Nigeria are not dirty, Kanu tells Maradona

Nigeria captain Nwankwo Kanu hit back at Argentina coach Diego Maradona on Friday, insisting his ‘Super Eagles’ were not a dirty side, an accusation which has spiced up their World Cup clash.

Maradona, whose two-time winners play Nigeria in their opening Group B match on Saturday, said he expected the Africans to observe ‘fair-play’.

Kanu did not mention either Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in 1986 or the Argentinian failing a drugs test at the 1994 World Cup.

However, Kanu was clearly angered by Maradona’s comments.

“We are here to play football,” said Kanu, who won Olympic gold back in 1996 and the Champions League with Ajax in the same year.

“It won’t be a very different match from the others. We are battlers but we will play football.”

Nigeria’s experienced Swedish coach Lars Lagerback refused to get drawn into an eve-of-game slanging match.

“I don’t really know Maradona as a coach, only as a player,” said Lagerback, who guided the Swedes to the last 16 at both the 2002 and 2006 finals.

“I have never seen him coach. What I do know is that he used a lot of players in the qualifying campaign (where they edged into the finals).

“What I have seen of Argentina under his auspices is that he is trying to develop them into a very offensive-minded unit. We have worked on with the players trying to put together different tactcis to nullify this threat.

“We could also benefit as their style will open up a lot of space on the pitch.

“But it is always difficult to predict how a match will play out in advance. In any case we have prepared for every eventuality.”

The 61-year-old Swede, brought in after Nigeria finished third at January’s Africa Cup of Nations, said that he did not believe his squad were stressed at the prospect of trying to reach the second round for the third time.

“Pressure? Well it is the same for all the teams who are competing at the finals,” said Lagerback.

“There are always high hopes in each of the countries that have reached this stage.

“I said to my players that this pressure must be a positive one. When one plays this sport, participating at a World Cup finals is a goal achieved, the realisation of a dream.

“It is a positive thing (reaching the finals). Therefore the pressure is positive.”

Nigeria go onto play Greece on June 17 at Bloemfontein and round off their group stage matches against South Korea at Durban on June 22.