AKANNI DEMANDS NEW STYLE FROM EAGLES

A former junior international, Waidi Akanni, has advised Super Eagles coach, Lars Lagerback, to instil discipline and develop a new style for the team if Nigeria must succeed at the World Cup in South Africa.

Akanni told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday that the 44 players selected for camping ahead of the tournament were the best Nigeria could offer in the short time left before the Mundial, adding that the Swede would have a tough time making his final selection.

'Lagerback knows what he is doing by selecting the players he has on the list,' he said.

'The players on the list are from the leagues he is familiar with and I think he has selected them based on their fitness.

'His major challenge will be to instil discipline in the team while at the same time creating a particular tactic for the team. A team with discipline will always respect the formation and tactics adopted by the coach.'

The former Lagos State Football Association Chairman said the inclusion of Nwankwo Kanu and other players that featured at the Nations Cup in Angola on the list indicates that Lagerback would prefer experienced players in his team.

He said, 'No coach will take the risk of building a totally new team days before a major competition.

'Lagerback will still rely on the bulk of the players who played at the Nations Cup because he needs players with experience in the team. I suspect the final selection will hardly be different from the team that played at the Nations Cup but Lagerback's tactics will make the difference.'