Ex-international, Felix Owolabi, has called for caution as he said Nigerians should not use the double digits victory against Sao Tome and Principe to access the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
It would be recalled that Eagles on Monday went goals crazy as they rake up a 10-0 win against The Falcons in their second game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Leading 3-0 in the first half, the team returned to score seven more goals in the second half with Napoli of Italy striker, Victor Osimhen, scoring four of the 10 goals.
Speaking with our correspondent, the 1980 Cup of Nations’ winner said after watching the team struggled to a 2-1 win against Sierra Leone in their first game in Abuja, there was need to wait until they face stronger countries like Cameroon, Algeria and the rest.
“We defeated Sao Tome and Principe, a small island of less than 500,000 people and we are talking about the team’s performance,” Owolabi said.
“Before I can access the team, it will be until they meet credible teams like Cameroon, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal. Probably Libya, Cote D’Ivoire, before I can talk about anything, even Libya and South Africa too.
“For now, we can as well describe them as a new team especially with a new coach trying to impose his pattern on the players and get his own team.
“The major tournament they are playing now is the AFCON qualifiers, we just played two matches. Like I said we played a team from an Island, it will be difficult to compare them with Nigeria of almost 200m people if not more.
“Because we beat them 10-0, then it’s Uhuru? No, the hardwork is just starting, we should not be in a hurry to access them, by the end of the qualifiers if they can keep up the tempo, then we can easily say the players are now getting their mojo back.
“We had to struggle in Abuja to defeat Sierra Leone 2-1 in our first game, that alone is making me sick and for that, I cannot jump into conclusion.”
He however called for support for the new coach, Jose Peseiro, while also asking the fans and Nigerians to give him time to raise a solid national team for Nigeria.
