25 Aug 2003(Mon)

The Japan Football Association was quite right to complain to the Nigerian FA about the quality of the Super Eagles team for the friendly in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Perhaps the JFA should go even further and complain to FIFA, the world governing body, which sanctions these kind of matches.

The FIFA motto is "For the good of the game," but this kind of exercise does nothing at all for the good of the game.

Presumably the JFA paid Nigeria a handsome appearance fee to come to Japan, but they expected them to bring a decent team.

Instead they got an inexperienced, disorganized rabble, and it was clear from the opening seconds that Nigeria did not have the stomach for the fight.

Although Zico was able to celebrate his first home victory in seven attempts, I thought the game was meaningless.

I am not taking anything away from Zico, because Japan can only beat the opposition that is put in front of them.

The problem facing the JFA now is the two home games against more African opposition, Senegal at Niigata next month and Cameroon at Oita in November.

Like Nigeria, the best players of these two countries all play in the top European leagues.

But will they be willing to travel halfway around the world and back again, for a friendly when they could be having a relaxing week training at their clubs, clearing up any minor injuries, and preparing for the next league game?

Zico needed his best players back because he was under pressure, and he needed a victory against Nigeria after the disappointment of the Confederations Cup.

Although Wednesday's game did nothing to answer the question--is Zico taking the national team forward or backward?--presumably the result has bought him some breathing space.

I felt the fans were cheated by Wednesday's game, as the quality of the opposition was so poor. Nigeria couldn't even find enough players to fill the bench, and the Korean referee took pity on them by declining to send off their goalkeeper for a blatant handball outside his area to deny Yanagisawa.

Let's hope these next two friendlies offer better viewing.

ends