Speaking with Trustsports in an interview, Oliha described the three friendly matches as not being enough for Coach Lars Lagerback to build a strong team that can replicate what the Eagles’ 1994 squad did or surpass it.
“How on earth will it be possible for a team like Nigeria, which has just hired a new coach with some new players, to be able to do well in South Africa by playing just three friendly matches? We need to play more friendly matches, even with club sides to enable the players understand one another before the kickoff date of the World Cup.
“In the last two friendly matches, the players showed lack of understanding and firepower to attack very well. Also the determination that used to propel our teams to victory was lacking. Without the restoration of all these, the chances of success of the Eagles in South Africa are very slim,” he said.
The member of the USA 1994 World Cup squad said the current team will struggle to re-enact the successes he and his colleagues recorded at the Tunisia 1994 African Cup of Nations and USA 1994 World Cup.
“It is going to be very difficult for this current team and their coach to do what we did in 1994. The team that was paraded in that year were being put together by Coach Clemence Westerhof for a period of five years.
“The pick of the era was in 1994 when we won the African Nations Cup and did well in the United States. Having been together for that period of time, we understood one another. Even we could close our eyes and tread passes to one another. But, this current team does not have such quality.
“Another thing that is working against the Super Eagles is lack of continuity, unlike what it was in our days. You changed a coach that qualified you for the World Cup about three months before the World Cup and appointed another one with a different orientation, yet you want to excell. Except by luck, Eagles may struggle in South Africa,” the Kwara Football Academy Coach said.
On today’s friendly match against North Korea, former Bendel Insurance player said he would like to see a very attacking-minded team, not the one that keeps avoiding the opponent’s vital areas.
“I watch the Koreans, they are a very good side and very fast on the ball. That means Eagles should raise their game if they want to restore our hope in them. Nigerians want to see a team that they can beat their chest to say this is out Super Eagles,” he concluded.
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