heanacho didn’t deserve to 'start' - Akpoborie

                       
As reactions continue to trail Nigeria U20’s 4-2 defeat to the Brazil U20 side in their opening game of the 2015 Fifa U20 World Cup in New Zealand, former Super Eagles forward Jonathan Akpoborie says Kelechi Iheanacho should not have been handed a starter’s shirt against Rogerio Mical’s team.

The Manchester City forward hit the upright in the first half but was replaced in the 75th minute by Kingsley Sokari after he seemed to have been caged by the Seleção’s well-coordinated backline.

According to Akpoborie, the former U17 star should have started the game on the bench while urging him to improve in subsequent games.

“I believe in hardwork and a player is as good as his last game. With this particular team, I don’t think Iheanacho has trained enough to merit him starting against Brazil,” Akpoborie told Goal.

“He wasn’t in the game and could not combine well with his teammates. At that very young age, I don’t think he should be accorded the privilege of an automatic place in the team after reporting very late to camp.

“I don’t care which team he plays for or where he trains, he should fight for his shirt regardless of his reputation at the U17 level. This is the U20 and he has to do that all over again.”

The former Stuttgart striker feels Taiwo Awoniyi and Isaac Success combination in the front line was a good one but advocates that pressure should not be mounted on them to deliver.

“Awoniyi has shown everyone that he is a talented player, same as Success. In the attack they created chances and two goals were scored while our defenders could not stop four goals from going in," he continued.

“Not minding Awoniyi’s quality, we shouldn’t put him under pressure by casting all the team’s burden on him.

“We expect them to develop in this tournament and not the do or die scenario Nigerians are painting.”

Nigeria face North Korea in their next game on Thursday and he warned the Flying Eagles not to rush out against the Asians who will be more physical after losing their first game to Hungary.

"Against the North Koreans, it’s not going to be very easy because they will be more physical against the Flying Eagles having lost their first game," he added.

“They go into every tournament very fit, also that is a game we can win too because we are a physical side and mix it up with skills.

“Against the Asians, we should not play an all attacking formation because that cost us our first game.

“We should be cautious – truth be told, a draw will be okay for us then we [can] go out to get a win in our last group game.”