Amapakabo must deliver Tokyo 2020 ticket, says Lawal

 Morakinyo Abodunrin

FORMER Nigeria international and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games medallist, Garba Lawal, has described  today’s  U-23 AFCON  clash at Al Salam Stadium  in Cairo between Nigeria  and Zambia as a must win for embattled Olympic Eagles’ minder, Imama Amapakabo.

The 50-year-old Amapakabo has been under intense pressure following strings of losses under his watch following losses to ‘tiny’ Togo in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier in Lome (4-1) and the WAFU Cup of Nations (1-0) in Senegal while  on Saturday  the U-23 suffered a 1-0 loss  to Cote d’Ivoire  in their U-23 AFCON opener.

“The Olympic Eagles can deliver and I think the coach (Amapakabo) knows better than you and I because he selected the players he felt were good for the team,” the former Roda JC midfielder told NationSport.“ Of course, it’s going to be tough but the bottom line is that the coach must deliver.”

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Garba, a holder of CAF B Licence Coaching Certificate, said the onus is both on the coach and players to ensure that Nigeria picks one of the three continental tickets to the quadrennial event.

“As a coach, you must be able to take responsibility whether good or bad but I want to believe the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) have a lot of confidence on Imama and that was why they left him to continue with the U-23 team after he failed to qualify for CHAN,” reasoned Garba. “But I believe he has learnt some good lessons but by and large, the players he has assembled must rise up to the challenge in Egypt.

“Now, it’s left for these players to tell themselves ‘that we have to go out and do it.’ But it’s not going to be easy games for them.”

Pointless Olympic Eagles are bottom of Group B following Friday’s 1-0 defeat by Cote  d’Ivoire  and they face an uphill task against Zambia who held neighbours South Africa goalless  in their opening encounter.

“Nigeria are like a wounded lion, it will not be an easy match. They will give everything for the victory but we are prepared to face them,” noted Zambia’s coach, Beston Chambeshi.