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Oliseh, on Saturday watchinh from the sidelines

Oliseh assures improvement after shaky start against Tanzania

Oliseh, on Saturday watchinh from the sidelines
Oliseh, on Saturday watching from the sidelines

Despite what many consider a shaky start after Saturday’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Taifa Stars of Tanzania, in Dar-es-Salam, the Nigerian national team coach, Sunday Oliseh has described the 0-0 draw as satisfactory considering it was his first game in charge of the Eagles.

Oliseh  who seemed relieved that his debut as coach had now come and gone, however, called on fans and the media to rally behind the team in their subsequent matches promising better results.

“I can describe the match as a game of two halves because we struggled in the first half but came back strongly in the second half containing the Tanzanians who also played very well.

“We only had 2 days to train together and I am impressed with the way we played even though the striking was blunt but I am optimistic we will work on those mistakes step by step.

“Our midfield was not covered properly that is why I decided to do some early changes but I don’t want to point at any players,” Oliseh told supersport.com, obviously in reference to Lukman Haruna who was substituted midway into the very first half of the match.

On keeper Carl Ikeme’s performance Oliseh was full of praise for the Wolverhampton keeper, saying: “I am very happy with Ikeme’s performance he was brilliant and he kept the Tanzanian strikers at bay, It was a very important debut for him and thankfully for us he was A1.”

Prodded to explain why he decided to replace Haruna Lukman very early in the game and the long term effect on the player Oliseh was diplomatic in his answer.

“Things did not work as planned that’s why I decided to make the change but I don’t want to be negative because I will have time to talk to the player and see how we can correct mistakes we saw but If we hadn’t made that early change,” he stressed “we would have lost.”

It is now back to the drawing board for the Oliseh and his new team as they jet directly back to Port Harcourt where they take on the Niger Republic, Wednesday.

The other teams in the group Egypt and Chad play later Sunday in a game Nigerians are expected to cheer the Chad team.

Meanwhile, Mauritania shocked South Africa 3-1as Ghana edged Rwanda 1-0 in Kigali and Senegal triumphed 2-0 in Namibia all in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations matchday 2 qualifiers.

A blunder by goalkeeper and captain Itumeleng Khune after five minutes cost South Africa a goal in Nouakchott and set the home team on the road to their greatest Cup of Nations triumph.

Khune allowed a long-range Ali Abeid free-kick to slip from his grasp into the net and Bafana Bafana (The Boys) had debutant Siyabonga Zulu red-carded after half-time for a last-defender foul.

South Africa equalised midway through the second half when Thamsanqa Gabuza soared above goalkeeper Mohamed Salahdine to nod in a cross.

But a Mauritanian team ranked 42 places below their opponents in the world finished strongly and superb individual goals by Boubacar Beyguili and Ahmed Khalil sealed victory.

Success lifted Mauritania from the bottom to the top of Group M on goals scored although Cameroon will regain first place if they do not lose in Gambia Sunday.

Four-time African champions Ghana left it late to succeed in Kigali with Russia-based Mubarak Wakaso the 87th-minute match-winner.

The Black Stars were awarded a free-kick just outside the box on a poor pitch and Wakaso curled the ball past the wall and wide of goalkeeper Olivier Kwizeri into the corner.

It was a cruel blow for the Wasps, who fought gallantly before a near-capacity crowd and did not deserve to lose.

The last time Ghana visited Kigali for a Cup of Nations qualifier they suffered a stunning 1-0 loss 12 years ago.

Ghana, runners-up to Ivory Coast in the 2015 Cup of Nations, lead Group H with six points, three more than Rwanda, while Mauritius and Mozambique are pointless ahead of their Sunday clash.

There was no dream debut for new Nigeria coach and former midfield star Sunday Oliseh as the three-time Cup of Nations title-holders found Tanzania a revitalised side.

English Premier League pair, Cheikhou Kouyate of West Ham and Sadio Mane of Southampton, netted as Senegal triumphed 2-0 in Namibia

Kouyate struck in the first half and Mane in the second in Windhoek as the Teranga Lions maintained a perfect Group K start with a second win.

Burundi are second, three points adrift, after a 2-0 victory over Niger in Bujumbura thanks to goals from South Africa-based duo Fiston Abdul Razak and Papy Faty.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni funded the $210 000 travel costs of the Cranes to the Comoros islands off the south-east coast.

The cash-strapped national team triumphed 1-0 in Group D courtesy of a goal midway through the first half from recalled Iceland-based Tonny Mawejje.

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