Kanu, Utaka, better than Drogba - Christian Chukwu


Former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu, insists Nigerians have no business losing sleep over Cote d’ Ivoire’s key players at the upcoming Ghana 2008 Nations Cup finals.

Most Nigerian international football followers believe that Eagles strikers will find it difficult penetrating the Elephants’ defence which will be manned by the Arsenal duo of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, while the Nigerian defenders will have their hands full trying to contain Chelsea attackers, Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou. Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Mali and Benin Republic are to clash in Sekondi for their group games.

But Chukwu, who has won the Nations Cup as a player and coach, specifically said that Drogba was being given more respect than he deserved on the field of play.

The lethal Chelsea striker ended Nigeria’s dream at the semifinals stage at the last edition held in Egypt when his controversial finish helped the Elephants to the final.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone, Chukwu, who expressed disappointment at the concerns expressed over the Ivorien team, said Nigeria has the quality to curtail the rampaging Drogba.

“Drogba is a good player, a good attacker but he’s only an individual. At Chelsea, he has players who supply him quality passes. I don’t think he has such players in their national team,” the Rangers coach said.

The former Harambe Stars of Kenya coach predicted an impressive showing for the Portsmouth’s duo of Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka at the Ghana 2008 and insists that the two players would constitute the greatest threat in the opposite direction when the Eagles engage the Elephants on January 21.

“The Ivorians are also thinking of what to do to stop Kanu and Utaka. They are better players and will give the Ivorians much more trouble. I wonder why we are talking of Drogba without talking about Kanu and Utaka who are more dangerous,” Chukwu added.

He warned the Eagles against underrating any team in the championship, appealing to the players to approach every game at the event seriously.

“We should play every match as if it is our last in the competition. The game is developing fast on the continent and every country is a potential threat. We shouldn’t say because we are playing against Benin and relax but rather we should play them as if we are playing against Cameroun or Egypt,” he said.

Chukwu disagreed with critics that Marseille’s Taye Taiwo would be the Eagles’ undoing in Ghana.

He said, “Taye is good enough for the Nations Cup. There’s no player that is above mistakes. We should consider his strength before drawing conclusions. There’s no perfect team in the world, not even Brazil.”

here is there link
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200712282142846

thats debatable. kanu and utaka are great players in their own rights but that should give him no reason to underestimate drogba and the rest of the ivorycoast team. it seems that the former eagles coach has forgotten that drogba singlehandedly scored the goal that knocked us out of the finals in 2006.

If its based on current form then i think the guy must be smoking some local Enugu hemp

and what is chukwu's pedigree to utter those blatant lies
After disgracing us,he has the audacity ,the tenacity,the tendency ,the verbosity ,the effrontery to utter those words
May his days not be like that of Stephen Keshi

@ hollandis all these big grammitically for chuks ? Nfa are stil owing that guy ohhhh mind u!

Hollandis y attack him,he spoke his mind.Y dnt u do urs on the topic and not on chukwu.

i dnt think drogba has d pedigree dat kanu has

well i think nigeria is just over hyping drogba or sometin he can not do better than kanu remember kanu has been going tonations cup long b4 drogba so he can call experience to play in this and also remember he is very dangerous in the BOX 18


UP BLUES

Chukwu is a fool
should have been sentenced for death by hanging for making Nigeria fail in world cup qualifiers
never to be taken seriously

sunny4all:

@ hollandis all these big grammitically for chuks ? Nfa are stil owing that guy ohhhh mind u!

owe ko,owe ni.Because of his technical ineptitude we were disgraced out of the group.Who is Angola to qualify?Was it not his incompetency, and collosal wastage of resources that cost us the group's ticket?A group that had under achievers.Onigbinde;s case was better o.
Common Nigeria clubside ,Chukwu abi na chuks could not deliver.
You are talking about owing,HE IS THE ONE OWING.
Shame

tosinadeda:

Hollandis y attack him,he spoke his mind.Y dnt u do urs on the topic and not on chukwu.

i dnt think drogba has d pedigree that kanu has

I am not attacking him.I am questioning his technical lack ,lapse and loom.He is a disgruntled element.He should not speak ,when men of timber and calibre are depositing,He should hide his face in shame.He should bury himself for his negative performance.He is a disgrace to Nigeria coaches (oh coach yomi tella ,where art thou?).

quote
"Taye is good enough for the world cup".

Why is chukwu a fool?Who told him there is no perfect player.
If kaka holds ball for you ehnnnnnnnnnn ooooo.
Chukwu .pls bury your head in shame.

the man has always been know for uthering nonsense so im not surprised

i think punch published the article just for us to dislike the guy more. poor thing, now no one is ever going to take him seriously. should have just kept his mouth shut.

Drogba can better kanu but not Utaka. UTAKA is better than him but no chance for him
let utaka go to one big team u we know how the guy his

u are even more stupid than chukwu

Don1DeMaco:

u are even more stupid than chukwu

do you have to be so vicious in your reply all the time. everyone has a right to their opinions.

kayality:

Drogba can better kanu but not Utaka. UTAKA is better than him but no chance for him
let utaka go to one big team u we know how the guy his

sorry but i just couldnt believe somebody could even say something worse dan Chukwu, what has utaka done that would make him at par with drogba or even better than kanu, whether on past or present form.

dont u have to prove urself as being good b4 a good team comes 4 u, till he attains dat height where by he'll be consistent all thru the season i dont see dat happening.

u think say Kanu and Drogba fluke am reach where them dey

sorry 4 my initial comment. pls accept my apology.

Well, everyone is entiled to his or her own opinon, Chukwu just stated his, though its really tough to say who's better, to me it depends on form.

true

Drogba is good

Chukwu can say what he likes but everybody knows that is not so.