Ambrose: Anichebe a more difficult opponent than Messi

Super Eagles defender, Efe Ambrose, has obviously not recovered from Nigeria’s botched up Africa Cup of Nations campaign after rating Victor Anichebe ahead of Lionel Messi as the toughest player he’s played against.

The 26-year-old defender has been in indifferent form this season after losing his place in the Celtic team and has been hugely criticised as one of the players who let Nigeria down as they failed to qualify for the 2015 AFCON in Equatorial Guinea.

And in what looks like courting more criticisms, Ambrose rates West Bromwich Albion striker and compatriot Anichebe as the toughest player he’s played against while not reckoning with Barcelona ace, Messi.

“I have played against some very good players but I will pick Victor Anichebe because he’s a number 9 that is very strong and he gives the centre half lots of problems,” he told SL10.ng.

Messi, who only yesterday became the top goal scorer of all time in Spanish La Liga with 253 goals, is, according to Ambrose, “very predictable to play against”.

“You cannot call Messi a number 9 because he roves so it’s easy playing against him. The easiest player to play against is the one that doesn’t come to bully you and it’s Messi of course,” he said.

“Messi doesn’t come to you, he makes his move from afar and for me if you play against someone like Messi, you’ll have time to see what he wants to do and you have time to read his plan because he doesn’t come to the centre half, he plays from far away with his ability and dribbling skills.

“So that’s why for me I would say Messi is easier because Barcelona just pass and pass the ball. So you as a centre half you just have to keep to your zone. So for me, I think Messi is easy.”