Makinwa banks on luck - Ghana 2008

By Tosin Omojola - 25.12.2007

Samuel Peter ready for showdown with Oleg
Maskaev

LUCK, that is what Super Eagles striker, Stephen Makinwa hopes will be on his side if he eventually makes the Nigerian squad to the African Cup of Nations Cup in Ghana next year.

The Lazio of Italy forward has not been so effective in terms of goal scoring since making his debut in the national side.

The dark-skinned striker had to wait till September this year before scoring his first international goal for the Eagles.

He scored Nigeria’s first goal against Crocodiles of Lesotho in a formality Nations Cup qualifier played in a water logged Warri Township Stadium.

Although Makinwa was on target when Nigeria lost 1-2 to South Africa in a friendly match played earlier, he had since then found it difficult hitting the back of the net in Eagles colours until last September.

However, Makinwa heaped the blame of his goal drought at the national team level on hard luck. Speaking on Sport Pitch a programme monitored on a local television station during the weekend, the striker confessed that he had not been a happy man all along due to his inability to bang in goals as expected.

“Whenever I fail to score for Nigeria, I always feel bad, but I see it as bad luck which I believe has ended with the goal I scored against Lesotho.” Ahead of the Nations Cup in Ghana, Makinwa, who hopes to make the final 23-man team to the championship, prayed that luck would be on his side during the African version of the World Cup.

Makinwa also attributed his goal scoring problem to the role given him in the national side, which he said was quite different from the top striking role he was used to in his club.