Oliseh's Team Lacks Quality Attack- Taribo West

Former Nigeria international, Taribo West, has labeled the attack of the  Super Eagles against Tanzania in coach Sunday Oliseh's first game as unproductive.

The 1996 Olympics gold medalist added that the midfield was just empty despite the physical presence on Haruna Lukman and his cohorts.

Nigeria were forced to a barren draw by the Taifa stars on Saturday on match day two of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers. 

The Eagles picked up a point in the encounter to sit on the second spot in Group G on four points, two points behind leaders, the Pharaohs of Egypt, who won 5-1 in N’Djamena against Chad.

The former Super Eagles Inter Milan back-man showered encomiums on Eagles goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, who saved the team from defeat on his debut for the country at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

West lamented that “We didn’t play and we were lucky the Tanzanians are inexperienced.

 I haven’t seen the national team play so slowly the way they did the other day. If they have to qualify from the group, they have to work harder.

“There were two free-kicks that should have gone in but for Ikeme. In subsequent games, we must not make such mistakes or else we will be battered.

“Except for Ikeme who was outstanding, and the defenders, who did well, I didn’t see anything in the middle and in the attack. The only thing Eagles had was physical presence. (Haruna) Lukman was not in the game and only Emmanuel Emenike tried to muscle his way through.”

The ex-AC Milan centre-back admitted that coach Sunday Oliseh needed some time to build a better team and urged fans to be patient with him.

“We don’t have the kind of national team that we crave for yet but we have to give Oliseh a chance. This is just his first game in charge; there is room for him to improve. I believe he can turn the fortunes of the team around,” the ex-footballer-turned pastor added. Punch