Preview Nigeria boss predicts upset

June 1, 2002

Nigeria boss Adegboye Onigbinde is confident his team can produce a major upset by beating Argentina as Group F kicks off in the Ibaraki Kashima Stadium.

"We don't fear Argentina" he told onefootball.com. "The boys are raring to go. They will come out to do their best and I am sure their best will be enough to bring smiles on the faces of Nigerians on Sunday."

Nigeria have got off to stunning starts in the last two World Cups, beating Bulgaria in their opening match in 1994 and securing an amazing 3-2 win over Spain in France four years later.

The African side have six survivors from the 1998 campaign, including Garba Lawal and Mutiu Adepoju who were both on target against Spain.

One man who will not be there is the former skipper Sunday Oliseh - axed after a disappointing African Nations Cup campaign. Marseille defender Joseph Yobo, who will take on Oliseh's holding in midfield, shares his coach's confidence.

"It is going to be a difficult match but I am sure we will win," claimed the 22-year-old. "Argentina are more compact, have quality players and play a fast game.

"To counter them, we need to adopt our own style of play. I believe we can beat them."

Onigbinde is set to field an attacking line-up, with Arsenal's Nwankwo Kanu and Paris Saint-Germain's Augustine Okocha playing roving creating roles behind front-two Julius Aghahowa and Bartholomew Ogbeche.

Aghahowa was rushed to hospital after suffering an injury in training on Friday, but Onigbinde dismissed fears that he would miss the game. "It is a minor problem and nothing to be scared about," he insisted.

Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa, meanwhile, admitted that his side was under considerable pressure to perform. "Everyone seems to think that if we do not win the tournament then it has been a failure," he explained. "If they are the rules then I have to accept them."

Bielsa has decided to play Gabriel Batistuta as his central striker at the expense of Lazio hitman Hernan Crespo, while Claudio Lopez is set to edge out Kily Gonzalez.

Crespo was expected to start the tournament as Argentina's main striker, but Bielsa has turned to record-breaking striker Batistuta at the last minute. The Roma star has scored 55 goals in 75 appearances for his country and has already netted ten times in the World Cup.

Ariel Ortega and Juan Sebastian Veron will be given the job of creating the chances for the forwards, and the Manchester United midfielder is convinced Argentina can win the World Cup.

"There is a strong feeling inside the camp that this will be our time," he said. "We are at the peaks of our careers and we will have no excuses if we fail."

Onefootball