The former Inter Milan player had recently
tipped the Eagles to make a surprise comeback in the tournament should they get
enough quality friendly matches before the Nations Cup begins in January.
His position on Sunday, however, showed he is not
giving the team any chance when they face the likes of Zambia, the defending
champions of the competition.
“I’m not expecting any miracle from the Eagles in
South Africa. They have not grown to the level that can win the trophy,” Taribo
said.
“Coach Stephen Keshi has done well in recent time
by blending the players from the domestic league with the foreign-based
players. The team is growing stronger by the day but I think they should be
given more time to get better.
“I believe they’ll go to South Africa and perform
well, but it’ll be a stepping stone for them to be a major force in the next
two or three years. As for South Africa 2013, I’m not expecting much from them.
“If, however, they turn out to surprise everyone by
winning the trophy, like Zambia did earlier in the year, they it’d be a plus
for us.”
Taribo had recently called on the Nigeria Football
Federation to arrange quality friendly matches for the Eagles in order to allow
Keshi have the chance to select the best players.
“I see the Eagles getting better before the
tournament if they can have quality friendly matches in their preparation. By
then, we shouldn’t be afraid of other big teams like Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana,”
he had said.
“I just hope the technical committee of the NFF
will be able to arrange the necessary friendly games for them at the right
time.”
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