Taribo West says 1998 Eagles squad was good enough for World Cup

- Taribo West is of the opinion that the Nigerian team at France World Cup was capable of winning the tournament

- Nigeria crashed out of the tournament in the second round

- The former Inter Milan defender says the team had the best generation of players

The former Super Eagles defender Taribo West has stated that the Nigerian team at the 1998 Fifa World Cup in France was capable of winning the trophy that year, Complete Sports reports citing Brila FM.

West was part of the squad which failed to reach the quarter-final after a devastating 4-1 loss to Denmark at the second round of the tournament.

The Super Eagles qualified for their second consecutive World Cup in France having appeared four years earlier at the USA 1994 where the team lost to eventual runners-up Italy in the second round.

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Eagles started the 1998 tournament on a sensational note defeating one of the tournament favourites Spain 3-2 in their opening group game and then 1-0 win over Bulgaria, reaching the second round with a game to spare.

Nigerian then lost 3-1 to Paraguay in an inconsequential last group game, before crashing out of the tournament after losing to Denmark 4-1 in the second round.

Taribo West earlier claimed that some of his teammates at France 1998 World Cup sneaked women into their hotel rooms before their round of 16 tie against Denmark

In his latest comments, the former Inter Milan defender who is now a pastor said they 1998 Super Eagles team was good enough to win the World Cup.

“That team had the best generation of players that would have won the World Cup for Africa for the first time,” Taribo said on Ifeanyi Udeze’s Diary on Brila FM.

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“We had a team, we went through a lot of turbulent times the turbulence was too much because we qualified and the people that qualified us were sacked, somebody like Philippe Troussier. Then they went and brought Bora (Milutinovic) who didn’t prepare us before the World Cup.

“He just saw that he had bunch of stars and when they (Eagles players) arrive camp they will hit the World Cup which was not so."

Legit.ng earlier reported that Daniel Amokachi has revealed that the Super Eagles team that played at the France 98 World Cup are the worst squad he has ever played in, Complete Sports quoting Brila FM.

The Nigerian side secured their second consecutive qualification to the Mundial but they were various crisis that rocked the Bora Milutinovic's side.

Nigeria lost all their three pre-World Cup friendlies to Germany by 1-0, Yugoslavia 3-0 and to by Holland 5-1.

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