Opponents Don't Bother Me - KESHI

Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has come out with yet another declaration that he is not bothered by continued talk about the potent threat from Zambia in Nigeria’s group at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

With Chipolopolo skipper, Christopher Katongo lending added weight to Zambia’s potentials in his acquisition of the BBC Africa Footballer of The Year award on Monday, renewed talk has continued about what the defending champions will bring against Nigeria during their Group C clash in Nelspruit.

However, while taking another look at Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia in the Eagles’ group for next year’s AFCON, Keshi told RayPower FM progamme, Milo World Of Sports on Tuesday morning that he is not bothering himself about his opponents at the competition in The Rainbow Nation.

“I am not worrying unnecessarily about my opponents at the Nations Cup. In fact, they should be the ones worrying about us,” said Keshi, while adding that he is impressed with the reaction shown by his home-based invitees during their first day of training on resumption of camp in Abuja.

“I am happy that the players have shown a lot of commitment to the task at hand and they are all showing the kind of determination that is expected of them,” said The Big Boss.

He concluded by evaluating the kind of extra impetus new players like Shola Ameobi and Bright Dike will bring into the team for the Nations Cup, Keshi recalled that they both showed Great Spirit for the friendly against Venezuela, but stopped short of stating categorically if they will be in the squad to AFCON 2013.

“I was impressed with what the new players did for the game against Venezuela. Dike for instance, settled in well and you could not even know that he was seeing the other players for the first time. That’s the kind of mentality we need for the Nations Cup,” Keshi chipped in.