CIV, Cameroun or Ghana.

3) The only way to compete with teams that have better players and even better teamwork than you is to enhance your teamworking capability and hunger on the pitch, the latter the SE are still months behind on.

I'm sick to my stomach wheneva i see this punk above me posting his garbage everywhere. . .

let us hope for the best as usual

Honestly I am better off Amodu.  This most shocking statement from any coach.

Borat,  why do you hate MAN U so much?

~Borat~:

I'm sick to my stomach wheneva i see this punk above me posting his garbage everywhere. . .

I am more sick when I see your daft, under-developed mind post something like this:

~Borat~:

Those silly hausa f.o.o.l.s at the NFF know nothing!!

Talk about garbage.

yemmight:

Honestly I am better off Amodu.  This most shocking statement from any coach.

You that think Adeleye, Nsofor, Mikel, Ajilore, Obasi, Yusuf, Shittu, Apam etc are old legs?

i have always known n said it that nigeria is going to angola to answer present,nothing more

Sagamite:

Couldn't agree with him more.
1) Expect no miracles, it is not a Redemption Camp taking place on Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Nigeria is not one of the best 3 teams in Africa, so don't assume you would or are entitled to win the ANC. If you do win, dance till the cows come home as you just saw exceptionality.

He did not say his players are average or worst in Africa and no one is asking for a miracle (we needed that to qualify for the WC  ). Amodu's excuse is funny to say the least. No time to prepare? whaaaaaat? 2 yrs or so with the same team- A team he should by now know in and out?

Sagamite:

2) A semi-final berth is a good performance based on the quality of players we have when compared to the likes of CIV, Cameroun or Ghana.

We've been there before. A semi-final berth is no exceptional achievement.

Sagamite:

3) The only way to compete with teams that have better players and even better teamwork than you is to enhance your teamworking capability and hunger on the pitch, the latter the SE are still months behind on.

And whose job is this? Amodu, no?

FBS:

He did not say his players are average or worst in Africa and no one is asking for a miracle (we needed that to qualify for the WC  ). Amodu's excuse is funny to say the least. No time to prepare? whaaaaaat? 2 yrs with the same team- A team he should by now know in and out?

I don't know why he said that.

- Is he saying there is not much time to improve too much from what we saw in the qualifiers as most players are injured?
- Is the journalist just making it up as he is one of the daftees that pull the man down as he is more comfortable with someone with curly and long here?
- Or is it just a silly excuse from Amodu to lower expectation from a mad country full of highly vocal beer-parlour football analysts that don't know how jersey revenue generation is important or think you should take U28s-playing-U17-but-lost-to-real-U17 to the WC to play the best teams in the World?

I don't know.

FBS:

We've been there before. A semi-final berth is no exceptional achievement.

From my analysis of the strengths of the teams that are going to the ANC, that is where the quality of our players fit us if we played well. It is not about what we have achieved historically but rather what our capability is. Our players are not that good.

CIV, Cameroun and Ghana have better players and team.

We are probably on par with Egpyt, Tunisia and Algeria on the balance of player quality and teamworking.

So getting to the SF when you have 6 real competitors is a good achievement except anyone can get groundnuts and kulikuli to put on these competitors head for sale in Angola.

FBS:

And whose job is this? Amodu, no?

I agree, and I am willing to give him time because change takes time.

I expected some people to come to his defence just on time    the same team Okocha was making noise few days ago can defeat Argentina in SA

I blame those NFF official backing this guy called Amodu to lead Super Eagles to Angola and SA, he may be lucky to lead Nigeria to Angola but Super Eagles performance in Angola will determine if he will be the one to lead Super Eagles to SA Nigerians are familiar with this type of drama if he is already accepting defeating before the tournament begins in Angola, while not replace him now rather than doing so in February or March 2010 after the African Nations Cup

Oh Amodu, admitting failure before he actually he actually fails, somebody start typing that sack letter!!!!!!!

kizi:

I expected some people to come to his defence just on time    the same team Okocha was making noise few days ago can defeat Argentina in SA

I blame those NFF official backing this guy called Amodu to lead Super Eagles to Angola and SA, he may be lucky to lead Nigeria to Angola but Super Eagles performance in Angola will determine if he will be the one to lead Super Eagles to SA Nigerians are familiar with this type of drama  if he is already accepting defeating before the tournament begins in Angola, while not replace him now rather than doing so in February or March 2010 after the African Nations Cup

Unbelievable!!!

