Mali captain Seydou Keita who happens the heart and soul of the current Malian team has come out to state that the Stephen Keshi tutored Super Eagles will face an uphill battle on Wednesday in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations semifinals. Looking at the Nigerian team,while they have the odds favoring them but their greatest undoing might be to go into the game believing they have a right to win just like the Ivorians did. The Malians know that the element of suprise which the Super Eagles had against the Ivorians is no longer there and they will make sure that they try to match the Nigerians in all aspect of the game. Also,while Keshi might claim that he knows the Malians very well,having coached them before,but the team Keshi coached has changed a lot since then. Also,there is a new aura with the current team that makes them believe that they can achieved a lot if they work as a team. The Nigerians really have to be wary and pay attention to the game like they did against the Ivorians if they are to win. According to Keita ,the former Barcelona midfielder said “People keep saying that Nigeria will beat us on Wednesday because their coach Stephen Keshi knows the in and out of Mali team having coached us in the past, but that is not true,” Keita said.“We’ve had three coaches after Keshi’s departure and that should tell you a lot of transformation has taken place. Keshi, with all the respect I have for him, will meet a different team on Wednesday and not what he left behind. So tell him we have changed.The Nigerians really have to approach the game with all seriousness so that they are not caught by suprise.The Malian Eagles finished third in the last AFCON competition while being coached by former French International Alain Girresse.
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