Ade Ojeikere
Qatar 2022 World Cup would be Nigeria’s seventh appearance at the biggest soccer fiesta. And Nigeria’s quest wouldn’t be to qualify for the second round, which appears to be the country’s perennial bus stop. Rather, Africa’s best contributor of soccer kids to Europe are almost on the verge of shooting themselves on the foot if they allow the gain of the past to flush out on the altar of change.
If Nigeria makes the Mundial in Qatar in two years time, the challenge would be to surpass the quarter-finals feat of the Senegalese, incidentally in her debut appearance at the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup.
Senegal didn’t have the quality of players Nigeria would be taking to Qatar, all things being equal. What they had were players with the French mentality of sticking to the manager’s plans and fighting to achieve what would give the game a fillip in their country.
The Senegalese had a good manager Bruno Metsu, who scouted for quality players. Metsu groomed them through the Mali 2002 Africa Cup of Nations where they garnered experience, which they used to get to the quarter-finals.
Turkey ended the Teranga Lions’ Cinderella World Cup tale, although the Senegalese gave their heart, body and soul to the competition, making Africa very proud. It amounts to asking the Nigerian squad to the Qatar 2022 World Cup to return with the trophy, except one is a soothsayer.
But I’m a realist. It won’t add up because African footballers don’t know how to manage success. If they did, Nigeria would have qualified for the third place game, not Bulgaria that the Eagles whipped 3-0 in the group stages of the USA’ 94 World Cup. If only we listened to Clemens Westerhof’s wish that the players changed their hotel, which had been invaded by girls and affected their concentration.
Turkey beat the Senegalese because they felt they had surpassed their expectations. Rather than giving their preparations the kind of attention needed for such epoch- making games, their players loitered around their hotel lobby in Japan, receiving guests as if the game had been played.
Of course, like Nigeria did in 1994, Senegal’s officials made the players look like tin gods by casting an indulgent eye on their misdemeanour. No prize for guessing that the Africans lost to the Turks.
Nigeria has almost qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations slated to hold tentatively in Cameroon. It would worth the challenge if Super Eagles lifts the diadem in Cameroon. It would be more interesting if Nigeria wins the tournament there, as it would restore some pride back, having lost the finals of the 2000 edition to the Indomitable Lions inside the main-bowl of the now derelict National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The Senegalese joker in Japan was their youthfulness. They also paraded a crop of unsung players who didn’t have the depth to withstand sporadic attacking onslaughts from experienced teams, which was what we saw when the Turks came calling in the quarter-finals of the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup.
I’m tempted to liken the Nigerian side, which may make the Qatar 2022 World Cup to the Senegalese, except that our young lads are known players in Europe. Our young players would have garnered enough experience in the next two years to give the world a good challenge in Qatar.
Players such as Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi and possibly Francis Uzoho would be the spine of the Nigerian side to the Mundial in 2022, barring any unfortunate injury to anyone of them.
Osimhen, Chukwueze and Ndidi are some of the Nigerians in Europe who would attract a lot of gossips in the next two seasons’ transfer market. I hope the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chieftains and Gernot Rohr can move closer to them for career guidance. They should be told to tarry a while in the next two seasons, since the World Cup offers the best platform to make megabucks if such players do very well at the Mundial in Qatar.
Already, Ndidi has been fighting through with a nagging knee injury, which has kept him out of Leicester City FC of England’s games. Indeed, Ndidi’s absence from Foxes’ games affected their results, losing all of them, only to make a resurgence when Ndidi returned.
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This isn’t to say Ndidi is indispensable. Rather, it underscored the Nigerian’s importance to Foxes’ playing spine during games with his role as the defensive midfielder, who covers the defence and also provides the passes which release their strikers to score match-winning goals.
Ndidi looks like a sure bet to remain in Leicester despite all the rumours of a likely move. I feel for Osimhen with the big names chasing him. He shouldn’t make the mistake to sign for the big teams, especially those who have stars in the squads in his position.
It would be foolhardy for Osimhen to join a big club where the man fighting for his position is a national of that country. If he does, he could as well buy a seat belt to strap himself on the bench.
Osimhen at 21 cannot afford to seat on the bench with the World Cup only two years away. Moving to a bigger club like Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United may be too much responsibility for the Nigerian striker and he hasn’t gathered enough experience to shoulder the weight of expectations at these huge clubs.
As tempting as it sounds to move to a bigger club, it will be safe for him to be a household name in Lille where he is already loved and change clubs after the Mundial. Then he will be 23 years old and the world will be at his feet, the way it was for Austin Okocha after the France 98′ World Cup.
I know you will say Osimhen is ready for the big stage because he is a fighter and showed this when he bounced back from his failed stint with Wolfsburg but strikers strive in confidence and goals breathes life into them.
He has scored 18goals in all competitions this season for Lille before the suspension of football due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But in the league he has managed just one away goal – if that happens at a club like Real Madrid, he will be under the spotlight because the expectations will be beyond reasonable.
Remember, the Los Blancos fans once booed Cristiano Ronaldo for going on a drought and Gareth Bale almost lost all faith in himself because fans turned on him following his persistent injuries not minding he won titles for the club. For big clubs, high profile players must hit the ground running lest they are traded back like we have seen with Coutinho, who is struggling to get a team, even though he plays for Bayern Munich on loan.
Interestingly, Super Eagles manager Rohr has advised Osimhen not to dump his French side Lille yet pointing out that: “If Victor (Osimhen) has many suitors looking for him in Europe now is normal because right now he is one of the best goals scorers in France and he could eventually leave Lille for the (English) Premiership.
“But I think it will be good for him to play for another (one) season in Lille to be really strong enough. That he knows with his actions. I think he knows what he has to do. I am sure he will make a good choice,” Rohr told Sportinglife exclusively on Friday afternoon.
As for Chukwueze, this writer feels strongly that his youthfulness, pace and commanding left foot, which he uses to dribble effectively could help the Eagles’ attack if he is selfless during matches by passing to the freest player to score goals. Indeed, Chukwueze has thrown the gauntlet on the table by stating in the international media Thursday that: “I want to win the World Cup with Super Eagles. I believe in this team and in this generation and I think we will do better in the World Cup.”
Lifting the World Cup while dancing on the podium in Qatar is possible but it demands players’ commitment and maximum concentration during matches to properly implement the manager’s tactics. It also requires some element of luck, which would only come if the team is relentless in its pursuit for the ultimate prize in Qatar in 2022. The dynamic of winning trophies are compelling, yet achievable for focused and disciplined teams, qualities Super Eagles lack thus far.
No team is complete hence one isn’t too confident in listing Francis Uzoho as one of the team’s backbones. Goalkeeper Uzoho , although presently recuperating from an injury he sustained playing against Brazil, looks like one to announce himself as a very reliable goalkeeper in 2022.
A member of one of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets sides that won the FIFA U-17 world Cup, even though he wasn’t the first choice goalkeeper, Uzoho has shown flashes of being good. A few people may disagree on Uzoho’s choice. They would rather prefer Daniel Akpeyi.
The big poser is that: Would Akpeyi still be in the reckoning by 2022? Many pundits would submit that goalkeepers get better as they age but such an ageing goalkeeper must be a regular in a top team anywhere in the world. This writer would stick with a younger Uzoho, provided he plays first team football in the next two years.
Did I hear you ask who the manager would be? Let’s get the players in proper shape. The manager would come when the vacuum exists. One thing is sure: coaches are as good as their last game. We will wait.
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