Learn From Friendlies, Aghahowa Tells Super Eagles

Former Super Eagles’ attacker, Julius Efosa Aghahowa has charged players and techical crew of Nigeria’s national team to learn from their recent conquest of the 2025 Unity Cup in London and use all their subsequent international friendly matches as processes towards better performances.

Speaking against the backdrop of the Eagles’ recent victories over Ghana and Jamaica at Brentford’s GTech Community Stadium in West London, the former attacker, who was fondly called ‘Agha-Wonder’ during his heyday, stressed that everyone in the Nigerian team must not to get carried away by their achievement.

The ex-international striker, who scored a goal for the Super Eagles at the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, also acknowledged that heading straight to Moscow for another friendly, against Russia’s national team this Friday, was another good step forward in the new coach, Eric Chelle’s team-building efforts.

The former Esperance of Tunisia, Shahtar Donetsk of Ukraine, Wigan Athletic of England and Keyserispor of Turkey star admitted that he is highly impressed with Chelle’s ongoing progressive approach but insisted that such efforts become meaningful only when lessons are picked from each friendly game.

Julius further declared, “When we are playing these games, we need to know that we are building a team, and look at areas where we need improvements. This will help us to be more professional and serious in our approach.”

The former police officer, who shot to prominence with the Nigerian under-20 national team, Flying Eagles, after dazzling with Insurance FC of Benin City in 1999, also confessed that he is not happy with what he has seen from the Eagles in recent games, then charged them to show more seriousness in all their forthcoming outings.

“When we play tournaments like the Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers, the kind of display we see is not the type that should be seen from a serious team that wants to go for a major championship. It’s not what a serious team should display.

“So, I think we should learn from this Unity Cup and see it as an avenue for progress. We should also have the same mentality about other friendly games after it.

So, we must learn from them all and prepare our team seriously for bigger challenges,” Aghahowa concluded.

Sports247.ng