TweetSuper Eagles left-full back Elderson Echiejile has backed the Super Eagles to bounce back from their recent poor spells against Congo and South Africa and qualify for 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.Speaking in an interview, the towering Monaco defence ace, who made his debut for Nigeria in 2009, said that it was still early days to completely write off the African champions from qualifying for next year’s tournament in Morocco.“ I think we have a good chance to qualify. It is just two games and we have four more games to play.
Echiejile
We just have to concentrate on those four games and get good points from them and it will see us through”, said the former Braga defender.Reflecting on the 3-2 loss and barren draw against Congo and South Africa respectively, the former Rennes player said Eagles only have themselves to blame for the defeat in Calabar, adding that “for me as a player, I think we could have done more at home because if we had done, we would not have lost.
The lesson for us is that we have to work harder and give more.“ On the match against South Africa, it was always going to be difficult for us to win because any team that play against African champions will be determined to get a good result, which was what the South Africans got because they worked hard for it”, added the 26 year-old former Bendel Insurance star.Eagles face Sudan in a double-header AFCON clash early next month, two fixtures that Echiejile insists Nigeria must win to remain in the race to qualify for next year’s AFCON.
“I don’t think we really have much choice than to get the maximum points against Sudan because we are third in the group and to stand any chance of qualifying, then we have to get the six points from those games so we can step up our position on the table”, said Echiejile, who reckons that a new contract for coach Stephen Keshi will strengthen his commitment to the Nigerian cause.
“Playing for the national team needs your commitment and when you have a hundred percent commitment it will always show in anything you do. So I think any positive thing done will really help the team”.
On the competition for slots in the Super Eagles, Echiejile said it was a healthy rivalry as all the players just want to give their best to their country.
“We have Juwon and Francis who just moved to Israel.. We have good players in every position, who are up to the task. There are lots of back up players who could come up and take care of the situation whenever the player playing that position is not available”.
On a possible move from the Principality in Monaco, Echiejile says it is too early to be thinking of moving away from France
“It is kind of early to think of moving. I’ll just concentrate on my club because we have lots of games to play this season and I also have to concentrate on the national team. For now, I am not thinking of moving to another club but maybe later, I can give that a thought but for now, I have to concentrate in the games in my league and qualification for the Nations Cup.