Roll back the tape to 2005. The World Youth Championship held in Netherlands. Nigeria’s U-20 side lost to their Argentine counterparts. Two young boys – John Mikel Obi of Nigeria and Lionel Messi of Argentina – thrilled the world with the sublime skills and incredible talents.
The final game between Nigeria and Argentina offered the platform to pick who between Mikel and Messi was the best player of the tournament. It was a close call. Many rooted for Mikel because he shone like a million stars. Messi was remarkable, the pivot of his Argentine side. Then, when he was voted the best player, not a few Nigerians sneered at the decision.
Indeed, the year-long transfer controversy between Chelsea and Manchester United fuelled the fact among many football pundits that Mikel was truly the best of the twosome. This school’s argument held sway because of the pedigree of the two English clubs in global football.
Another school bemoaned Mikel’s move to Chelsea, attributing his seeming eclipse in the game to what could be described as a misadventure. They argued that Mikel would have attained Messi’s Golan height, if he had gone to Manchester United. Good talk, but the flipside is that Mikel couldn’t have benched Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes in the midfield. This view holds sway, considering the fact that Giggs and Scholes still feature in Sir Alex Ferguson’s line-up till date. Giggs and Scholes were incredible midfield gems to be shoved aside by Mikel, whose football foundation as a kid wasn’t as refined as what the twosome had.
Even with the Giggs and Scholes’ ages, can we say that Mikel is a better player now in comparative terms? I don’t think so. This argument underlines the reason why Mikel would have wasted time at Manchester United.
Messi has blossomed to heights where Mikel won’t attain. The reason simply rests on their ages. We should tell ourselves the truth that Mikel is older than Messi by many years, even though they are age mates.
What Messi has going for him is his age. He gets better with every year. Mikel diminishes in form every season. He would need to be at his best at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, if he hopes to wear Nigeria’s colours at the 2014 World Cup competition in Brazil.
Whereas we will need weeks of fasting for Mikel to break his goals jinx for club and country, Messi is scoring goals with aplomb. Messi has broken all football records, with many fans asking who will break all Messi’s records?
Messi is an embodiment of all that is good- discipline, humility, and patriotism – and plays the game for club and country as if his life depends on it.
He has repeatedly chosen Argentina ahead of Barcelona, in spite of criticisms from some of his countrymen that he plays better for Barcelona. This view must have changed in recent times, with the way Messi has been scoring goals for the Argentines, although many would argue that this new resolve is occasioned by the fact that he is now the team’s captain.
Where do we start in assessing Mikel? It has taken God’s grace for Mikel to make the Eagles’ list to South Africa 2013 Cup of Nations. Mikel and Keshi had to shift grounds to work together. This fragile peace would be tested during the competition. God forbid it cracks.
Mikel is Nigeria’s biggest player in Europe. He plays for one of the biggest teams. His presence in any country’ soccer team should inspire his colleagues. Stars like Mikel carry their country’s fate on their shoulders. Need I waste space to name such soccer stars.
Mikel’s contribution to the Eagles’ performance against Cape Verde was disappointing. He shot once at the goalkeeper; otherwise, he was anonymous. He couldn’t inspire his mates during the game. He ran aimlessly and watched in awe as the more composed Cape Verdeans ridiculed Eagles’ defenders with their sublime skills.
One hindsight, this writer could excuse Mikel because this is his real competitive game playing for the Eagles under Stephen Keshi’s reign outside the country. He should know that global football pundits expect him to lead the Eagles to glory. Having been a member of Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League diadem Mikel rates among the big stars that should dazzle fans with his silky skills culminating into breathtaking goals.
Mikel should inform Keshi where he thinks he can best help the team. Keshi should also know that giving Mikel a free role in the midfield like we saw in the Wednesday night international friendly game against Cape Verde shows that he doesn’t watch Chelsea’s matches. Mikel is a defensive midfielder. He has been playing that role in the last five years and knows what to do to stabilise any defence.
If Keshi wants the Eagles to play to their potentials in South Africa, he must field Mikel in the defensive midfield position. He should give the free role in the midfield to Moses, who is fast, strong and dribbles the ball well and can crack good shots that end up inside the opponent’s net.
Eagles’ display against Cape Verde was appalling. They were not good in any department of the game, in spite of the changes made at the interval. What should strike our players’ bloated ego is that playing against African teams is a different kettle of fish from the European turf where they are coming from.
It is about time Keshi accepted that the Eagles must at all times have four midfielders serving as the link between the attack and the defence. This archaic style of asking the wingers to fall into the midfield to help is problematic.
These wingers ply their trade in Europe and would find it extremely difficult to cope with the high altitude in South Africa.
If Keshi wants to succeed in South Africa, he needs to get Mikel to play at his best by picking gifted players in our team and also providing the right formation for the team to excel. A tree, the saying goes, cannot make a forest.
Eagles’ conduct on the pitch
I was disgusted with the attitude of Super Eagles midfielder Nosa Igiebor when Nigeria played against Venezuela.
Igiebor was injured and the referee whistled for the game to be stopped. The doctor was invited. Having been attended to, Igiebor walked across the pitch and pushed down a Venezuelean who was walking beside him. The Venezuelan fell.
That was an ungentlemanly conduct, but Igiebor escaped the referee’s red card, perhaps because it was a friendly. I waited patiently for Eagles’ coaches to rebuke Igiebor. That didn’t happen. I confronted one NFF official, who said that Igiebor was angry. I told the NFF man that I was utterly disappointed with his comment.
I was, therefore, not surprised with the manner in which Victor Moses reacted to one Cape Verde player. The Cape Verde’s guy’s tackle was rough. But it was the referee’s duty to caution him, not Moses’. The referee showed Moses the yellow for retaliation.
The referee’s slap on the wrist was because it was a friendly game. In major competitions, Keshi would have to play many games with fewer men on the pitch because of our players’ attitude.
Our boys feel very important and they always take the law into their own hands, despite their exposure in the European leagues. Keshi needs to warn them to change, if he wants to lift the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations diadem. Thank God Keshi scolded Moses at half time and dropped him from the game. Moses didn’t play in the second half.
Keshi must remind our players that the Zambians were not a fantastic team. What nobody could take away from the Zambians was that they were disciplined, determined, dedicated, focused and played the game with their hearts last year when they lifted the diadem.
Without these ingredients (discipline, determination, dedication and focus), no team excels. Sani Kiata’s poor conduct cost Nigeria the chance to shock the world when he was sent off for the needless retaliatory kick on the opponent in our first game in South Africa 2010 World Cup.
Keshi’s Nike cap; Nigeria’s Addidas kit
Could somebody please beg Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi to remove his Nike cap during Nigeria’s matches?
Keshi wore a Nike cap whilst wearing Nigeria’s official kit, Addidas, during the barren draw game between Nigeria and Cape Verde. This is a misnomer.
Brands must not clash on such sensitive platforms, irrespective of whatever deal players and coaches have. This offensive deep blue cap runs riot with Nigeria’s green and white colours. We must learn to respect contractual agreement.
