Amokachi hails Rijkaard, Klinsmann

Nigeria’s national Under-23 team coach, Daniel Amokachi is excited that two of his ex-playmates, Holland’s Frank Rijkaard and Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann are handling 2006 World Cup teams with a measure of success in Germany. Bassey Koma reported that however, the former international told nigeriasports.com that their success does not put any pressure on him

“Not at all. Pressure is one thing I don’t put in my head. At the same time, when you talk about Frank Rijkaard, I played with him in the last years of his football career. Klinsmann, the same thing and I think they are doing well at the World Cup. But again, when you consider it, Rijkaard is 45 or so and I am 35, so there is a gap,” Amokachi, the Bull recalled.

Klinsmann, one of the youngest coaches at the World Cup, has defied initial domestic criticisms to lead the Germans into the last sixteen after the 1-0 defeat of Poland last Wednesday. On Tuesday, June 20 they shrugged-off Ecuador’s challenge to lead the Group A of the global soccer galaxy.

Rijkaard’s Orange Gang on the other hand, dropped Serbia and Montenegro and African Elephants from Cote d’iviore 1-0 and 2-1 respectively in Group C to secure their berth in the last sixteen shores of the World Cup 2006.

“I appreciate seeing footballers, who did well as players and are now excelling as managers,” Amokachi said, while declaring that his ambition “as a coach, is to do even better than they. This is my first full season as a coach and I still have a long way to go”.

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Amokachi hails Rijkaard, Klinsmann

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