So any JJ hype is now factual reality.  

NL na wah!!!

I will love to see how Messi, Aguero, Milito, Aimar, Demichelis, Gago, Higuain, Samuel, Mascherano, Cambiasso, Veron, Tevez etc will start shaking and lie down for a smacking when they see Odems, Obasi, Yobo, TT, Apam, Kanu, Mikel, Enyeama, Martins, Yakubu etc.  

Argentina would be shaking so much their teeth would fall out because at least JJ has said we would win.

That is the core of the argument backing up the point.  

Oh God, the people I have to engage with on NL.  

Sagamite:

I don't know why he said that.

- Is he saying there is not much time to improve too much from what we saw in the qualifiers as most players are injured?
- Is the journalist just making it up as he is one of the daftees that pull the man down as he is more comfortable with someone with curly and long here?
- Or is it just a silly excuse from Amodu to lower expectation from a mad country full of highly vocal beer-parlour football analysts that don't know how jersey revenue generation is important or think you should take U28s-playing-U17-but-lost-to-real-U17 to the WC to play the best teams in the World?
I don't know.

But he said it. What the vocal beer-parlour pundits think is irrelevant.

Sagamite:

From my analysis of the strengths of the teams that are going to the ANC, that is where the quality of our players fit us if we played well. It is not about what we have achieved historically but rather what our capability is. Our players are not that good.

CIV, Cameroun and Ghana have better players and team.

We are probably on par with Egpyt, Tunisia and Algeria on the balance of player quality and teamworking.

So getting to the SF when you have 6 real competitors is a good achievement except anyone can get groundnuts and kulikuli to put on these competitors head for sale in Angola.

The Question is this: Are they the best we have?

Sagamite:

I agree, and I am willing to give him time because change takes time.

Time? 10 yrs?
You don't need forever to impact discipline, hunger and passion. You need the ability and will.

FBS:

But he said it. What the vocal beer-parlour pundits think is irrelevant.

Are you confirming you know he said it or you are relying on a Naija journalists word?

FBS:

The Question is this: Are they the best we have?

Capital Yes!!!

FBS:

Time? 10 yrs?
You don't need forever to impact discipline, hunger and passion. You need the ability and will.

2 years minimum on a reasonable level as long as they are not failing miserably.

If you have ever been opportune to work on change management, you would realise the most difficult challenge is not to communicate or bring change. It is to instil it into the system and make sure it is sustainable not some transient occurence.

Do you think the never-say-die approach of Man U was there in the first 10 years of Ferguson? Do you know how long it took him to ferment that attitude? Do you know how much harder it is to bring and sustain that into a national team (not a club one) that meets every 2 and the half months or so?

I am not saying Amodu is a genius, world class or will build a fantastic team. I am saying he has not yet failed (rather he has performed well) and he has not yet demonstrated, from his past and recent WCQ, that he would fail in building a team (except one factors in that he is black, the inferior race).

On record, he is the most successful SE coach ever. So I have confidence in him even though he is Black.

Sagamite:

You that think Adeleye, Nsofor, Mikel, Ajilore, Obasi, Yusuf, Shittu, Apam etc are old legs?

Are they new legs?

Sagamite:

Are you confirming you know he said it or you are relying on a Naija journalists word?

I wonder why we are discussing this then since according to you, the Naija journalist cooked this all up.

