EAGLES WILL BENEFIT FROM PLAYING ARGENTINA - LAWAL

Ex-international Oladimeji Lawal has said there is nothing wrong in the Super Eagles playing Argentina in Bangladesh on September 9, just four days after playing an African Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar in Antananarivo.

Some Nigerians have criticised the Nigeria Football Federation on accepting to play Argentina, saying the players would experience fatigue which could eventually affect their performances in their respective clubs.

Lawal said, 'There is no need to criticise the NFF on the friendly game. The players are professionals and they've been trained to play matches back-to-back. They play for their clubs with intervals of few days; this is not different.

'The Argentina game is even coming after the crucial tie with Madagascar so we don't run the risk of having the players getting tired before playing in Bangladesh. All the NFF needs to do is to ensure the games don't affect the players' club engagement.'

Lawal, who is now a FIFA-licensed agent, added that coach Samson Siasia would need the Argentina rematch to truly assess the team as they prepare for their match against Guinea in October.

'If we fail to utilise the FIFA window to strengthen the Eagles, we may regret it for a long time to come,' Lawal said.

'How many times do we get quality opponents to play in a friendly? We should grab this opportunity and make the best of it. Siasia needs it more than anyone else because he must make the team stronger for future matches.'