BAFANA coach Shakes Mashaba’s comments yesterday that his Nigerian counterpart Stephen Keshi will want to win here against South Africa tomorrow night “because he believes he should have been the coach” is likely to spark a war of words between the two esteemed mentors.
Asked what type of game he expected when Bafana host the Super Eagles in the second round of matches for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Mashaba said it would be a mental rather than a tactical affair. It was widely reported that Keshi would be Gordon Igesund’s successor having guided Nigeria to this year’s World Cup in Brazil, but it was Mashaba who got the nod in July.
“This physiological battle has been passed on from one generation to another, unfortunately. Nigeria will once again come out fighting, not like sheep to slaughter.
“One other thing, the coach will also want to fight because he believes he should have been the coach of the South African team. He is going to try and use all physiological tactics to make sure his players perform above his instructions,” said Mashaba.
Keshi is currently the caretaker coach for Nigeria with negotiations over a new contract stalling. So the former Togo trainer struck a deal with the Nigeria Football Federation that he would see them through the two qualifiers this month – a 3-2 defeat at home to Congo at the weekend and tomorrow night’s clash against Bafana at the Cape Town Stadium.
“For them it’s a good thing to have him there because there’s this unfinished story between us and them, and I don’t think Nigeria would settle for a new coach so late, especially having lost their first match. The players like him and it gives them an opportunity to keep working with him, which is an added advantage,” Mashaba said.
While the Super Eagles were stunned by Congo, Mashaba and his men got off to a flying start in the qualifiers with a 3-0 away win over Sudan in Khartoum last Friday.
The coach said facing their “nemesis” tomorrow would be a true test.
“I think in about 12 matches, we have only beaten these guys twice. That’s got to end. But this game is not going to be tactical. We keep telling the boys that they will need some serious mental strength in this game. We’ve done some exercises where we closed down spaces in training because that’s how Nigeria will play and be physical, and our boys don’t like it,” said Mashaba.
On Nigeria’s possible ban – football governing body Fifa want controversially elected Chris Giwa removed as the federation president – Mashaba said it was up to the administrators to sort it out. The Super Eagles would be ineligible to play tomorrow if banned.
“It’s very dangerous to give an answer to that. We can only hope that our boys don’t buy into that. They must just shut off from all the noise about the ban and prepare for the game,” he said.
Mashaba, Keshi war looming
Asked what type of game he expected when Bafana host the Super Eagles in the second round of matches for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Mashaba said it would be a mental rather than a tactical affair. It was widely reported that Keshi would be Gordon Igesund’s successor having guided Nigeria to this year’s World Cup in Brazil, but it was Mashaba who got the nod in July.
“This physiological battle has been passed on from one generation to another, unfortunately. Nigeria will once again come out fighting, not like sheep to slaughter.
“One other thing, the coach will also want to fight because he believes he should have been the coach of the South African team. He is going to try and use all physiological tactics to make sure his players perform above his instructions,” said Mashaba.
Keshi is currently the caretaker coach for Nigeria with negotiations over a new contract stalling. So the former Togo trainer struck a deal with the Nigeria Football Federation that he would see them through the two qualifiers this month – a 3-2 defeat at home to Congo at the weekend and tomorrow night’s clash against Bafana at the Cape Town Stadium.
“For them it’s a good thing to have him there because there’s this unfinished story between us and them, and I don’t think Nigeria would settle for a new coach so late, especially having lost their first match. The players like him and it gives them an opportunity to keep working with him, which is an added advantage,” Mashaba said.
While the Super Eagles were stunned by Congo, Mashaba and his men got off to a flying start in the qualifiers with a 3-0 away win over Sudan in Khartoum last Friday.
The coach said facing their “nemesis” tomorrow would be a true test.
“I think in about 12 matches, we have only beaten these guys twice. That’s got to end. But this game is not going to be tactical. We keep telling the boys that they will need some serious mental strength in this game. We’ve done some exercises where we closed down spaces in training because that’s how Nigeria will play and be physical, and our boys don’t like it,” said Mashaba.
On Nigeria’s possible ban – football governing body Fifa want controversially elected Chris Giwa removed as the federation president – Mashaba said it was up to the administrators to sort it out. The Super Eagles would be ineligible to play tomorrow if banned.
“It’s very dangerous to give an answer to that. We can only hope that our boys don’t buy into that. They must just shut off from all the noise about the ban and prepare for the game,” he said.
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