I’m a proud Nigerian. My joy has grown in geometric projection since the European leagues began on August 8. Surprise results, stunning goals and awesome talents from the matches played. The game remains beautiful, with many things to celebrate.
My interest rests with how Nigerians in Europe fare, with the cumulative effect being how many of our stars eventually make the list of those to contest for the annual Glo/CAF Africa Footballer of the Year Award.
It has been a harvest of goals for players, such as Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo. Ighalo’s case is most interesting because statisticians argue that he has been the highest goal scorer in Europe since the last season. They hinge their position on the number of goals Ighalo scored for Watford FC in last season’s Coca –Cola English Championship League to date for the same team in the Barclays English Premier League.
Watford are debutants in the English elite class, but Ighalo, with four goals and still counting, has shown that he has what it takes to wrest the Barclays English Premier League’s highest goal scorer award from Manchester City’s Kun Aguero. Tall ambition many would say, but dreams start with efforts and Ighalo doesn’t look like one to shudder towards achieving that feat, come May 2016.
Ighalo who? Many have asked. But the truth is, Ighalo grew up through the ranks of the domestic game. He was a junior international. Surprised? Don’t be. We don’t know how to graduate players from our age-grade teams. Our coaches don’t understand that national teams should comprise our best, even if those in the team were not discovered by the incumbent coach at any level. It is a Nigeria team not the coaches.’
Ahmed Musa was before now all about pace, not sublime skills. Going to Europe has polished Musa’s game. He now scores goals for CSKA Moscow and Nigeria. He scored in a 10-goal thriller last weekend which his Russian side won 6-4. He has been Nigeria’s most successful player in the last one year. Little wonder h was listed among players for the 2014 Africa Footballer of the Year Award, which Cote d’Ivoire’s Yaya Toure deservedly clinched.
Can Eagles chief coach Sunday Oliseh risk playing Musa and Ighalo as the team’s twin striking option, leaving Emmanuel Emenike on the bench in the two international friendlies against Congo and Cameroon in Brussels, Belgium? He could, after all they are friendly games. But they count in scoring points for the monthly FIFA ranking. We will see, even as it appears Emenike is beginning to understand the way Oliseh wants him. Emenike did well against Niger at the Adokie Amiesiamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt. And like the dictum states, no coach changes a winning side. Will Oliseh stick to this squad or make a bold statement about his technical savvy by cleaning out Congo and Cameroon with remarkable victories? Time will tell.
The biggest puzzle Oliseh would have to fix is where to field Victor Moses, not after his long range stunner that left England’s and Manchester City’s number one goalkeeper Joe Hart sprawling on the turf in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to West Ham at the Ethiad Stadium. At West Ham, Moses functions from the left side of the attack, even though he uses his right foot.
Will Oliseh give Moses the free role he enjoys at West Ham, given the enormous talent in the Eagles? Moses is a crafty player. He dribbles very well, though he is prone to injuries, but he appears to tire out easily. When he is tired, he walks on the pitch. Will Oliseh have the courage to pull him out, especially if he has scored a goal? Well, West Ham’s coach replaced Moses when he was tired against Manchester City, so why won’t Oliseh?
Questions were asked when Kelechi Iheanacho wasn’t included in the Belgium group. But Manchester City’s manager told the international media that Nigerian kid Kelechi Iheanacho is injured, a fact Oliseh may be privy to, hence his exclusion. Still, there is the urgent need for Oliseh to tell us what informed his choice of players and why others were dropped. That is the norm in other climes where the game is seen as a business.
My worry about the evolving Super Eagles under Oliseh is the absence of inspiring At West Ham, Moses functions from the left side of the attack, even though he uses his right foot.
Will Oliseh give Moses the free role he enjoys at West Ham, given the enormous talent in the Eagles? Moses is a crafty player. He dribbles very well, though he is prone to injuries, but he appears to tire out easily. When he is tired, he walks on the pitch. Will Oliseh have the courage to pull him out, especially if he has scored a goal? Well, West Ham’s coach replaced Moses when he was tired against Manchester City, so why won’t Oliseh?
Questions were asked when Kelechi Iheanacho wasn’t included in the Belgium group. But Manchester City’s manager told the international media that Nigerian kid Kelechi Iheanacho is injured, a fact Oliseh may be privy to, hence his exclusion. Still, there is the urgent need for Oliseh to tell us what informed his choice of players and why others were dropped. That is the norm in other climes where the game is seen as a business.
My worry about the evolving Super Eagles under Oliseh is the absence of inspiring midfielders, who are enterprising in their approach to matches, dominating the midfield with their commanding play that should release the strikers to score the goals that would make the opposition appreciate our worth.
