Brazil 2014: Egwuekwe banks on Confed Cup experience

 

Super Eagles defender, Azubuike Egwuekwe, is banking on his exposure at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil to help him overcome any jitters over world acclaimed stars when the World Cup kicks off in Brazil in June.

Speaking on the presence of players like Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero of Argentina and Andrés Iniesta of Spain in their countries’ World Cup squads, he said there was nothing to fear. Egwuekwe admitted that even though these were good players, he had the experience playing against them at the Confederations Cup — a competition that also featured the best teams of the continents and hosts Brazil.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria, “When we played against them at that competition, I saw them as players like me and that gave me the confidence to check them.”

The Warri Wolves defender is one of the five players from the Nigeria Premier League who made the 30-man provisional list sent to FIFA by the Nigeria Football Federation. The defender was in the bronze-winning Nigeria team at the last African National Championship in South Africa in February and won the African Cup with the Eagles in 2013 in the competition also played in South Africa. Some players have been found wanting over the years as they get nervous against established world stars in big tournaments.

Egwuekwe whose club fell by 2-1 against Crown on Wednesday also pledged to put up a superlative performance at the 2014 World Cup. He spoke against the backdrop of his unimpressive outing during the loss by Wolves to Crown of Ogbomosho in Ibadan in a midweek league match. He said after the Globacom Premier League match that he would not be found wanting at the World Cup.

He said, “Today was not a good day for us, especially me. If we had played the way we often did, then we could have emerged victorious against Crown.

“It will surely be a different ball game when we play at the World Cup. My poor outing against Crown means nothing as I am prepared to hold any player if I make Coach Stephen Keshi’s squad.’’

Nigeria will face Scotland May 28 in their first friendly of those lined up leading to the World Cup. The players are billed to arrive in London on Monday as the World Cup camping starts.

The Eagles are drawn in Group F against Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran in the first round of Brazil 2014.