The Ethiopians are in town with one goal– acquiring two goals to stop Nigeria from participating in the Brazil 2014 World Cup. No problems with such an ambition, especially with the unpredictability of the beautiful game.
The East Africans will be counting on the fact that Nigeria missed out on the qualification ticket to Germany 2006 World Cup in Kano. But the settings are different, not with the remarkable achievements of the Stephen Keshi-led technical crew.
In the first leg played in Addis Ababa, the Eagles struggled with the weather and the undulating turf. While our players struggled to control the ball, the Ethiopians ran through us like hot knife through butter. They were faster, younger and psychologically propelled by the intimidating presence of their vociferous fans.
In fact, the fans at the Addis Ababa Stadium gave the Walya Antelopes the zeal to push the Eagles back. They will be missing that today in Calabar, the Cross River State capital. Besides, the weather will not be a challenge to the Eagles. Our fans don’t have the do-or-die spirit exhibited by the Ethiopian fans. The level turf and the fact that the players know what is at stake that will make the game a mountain too high for the Ethiopians to climb.
Having seen the first game in Addis Ababa, one is tempted to dismiss the Ethiopians. They ran the Eagles ragged because of extraneous factors, which will be missing today. If the Eagles whip the Ethiopians by four un-replied goals, it would be an anti-climax because many a Nigerian would be using the first leg game to assess the visitors.
One flaw the Ethiopians showed in the first leg was that they lacked stamina. In the closing stages, they lagged behind as the Eagles showed their mastery of the game. With an unfavourable weather for the Ethiopians in Calabar, one won’t be surprised if by the 60th minute, they have conceded goals.
My conviction about a goal feast for the Eagles rests with the belief that the visitors are minnows and are only in Calabar to fulfill FIFA’s requirement of the two-legged tie and not to pick the group’s qualification ticket.
Given the pedigree of the two nations in soccer, an easy game is on the cards. The Eagles must strive to hit the target within the first ten minutes. The Ethiopians were seen to be very weak on the flanks. They kicked and shoved Victor Moses and got away with some crunchy tackles, apparently because they were at home.
If Moses starts today’s game, he will pave the way for a total annihilation of the Ethiopians because the visitors won’t be able to match his pace and trickery on the ball. The few tricks Moses employed in the first leg were hindered by the sloppy pitch, which made him stumble on the turf.
In Calabar, the Ethiopians would fall like a pack of cards with Moses’ dribbling skills and movement. I hope too that Keshi will field Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike upfront. These three men (Moses, Emenike and Musa) have what it takes to whip the Ethiopians with goals because the Ethiopian goalkeeper is not the safest, considering the way he handled the ball in the first leg. Once Emenike shot accurately, the goalkeeper fumbled. Keshi needs to drum it into his players’ ears the need to hit the ball accurately when convenient.
There will be the tendency for the Ethiopians to be defensive. It will suit the Eagles with a midfield trio of john Mikel Obi, Oguenyi Onazi and, I dare say, Sunday Mba – if only Keshi will listen. The Eagles’ biggest flaw in the first leg was that they didn’t have a midfielder who could take the ball from the opponents and dribble his way through to pave the way for our strikers to shoot at the goal. We started playing well when Keshi wisely introduced Nosa Igiebor in the second half. Igiebor is injured; so, Mba should replace him. If Mba plays, I won’t be shocked if he scores the first goal. His darting runs towards the goal area will open up the space for him to shoot. God help the Ethiopian goalkeeper if Mba starts the game.
Eagles’ defence saved the day for us in the first game. The quartet of Efe Ambrose, Godfrey Oboabona, Elderson Echiejile and Egwekukwe were brilliant in Addis Abba. And the defence will be further strengthened, with the return of Chelsea ace Kenneth Omeruo. They would not be troubled because the Ethiopians will defend to their peril. My worry in the Eagles’ defence is in Vincent Enyeama, who appears to be absent-minded or, most often, loses concentration.
Keshi’s tactics for the first game were right. His substitutions made the difference in the second half. I hope he reads the game perfectly, like he did in the first leg. Other things being equal, Ethiopia’s game will be Eagles easiest since the series began last year.
This is a warning to Keshi: Nigerians are not interested in what happens in next week Tuesday’s game against Italy at the Cottage Stadium in England. All we want is the qualification ticket to the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
So, Keshi must pick our best legs to destroy the Ethiopians. We want to begin the celebration as early as the 60th minute, by which time we would have scored at least three goals. This target is achievable, given the potentials in the squad.
Ethiopia will be a piece of cake. They are the platform for us to celebrate our qualification for the fourth World Cup ticket. Beyond this is the need for the government to fund our preparation for the competition.
The qualifiers have been gruelling. We must sustain this momentum by ensuring that the coaches and players are involved in programmes that would strengthen them for the task ahead.
Interestingly, the international friendly against Italy at the Cottage Stadium on Tuesday signposts how any serious country should prepare for the Mundial. We have been there thrice with nothing to show for it, except a deluge of revolts over allowances and the perceived ego of a few players who didn’t think they should sit on the bench in our matches.
Cash has always being the inhibiting factor in Nigeria’s quest to replicate her sterling showings at the junior level at the World Cup.
It cost the NFF N790 million to successfully prosecute the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations held in South Africa. The unfortunate thing with the NFF is that all our national teams have done well in most of the competitions, making it imperative for the body to perpetually shop for cash to foot their bills.
Not a few Nigerians have argued that the game can be sold to the corporate world. True, but not in Nigeria where people like to grandstand when the ovation is loudest.
By sunset on Saturday, when the ticket would have finally been clinched, half of the job for the World Cup could be said to have been executed. However, a lot still needs to be done to get the entire gamut of our representation in Brazil done and dusted.
The euphoria that will greet our qualification will pale sooner than we know it, if by tomorrow and when we eventually land in Brazil, nothing in terms of preparing for a befitting and memorable exploits is put in place.
It is one thing to bask in our qualification now, but it will be another ballgame completely to end up bemoaning a shambolic outing next year as a result of poor planning.
To in the bud, all distractions that will occasion our poor showing should be avoided or, better still, permanently addressed beginning from tomorrow as we round off our qualification today. We cannot afford yet another slipshod dress rehearsal to our final landing in Brazil.
Our qualification today should be celebrated beyond the assumption that this is another opportunity for estacodes for the FA officials, government functionaries and lawmakers.
As we clinch the ticket today, there are still issues to be dealt with- coaches’ salaries, bonuses for players and camping sites for the team, among others. Without settling down to address these issues, we would have begun planning to fail because we failed to plan.
Echoes of unpaid salaries for the coaches still resonated as I penned this piece. Nothing can be so demotivating than a labourer not being paid his wages. This is one niggling issue the government must urgently address to pave the way for rancour-free preparations for the Mundial. The government must begin to make preparations and take responsibility for all that will make for a hitch-free showpiece in Brazil. After all, it is the government that largely appropriates all the glories that come with our football victories. If we are to make a good omelet, the time to break the egg is now. And the government must set in motion the process for that to happen.
I do not think we have enough time for any conceivable presidential task force for now. It has never worked and it is not likely to work now.
