Leon Balogun has called on his Nigerian teammates to learn football’s darker arts following their World Cup exit.
The Super Eagles exited the tournament last week after losing in the last Group D match of Russia 2018 to Argentina, who themselves crashed out on Saturday.
“It’s always important when you play internationals to be a bit dirty,” the defender, 30, told BBC Sport.
“That’s what Argentina has, definitely, and you also need to be cold-blooded – that’s probably the most important (lesson from this World Cup).”
Despite winning just 22 caps, Balogun is one of the more experienced figures in a Nigeria squad that was the youngest of all the teams in Russia, with an average of 25.
The Super Eagles finished third in Group D after defeats by Croatia and Argentina either side of a 2-0 win over Iceland.
The victory kept them in contention until just four minutes from the end of their campaign, when Marcos Rojo’s late strike sunk Nigeria and ended a World Cup that had promised more.
“It will be very important to keep going the way we have started,” the new Brighton and Hove Albion signing added.
“We have experienced players, young players, talented players – and there are even more players that are not in the team yet – and we have to keep developing them and investing in their football education.
“We just have to keep working and keep our focus on advancing year after year and then in the next four years we will have a good team – maybe an even better one.”
Balogun’s central defensive partner William Troost-Ekong also hopes the experience gained by the squad can lead to a brighter future for the Super Eagles.
Troost-Ekong also wonders whether a silver lining can come from the dressing room atmosphere following the bitter defeat to the South Americans in St Petersburg.
“Everyone was just trying to deal with the loss and move on, so it was a quiet dressing room but definitely one that learnt a lot and hopefully formed some players,” he told BBC Sport.
Nigeria’s next competitive match comes in September when they play an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Seychelles.
Trending
- CSOs to EFCC, others: Don’t desecrate the courts while fighting corruption
- Why we’ve not paid stipends of Niger Delta ex-militants – Amnesty Office
- Eko DisCo reiterates commitment to improved service delivery
- Transcorp Hotels sells Calabar subsidiary
- FA, Premier League agree to scrap FA Cup replays
- Alake: Tinubu reforms yielding results
- NAPTIP arrests ‘Reverend Sister’ for allegedly trafficking 38 children
- Breaking: Police allegedly arrest Rivers lawmaker, Fubara loyalist in Abuja