adminJOHN OBI MIKEL has declared that Nigeria now need to put up an improved performance in their next two matches at the Fifa World Cup to fancy reaching the last 16. The Chelsea midfielder expressed disappointment at the Super Eagles’ failure to defeat a plucky Iranian team on Monday. He has now thrown down the gauntlet to his teammates ahead of their next matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina.
The 27-year-old midfielder acknowledged that the African champions can no longer afford anymore slip-ups as they prepare to face Bosnia’s Dragons this Saturday.
“We need to raise our game if we want to reach the next round. We prepared very well for this World Cup and we can’t afford to drop another point in our remaining games,” Mikel said after the match.
On the scoreless draw with Iran, Mikel admitted that the Super Eagles were held off by the “well organised” Asians.
“Naturally we’re disappointed because we know what it means to win your opening match at the World Cup. We thought we had a good chance of winning. We created some openings in the first half and I think we deserved to score. Iran kept us at bay, though, and they were well organised at the back,” Mikel admitted.
Mikel was named man of the match after the goalless draw with Iran in Curitiba. — SuperSport
Online Reporter