Indeed, former Nigeria international, captain and coach of the Eagles Austin Eguavoen believes that John Mikel Obi has what it takes to make the team play at its best – always, provided he decides on his future with the squad.
“Mikel should please understand he doesn’t have any other country to play for apart from Nigeria. He is one of the best and plays in one of the best leagues and for one of the best clubs in the world. He should put everything humanly possible into playing for Nigeria or he should tell Nigerians ‘I don’t want to play any more’, and then we can leave him alone,” Eguavoen said.
“I have been Mikel’s coach since the U-17s. I gave him his debut in the Super Eagles. I recommended him to Samson Siasia when he was the U-20 side’s coach. Mikel is a good boy, but he is a very shy person. He is still important to our national team, as well as Victor Moses,’ Eguavoen said.
Mikel feels he ought to be treated like a king simply because he plays for Chelsea. He should be told that Nigeria made him. He got into Chelsea after his exploits for our age grade teams. Another way to check the Mikel nonsense would be for Oliseh to play Oguenyi Onazi. Both players play as holding midfielders for their European clubs. If Oliseh wants us to believe that he is an advocate of attacking football, he need not play Mikel and Onazi in our starting line-up, except where he wants to defend any slim result.
Mikel would be beaten into line if he sits on the bench all through the two matches against Congo on October 8 and against Cameroon on October 11, with the Eagles winning convincingly. I dare Oliseh to bench Mikel in these two matches or, at best, give him cameo appearances of between eight to 10 minutes like Jose Mourinho does.
Interestingly, Onazi was rated the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in his Italian side’s Europa game. Onazi would be returning to the Eagles after serving out the punishment for the red card he bagged playing for Nigeria against Chad inside the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna earlier in the year.
It is good news to hear that Arsenal FC of England’s kid star Alex Iwobi will make his debut against Congo in Belgium on October 8. I’m excited because his inclusion will increase the pool of players that Oliseh would need to pick his winning squads routinely. Iwobi is Austin Okocha’s nephew. He is as gifted as his uncle but may not be as excited as Okocha was while playing for Nigeria and all his clubs.
Will Oliseh stick with Nnamdi Obiora in the midfield or find a wide role in the midfield for him? Onazi and Mikel are better than Obiora. Obiora is younger, making it imperative for him to get the nod ahead of Onazi or Mikel. Where will Oliseh play Rabiu Ibrahim? Ibrahim reminds us of Okocha. Indeed, he has been accused of deliberately trying to play like Jay Jay, with many coaches and fans complaining that his attempts at being like Okocha delays passes to freer mates to score goals. Ibrahim has grown with what I saw against the Menas of Niger. Will Oliseh rather opt for experience than the future? These are posers only Oliseh can answer. I only hope that the two matches are shown live for Nigerians to evaluate the Eagles after four matches.
The Cameroon game on October 11 is the biggest test. Oliseh knows that the Indomitable Lions are bad customers. He knows that a victory over Cameroon will be the best testimony of his tactical savvy. Against the Taifa Stars and the Menas of Niger Republic in Dar es Salaam and Port Harcourt, the Eagles lacked a leader. Could this be the reason the coach has opted for the experienced players who need no further prompting on what to do after the pre-match talks?
Leon Balogun, hopefully, returns to the right side of the defence to add steel. It appears that the central defensive pairing in Dar es Salaam created problems. Perhaps the wobbly setting against Tanzania may have forced Oliseh to return to the central defensive pair of Godrey Oboabona and Kenneth Omeruo. They did well against Niger. But the two games in Belgium will show if the coach can rely on this pair to anchor his defence. I expect Elderson Echiejile to man the left back position. His inclusion will give the team width when on the offensive. I hope Echiejile has learned how to fall back quickly, anytime the team’s attacking onslaught breaks down? Well, he has shown remarkable improvement playing for French side Monaco in the UEFA Champions League. Echiejile, as a defender, can score goals – an added fillip for him when the chips are down, in terms of making the first 11.
October 8 and 11 are two days when Nigerians will gauge our team and see if Oliseh’s reforms Oliseh will take us to the Promised Land. Nigerians can sit back and watch both games if Carl Ikeme is at the goalpost. Regular choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama will be burying his mother on October 3 in Akwa Ibom State. He may not be in the best frame of mind to play any game, at least the first one against Congo on October 8. But not many will shudder, having seen Ikeme distinguish himself in his debut against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, earlier in September and against Niger. Besides, home-grown goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezinwa looks reliable.
The two games in Brussels may be friendlies but Nigerians will crave for victories. Oliseh should oblige us this dream.