Wenge: Team spirit will help Nigeria

Wenge: Team spirit will help Nigeria

The Arsenal manager has tipped the Super Eagles to
join Argentina into the second round due to the fact that
they have less stars but greater spirit
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has tipped Nigeria to
reach the second round of the World Cup alongside
Argentina in Group F.
The Frenchman feels that the Super Eagles have
something going for them this year, 'team spirit' and a
lack of big egos which has ensured for a united squad
and differentiated them from many African sides of the
past.
He said Argentina should win the group which also has
Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina and that Nigeria should
join them in the second round.
“I think that Nigeria might qualify for the second stage,”
Wenger wrote in his Eurosport World Cup preview.
“They really made a good impression on me during the
African Cup of Nations. They seem to have a really good
team spirit, which is not always easy for African teams.
“They have less star players. They have a real team,
and it’s been a while since that happened for them,”
Wenger said of Stephen Keshi’s team.
Of Argentina, the Frenchman expects them to do well
playing in South America where they would be buoyed
by the rivalry with neighbours Brazil.
He also said that coach Alejandro Sabella has done
better than Diego Maradona in his selection of a
balanced side despite the array of impressive attacking
talent at his disposal.
“Normally Argentina should qualify thanks to their
offensive potential. You might even say that Argentina
have too many good players in attack,” Wenger wrote.
“ It’s not easy to be a manager in Argentina, because
it’s hard to build a balanced team without leaving some
indisputable players off the field.
“They have Higuain, Messi, Aguero, and Tevez, who
didn't even make the final squad. they have so many
forwards; it will be very hard to keep a balanced team.
It’s what happened in South Africa.
“Still, Sabella’s team seems more balanced than
Maradona’s. They can’t make a mess of this World Cup;
Argentina just can’t.
“The two main rivals in South America are Brazil and
Argentina. There can’t be a World Cup in Brazil and
Argentina be humiliated and not have a great
tournament. They will have a huge pressure on them,”
Wenger said.
Nigeria and Argentina will meet for the fourth time in
the World Cup on June 25 in Porto Alegre. The Super
Eagles will open their campaign against Iran on June 16
in Curitiba before taking on Bosnia in Cuiaba on 21.