Sagamite:

Capital Yes!!!

hmmmm. . .I see.

Sagamite:

2 years minimum on a reasonable level as long as they are not failing miserably.

And why would they fail miserably? Heck they have a good coach in Amodu.

Sagamite:

If you have ever been opportune to work on change management, you would realise the most difficult challenge is not to communicate or bring change. It is to instil it into the system and make sure it is sustainable not some transient occurence.

Do you think the never-say-die approach of Man U was there in the first 10 years of Ferguson? Do you know how long it took him to ferment that attitude? Do you know how much harder it is to bring and sustain that into a national team (not a club one) that meets every 2 and the half months or so?

I remember clearly telling you that coaching a National team is a different ball game to which you said no. Now I wonder why you are using a club to express your point?  
But again, I repeat, you don't need forever to implement hunger, passion and will in football. If the ability to do so is not there, it is NOT there. No two ways about it.

Sagamite:

I am not saying Amodu is a genius, world class or will build a fantastic team. I am saying he has not yet failed (rather he has performed well) and he has not yet demonstrated, from his past and recent WCQ, that he would fail in building a team (except one factors in that he is black, the inferior race).

No one here has said Amodu was/is a genius. That will be suicidal.
And please, anytime you reply to my posts, forget about skin color. I personally don't care about that.
True he has not failed and frankly like I've always said, let him take them boys to the Nations Cup. I have no problem with that.
Where we disagree is to what stage. A semi-final is nothing exceptional and I don't care to know if we are the 200th best team in the world. A place in the final is what we all expect.
What is he saying now is that he cannot handle that task and I wonder. . .

yemmight:

Are they new legs?

If you don't know, then you are really a genius, Ferguson, Ancelotti and Mourinho need to come and take a refresher course under.

FBS:

I wonder why we are discussing this then since according to you, the Naija journalist cooked this all up.

No, I never said that, I gave 3 possible scenarios to cover most likely basis.

FBS:

hmmmm. . .I see.

I was expecting you to back that up.

FBS:

And why would they fail miserably? Heck they have a good coach in Amodu.

As long as you know they have not failed. That is fine.

FBS:

I remember clearly telling you that coaching a National team is a different ball game to which you said no. Now I wonder why you are using a club to express your point?  
But again, I repeat, you don't need forever to implement hunger, passion and will in football. If the ability to do so is not there, it is NOT there. No two ways about it.

You said it was different by alluding to club being somehow easier.

My point is, any difference would only show club management is easier as:

1) If your team is weak in one area, you just buy a better player for that area of the pitch, whilst in national football, you use what you have. Otherwise Finland, Saudi Arabia, Luxemburg and Norway would be the best footballing nations.

2) You have a large squad you can select from for each game, national, you select your 23 and stick with it.

3) You have a chance to practice different approaches every week until you get it right, nationa, you see them every 2 months and prepare under 3 days.

FBS:

Where we disagree is to what stage. A semi-final is nothing exceptional and I don't care to know if we are the 200th best team in the world. A place in the final is what we all expect.
What is he saying now is that he cannot handle that task and I wonder. . .

If our players capability in comparison to opponents does not matter, then you should give him whatever concursion your babalowo is giving you, so he can use it on CIV, Cameroun etc, then he just might win irrespective of the quality of his tools.

Damn, I gaurantee you he would even win the WC with the concursion with Stationary Stores, irrespective of whether it is Spain, Brazil or England in the way. I would expect him to.

Sagamite:

If you don't know, then you are really a genius, Ferguson, Ancelotti and Mourinho need to come and take a refresher course under.

As far as am concerned they are old and are not doing well.  We need to look for alternatives.  They cannot do well in both Nation and World cups.

yemmight:

As far as am concerned they are old and are not doing well.  We need to look for alternatives.  They cannot do well in both Nation and World cups.

OK, name the players you would have brought in.

I have never expected much from Amodu. I only wish some of our players who want to go far in their career the best.