Former Nigeria midfielder, Edema Fuludu, believes second-placed Super Eagles can get the right result against group bellwethers Argentina on Wednesday and advance to the next stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. But the Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations victor cautioned the Eagles against man-marking Lionel Messi.
Nigeria have met the South Americans thrice at the World Cup and they have been on the losing side on all occasions. But they require at least a draw on Wednesday to advance to the Round of 16 in Brazil.
Fuludu, who missed out on a place in the 1994 World Cup, verbalized, “There is a glimmer of hope for us because we upped our game against Bosnia. I wouldn’t verbalize we were fantastic but we were tenacious and we got the desired result.
“With what Iran did against Argentina on Saturday, it shows they are not invincible. They couldn’t break Iran until Lionel Messi sprung up with his magic in the 93rd minute. What we require is a draw but it is not infeasible to beat Argentina.”
“I believe we will qualify; the less people believe in Eagles, the more they stand a chance of winning.”
Messi has played a vital role in Argentina’s two victories against Bosnia and Iran, prehending the triumphers but Fuludu verbally expresses it will be costly for Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi to deploy a particular player to mark the Barcelona superstar.
“Keshi has his own game plan but I dHe verbalized, on’t believe in assigning a particular player to Messi. If we do that, then the other Argentines will be very free to run riot around us. We should be able to master our zonal marking and close in when he (Messi) endeavors to peregrinate to his left because that is his most lethal point; that is where his puissance lies.
“If we can devise a way where two players can close him immediately he gets the ball, or obviate him from receiving passes in front of our 18-yard box, we are sure that we won’t have an arduous game. But if we assign someone to him, surely the player may get a card or two and that would be a sizably voluminous blow for us.”
The former Turkey-predicated player verbalized the Eagles would require a packed midfield to prosperously check the Argentine hazardous assailers such as Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria.
Fuludu verbally expressed, “If I were Keshi, considering the quality of players he has, I won’t sit back and forfend but I will pack my midfield and let Emmanuel Emenike and Osaze Odemwingie run riot upfront while five players will be in midfield.
“If we can hold our midfield, the defence can have a little respite. Vincent Enyeama has been sublime, so I believe we should assail them, push them back and secure a draw or a win and advance to the next stage of the competition.”
