The reality has dawned on our big boys (Super Eagles) in Europe. They are languishing in their old clubs. John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses are not good enough to be part of Chelsea’s pre-season tour. They will keep the home front warm while others perfect their acts ahead of the new European season. That is the price players who lost focus during the World Cup face after the Mundial. Only a miracle will earn them a shirt at the start of the season.
Mikel has been linked with several clubs, especially in Italy. His transfer news is everywhere the international media, yet nothing has happened in terms of securing a new club, leaving pundits to ask what has happened to his game. Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho has recruited good holding midfielders who will keep the Nigerian at the stands, not on the bench this new session. Had the Eagles done well in Brazil, Mikel and Moses would have called Mourinho’s bluff and head for at least Queens Park Rangers (QPR), the newly promoted Barclays English Premier League side.
Will Mikel return to the Globacom Premier League competition this season? Shocked? Do not be. It could happen with the way things are. Or he could swallow his pride and head for the lower rung, like Kenneth Omeruo, who is on a one year loan to Middleborough. Is this how Mikel’s career will end? I don’t think so. He must lift his game. He must show that he can dribble, pass the ball very well and score goals. Passing backwards or shielding the ball from markers cannot help his game.
Not a few criticised Mikel’s choice as the Budweiser Man-of-the-match against Iran. They opted for Osaze Odemwingie. But the statistics on the technical board as the Iranian game progressed showed that Mikel was indeed the engine-room of the Eagles in that tie. Mikel has vowed to remain at Chelsea to fight for a shirt. No one doubts his talent. His problem is his style. He needs to be more adventurous, if he hopes to use Chelsea’s games to convince willing European teams to seek for his services. This seems far-fetched for now, given Mikel’s body language. It could mean that his fight for shirt at Chelsea is hinged on the fact that a move out of Stamford Bridge could force the Nigerian to take a pay-cut. Pay cut for Mikel? Read my lip.
Moses’ case is slightly different. He learnt the game in England, playing with English kids. His peers are all over; so are some of his former coaches and trainers, who taught him the basics of the game. Moses seems too lazy. He was loaned out to Liverpool. He couldn’t lift his game, with England international whiz-kid Raheem Sterling keeping the Nigerian on the bench for most of last season. However, Moses could get succour from his former manager at Wigan, Roberto Martinez, who coaches Everton.
Martinez wanted Moses at Everton last season. He could return for the Nigerian. But this depends on how much Chelsea would accept as his transfer fees. Otherwise, Mosescould be loaned out to smaller teams this season.
Efe Ambrose earned his stripe playing for Nigeria at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. He wasn’t quite outstanding in Eagles’ four matches. Efe returned to his Scottish club Celtic FC of Glasgow, and did well in the team’s UEFA Champions League game. He is a sure bet for the Eagles, except that he plays at the centre-back for Celtic.
The good news, however, is that Elderson Echiejile is fit again to play for his French side. He couldn’t tie down a regular shirt last season. Many hope that Echiejile returns to the first 11, having missed out of Nigeria’s Brazil 2014 World Cup matches due to a freak injury during one of Eagles’ warm-up matches. Our players need to play regularly, if we hope to excel at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
For Godfrey Oboabona, Brazil 2014 World Cup is a nightmare. He nursed hope that he would hit the big stage with a meteoric outing for the Eagles. He limped out against Iran and never returned to the game till Nigeria was eliminated. Easily one of Nigeria’s best central defenders, Oboabona’s injury worries has made his club career in Turkey an uneventful one. Perhaps, this injury is what Oboabona needs to see the doctors, ahead of the 2014/2015 soccer season.
Juwon Oshianiwa shocked everyone with his determination at the world Cup. Not a skilful player, yet he fought for the ball and gave his opponents difficult times, every time they took him on to try to dislodge the Eagles’ defence.
Nigeria’s best player at the World Cup in Brazil is Oguenyi Onazi. He did the dirty jobs in the midfield. He covered up Mikel’s weaknesses even though the Chelsea star got the accolades culminating in Mikel being adjudged the man-of-the-match in Nigeria’s first game against Iran. Onazi was brutalised by the French, reminiscent of what the Italians did to Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke during the USA’94 World Cup. Onazi held the Eagles’ midfield firmly. But he bowed to the rough tactics of the French with the referee from USA looking the other way. Onazi’s exit spelt doom for Nigeria as we crashed out of the competition, losing a game we had firmly in our hands.
When Michael Babatunde was listed in Nigeria’s 23-man list, this writer was shocked. He had shown glimpses of his talent. But for the big stage, one had doubts. But Babatunde proved everyone wrong with his sterling performance until he was substituted due to a broken hand in the better-to-be-forgotten game against France. I look forward to watching a midfield featuring Babatunde, Onazi, Bright Dike and Mikel, only if Eagles’ coaches learn how to parade four midfielders, not the archaic two-man midfield formation where Mikel tires out quickly.
If a seer had predicted that Emmanuel Emenike won’t score a goal at the World Cup in Brazil, bookmakers would have placed several bets on such odds. Emenike was the hottest striker in Africa before the Mundial. It was the reason why the Iranians, Bosnians, Argentines and the French close-marked him. He wasn’t given any breathing space as he could be deadly when faced with any goalkeeper. In fact, the Bosnians are still ruing how Emenike shoved off their captain before laying the killer pass which Osaze Odemwingie converted for the only goal of the game between Bosnia and Nigeria. Emenike did score a disallowed goal, yet he did his best at the Mundial. He remains with his club and we expect that he has learnt a few lessons on how to evade his markers. It could also include getting to know how to dribble them beyond his present physical approach to the game.
Odemwingie justified the clamour for his return. He accepted that his behaviour was untoward. The World Cup is over and not one negative word from the “king of the twitter” which means old things have passed away. Odemwingie and Ahmed Musa propelled the Eagles’ attack against Argentina and France. Odemwingie and Musa scored Nigeria’s three World Cup goals. Poor records for the defending African champions, but a deserving lesson for the Eagles’ coaches on how to field only the best, irrespective of their idiosyncrasies
Sadly, one of those dropped by our coaches, Brown Ideye, has joined Barclays English Premier League side Westbromwich Albion for a club record fee of 10 million pounds. He joins the league of Nigerians who have played for the Baggies. Ideye would strive to combine effectively with another Nigerian, Victor Anichebe in the attack. One hopes that Eagles’ coaches can look in their direction when picking the squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ikechukwu Uche is back at Villareal in Spain. He is fit. It was said that he had reconciled with Eagles coaches. They know better, having taken stock of what happened in Brazil with the strikers they took there. Uche’s return to the Eagles is imminent. One only wished the coaches had swallowed their pride for the sake of Nigerians. Nigeria would have beaten France and hit the quarterfinals. Maybe, we could have topped the group by beating Iran and drawing Argentina – only if they took Ike Uche, Victor Anichebe, Sone Aluko et al to Brazil. Not one to sulk over spilt milk, Uche offers the coaches their best chance to redeem whatever coaching reputation that they have. Will they take the chance? Oba khato Okpere, Ise!
