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Discipline is Nigeria's World Cup key
Ask Taribo West about Nigeria's chances this summer in the World Cup and you'll find him bullish and upbeat about the prospects of the Super Eagles. "I believe Nigeria and other African teams taking part are going to do very well." "The time has come for Africa. One advantage we have with the Nigerian side is the experience we have been through in the last World Cup. Most of the boys who played in the last World Cup make up the main part of this team. We've learnt from our mistakes and this World Cup we are really going to make our mark. "I think in the last World Cup we had a good team, but for some of us it was our first World Cup and we were not really prepared for what that meant. Most of the time we approached our matches so casually, especially against Denmark. The old adage says once bitten, twice shy so this time we will be ready for the task. After leaving Derby last summer when his loan period expired West kicked his heels on the sidelines for several months before joining Kaiserslautern in Germany. He says the only thing he was worried about was his fitness levels. "I never felt under pressure to find a club because I knew that it would be just a matter of time. It was merely time for me to make a testimony. God being on my side, Kaiserslautern was the right club at the right time for me. What I was concerned about was my level of fitness for the African Nations Cup." One of the persistent recent criticisms of Nigeria has been their lack of resolve in defence. West feels that it will take time for the new members like Yobo to gel as a unit and that the more experienced players have an important role to play. "We have to work very hard. There are three new players at the back who I have only been with for five or six games. It is not so easy when there are three new players and I don't know how they run or where they go. I also believe that some of the more experienced players up front and in the middle have to give support and counselling to the young lads." With all the controversy about who should be coaching the Eagles, West did have something to say about the advantages of a local coach, especially now there is a generation of retired superstars like Rabah Madjer of Algeria and Ghana's Abedi Pele waiting to pass on their experience "The industry is changing. Just like in the western world where you have people who have played coming through a s coaches, I think that also has to come to Africa. The benefits of a local coach are that he knows the culture of a country. He knows the players and the relationship with the players is also very different. I've worked with a lot of foreign coaches and most of them have complained about being back-stabbed by them and they feel that there is bias towards their selections." Nigerian fans will be pleased to know that there is a new watchword in the Nigerian team. Discipline. "The Cameroon team of 1990 was quite disciplined and they were strong men. World Cup wise they were not very experienced. I believe if we can attain that kind of discipline it will make a difference because we have an abundance of talent in the team." "If we are to get to the semi-finals discipline and unity will be more important than natural talent, but if we can combine the two it would be wonderful. "We are going to come first in our group. I have no idea who will come second. We are not going to the World Cup to play to the gallery and it is very clear that the team that performs best will get to the finals. Be it Sweden, England, Argentina or Nigeria. Some might say that such confidence is typical of Nigeria's arrogance. West begs to differ. "It's not arrogance. Sometimes we feel so relaxed in the national team. I do understand because the cultures are not the same. In Africa we feel different." "In a country like Nigeria it is not easy to play in the team. It's a country where everyone loves football. From the president to the last member of the population everyone makes their team selections so it is a difficult thing. You can get a call from the presidency saying they want a player in the team. If you are a coach without a personality then you have a problem. West has been affectionately nicknamed Pastor by his team mates because of his religious commitments that include founding the Shelter in the Storm Church in Milan where he used to play. "I don't like titles but it is because of what God has been doing in my life. I can only thank God because it is not easy bringing a group together and giving them an aim to follow. It's the hardest thing in any man's life and if I can do that it's because of the grace of God." Perhaps this summer
West and Nigeria will be able to give thanks for something else. |
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