Super Eagles stand-in captain, Joseph Yobo, has urged the Nigerian coaching crew to intensify a search for a suitable replacement for a defensive midfielder in the mould of retired captain Sunday Oliseh.
Yobo, who also plays for Everton of England told PANA at the Eagles' hotel at Giza on the outskirts of Cairo, that until competent players were discovered to compete with those in the squad now, Nigeria would still be missing Oliseh, who retired from active football two months ago.
The defender believes it could take a longer time for the present crop of players to fill the void left by Oliseh, who unceremoniously quit the national team four years ago after the Africa Nations Cup in Mali 2002 over disagreement with the coaching crew.
"To be honest with you, there is a wide gulf between Oliseh and the defensive midfielders we have in the team right now and I think it will be good if the coaches could search for more talents good for that role," Yobo stressed.
"(Yusuf) Ayila is good in his own right just like Saidu Kaita is coming up too, but Oliseh is replaceable and the coaches must do more to cover (the position he vacated) effectively," he added.