Mikel Obi must do more for Eagles – Ugbade

With only four points from their four qualifying games, Nigeria have left themselves having an uphill battle to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. But former Super Eagles defender Nduka Ugbade is confident the African champions can qualify for the continental football’s showpiece in Morocco next year.

And the Tunisia’94 Africa Cup of Nations winner believes Mikel Obi can stamp his authority on the team and prove his critics wrong by guiding the Eagles for their 17th appearance in the African finals.

The 2012 UEFA Champions League and 2013 Europa League winner has often been the main topic of intense criticism by the area media and fans, but Ugbade says the Chelsea midfielder must take criticism as a challenge.

Mikel has heaped pressure upon himself after he continued his bit-part role at Stamford bridge after the arrival of Nemanja Matic from Benfica in the summer.

The Eagles backed themselves in to a corner after their shock defeat 3-2 to Congo within their Morocco 2015 Group A opening encounter in Calabar on September 6 accompanied by another shock loss (1-0) at the hands of minnows Sudan in Khartoum on October 11. The defeat came following the Eagles battled to a goalless draw against South Africa in Cape Town on September 10.

Nigeria defeated   Sudan 3-1 in the reverse fixture on October 15 to go from underneath of Group A desk to occupy the 3rd place and revive their Morocco 2015 qualification hopes, however the Eagles need to grab maximum points in the residual matches against Congo and South Africa to seize one of many two tickets in the group. Nevertheless the 1980, 1994 and 2013 champions will depend on Congo losing to Sudan within the last few group fixture in Khartoum on November 19 to own any chance of earning it to Morocco. Nigeria face South Africa in another group fixture in Abuja same day.

Ugbade maintains Mikel can win over his critics by helping the Eagles qualify for the biennial championship. The much-maligned Chelsea player was instrumental in the Eagles’triumph over Sudan and Ugbade is backing the 27-year-old to transport over his fine form into the past to qualifiers – against Congo and South Africa respectively.

South Africa lead the group on eight points accompanied by Congo on seven points. The Nigeria Football Federation fired caretaker manager Stephen Keshi following the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach guided the Eagles to victory over Sudan and replaced him with Shaibu Amodu.

Keshi’s contract with the NFF expired after piloting the Eagles to another round exit at Brazil 2014 World Cup however the football body, that was plagued by power struggle then, engaged the former Nigeria captain on a caretaker basis.