adminABUJA. — Nigeria head coach Stephen Keshi has praised the Golden Eaglets for emerging champions at the 2013 Fifa Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Keshi said that the Nigeria Under-17s deserve commendation for the manner with which they emerged as the world champions.
“I’m very impressed with the boys. It is a big achievement in their careers winning the Under-17 World Cup. They showed every ingredient to become champions and that’s why they deserve commendation,” said the Nigerian trainer.
The former Mali and Togo manager, however, refused to single out any particular player for individual praise.
Keshi rather believes Manu Garba’s team played as a unit.
“At this level of football you don’t want to single out one player over another. Yes, if we say the midfielders or strikers did so well, we need to also remember that there are the goalkeeper and defenders who also kept their discipline to make sure the team didn’t concede during delicate periods in some of their matches.
“So you’ll now understand that football is a team sport. I agree that a number of players distinguished themselves ahead of the others but we really cannot overlook the contribution of the others in the team,” Keshi said.
After being prodded further on Kelechi Iheanacho, the tournament’s most valuable player, Keshi believes the Taye Football Academy attacking midfielder has the potential to become a top player in future if properly managed.
“He (Iheanacho) is a very talented player and we saw that during the games he played. But he must be properly managed as he grows through the ranks. His development should be the key factor in his career as well as that of others in the team,” said the Nigerian coach. — Supersport.com.
Online Reporter