Welcome to Africa, the continent of possibilities. The continent with the largest number of footballers yearly heading to Europe, America and the Diaspora for greener pastures. On the dusty streets that litter the continent, young lads kick the ball. They model their game after their favourite stars. It’s quite a compelling sight watching Blues Angels FC kids, for instance, playing with aliases like Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, Henry, Hazard et al even when such a combination don’t exist in club football or at the international level.
Most times the kids turn out for the game in bare feet, with some wearing stuffed stockings for boots to distinguish them from the upstarts. It is the cheapest game to run here, yet it attracts the largest followership anywhere.
In fact, the world waits with bated breath as the biggest soccer event in Africa takes the centre stage. For the next 28 days, football lovers will be glued to their television sets to see Africans who shone like a million stars with their European clubs showcase their talents with their national teams. European clubs’ scouts will be in Egypt, taking notes of new players who will accompany them back to Europe to be nurtured and exposed to the biggest stage in the game.
The European scouts, however, will have to look at rookies from countries in the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations, such as Burundi, Madagascar, Mauritania, Guinea Bissau, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Benin since the players in the bigger countries are stuck with long term contracts, even those whose contracts are coming to an end, already know what to expect from their clubs.
This large collection of seeming ‘minor’ countries in Egypt is a reflection of how well the game has grown in Africa, although many pundits have ascribed the dawn of rookies to the new 24-team format. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear – there will be new talents to celebrate at dusk on July 19 when the eventual winners of the 32nd edition of the Cup of Nations emerge.
Debutants, such as Alex Iwobi feel strongly that Nigeria’s matches will be like wars. Iwobi is magical dribbler Austin Jay Jay Okocha’s nephew, but he insists that his dribbling skills aren’t necessarily from his uncle. He, however, acknowledges that his uncle influenced his decision to play football.
Iwobi said that: “Everyone is always going to say that on paper that we should go through, that we should qualify with ease, but we know it’s not going to be easy. Every team is in there to try and do their best, to try and win. It’s going to be almost like a war. It’s going to be a serious battle and fight. Every game is going to be really competitive.”
The 23-year old, when asked of Eagles chances in the competition, said: “We haven’t really discussed that as a team and we haven’t really put or point what we want to achieve, we all have this idea that we want to win and bring back the trophy. We are confident and working hard hopefully, we can do not just our self proud but the nation as well.”
“Even though it’s their first, they will come with a lot to prove, to show everyone why they had the chance to get into the Africa Cup of Nations,” he said.
The Super Eagles reached Alexandria on Monday ahead of the tournament which, began on Friday, 21 June. They will begin their campaign on June 22 against Burundi.
When the Super Eagles media team asked Alex Iwobi of his ‘’nutmeg skills’’, he replied: I’ll like to take ownership for this one. Okocha, my uncle, has got the skills but nutmeg, I’ll say this is my own ownership.
‘’It is something that just comes along. I don’t go into games thinking I am going to nutmeg someone; it just happens instinctively. Sometimes the easiest way for me to get past an opponent. I have been given the title, I
can’t let my people down.”
Great things on Iwobi’s mind for Nigeria, which would invariably rub off on the Super Eagles. Nigeria’s first game on June 22 is against Burundi amidst talk of virus invading the camp leaving in its wake many of our top stars nursing various ailments. But, words from the camp on Wednesday poured cold water on the illness claim alleging that what struck the camp was a flu which left both players and officials blowing their nostrils. Such rebuttals are often taking with the pinch of salt.
It may be difficult to pinpoint one big player in Burundi, but they could become a banana peel if our players underrate them. With a transfer value of our players put at N78 billion, it will amount to one of the socks of the competition on June 22, if Burundi beats Nigeria in Group B’s opening game.
At the qualifiers, Eagles’ greatest weapons were strikers, with Odion Ighalo being the highest goal scorer. However, the team’s attacking onslaught has been questionable. perhaps due to Ighalo’s injury, although there are promising young strikers such as Chukwueze, Osimhen, Onwuachu and Henry Onyekuru. Eagles’ last four matches saw the striker scoring just a goal, which isn’t commendable. Ironically, the defence, which was suspect at the qualifiers is rock-solid, although with some slips which will be corrected now that the defensive pairings have been playing together. This has enhanced the understanding between the defenders.
No team wins matches without goals. Gernot Rohr should know that Ighalo, Chukwueze and Onyekuru will be marked. Rohr should play the strikers that are fit. He should not field those who shone in the past or because they are the highest goal scorer(s) in the qualifiers. Chukwueze, Onyekuru, Osimhen and Onwuachu did well with their clubs. They should be considered head of Ighalo, given the superiority of the European leagues over the Chinese, with due respect to the country’s league and Ighalo’s pedigree. Any team pitched against Nigeria will quiver a bit, if they see Ighalo on the bench. Eagles could exploit Ighalo’s experience if he mandates him to watch the game and see the loophole before introducing him in the course of matches.
Pundits will only believe Rohr’s mantra of parading a younger Nigerian side in Egypt by fielding the boys, not relying on experienced stars. John Mikel Obi’s return to the team will propel the Eagles’ attacking onslaughts since he knows what to do with the ball.
Mikel’s strength lies in his ability to win balls and spray defence-splitting passes. Our strikers should endeavour to free themselves from their markers to get the ball. That is the only way the passes from the midfield can get to them. Hiding behind defenders isn’t the hallmark of great strikers, such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rohr’s formations of 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 are quite commendable as they help our players with pace to outrun their markers when the passes are provided. It appears the strikers should be told to take scoring chances, which will not come in torrents.
Our players should be selfless during games. Balls should be given to the freest player to score goals. What counts are goals by teams, not missed chances or how well losing teams play. A midfield quartet of Mikel, Oghenekaro Etebo, Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi, if fit, would be a handful for teams to contend with.
Ahmed Musa, and two other strikers should convert the chances they create in today’s game against Burundi. Beating Burundi with as many goals as possible would send jitters round the other match venues that the Nigerians are in Egypt not for fun. Personal achievements don’t win trophies, but collective play efforts and understanding among the players do.
Nigeria’s fixtures are the best any team could wish for. The opening game against Burundi and the last against Madagascar, given the teams’ pedigree against the Eagles, should give Rohr the leverage to parade his strongest side against Guinea, knowing that two victories over Burundi and Guinea will fetch Nigeria the Group B qualification ticket. If this happens, the Madagascar tie will just be the icing on the cake and a platform for other players to have a feel of the competition.
Rohr will be happy he has fixed the team’s defence. But he will have no problem with the central defence, if Leon Balogun is fit. Rohr prefers the defensive pair of Balogun and Troost Ekong. He appears uncomfortable with pairing Kenneth Omeruo with either Balogun or Ekong.
It is good to know that Daniel Akpeyi is the first choice goalkeeper. What gives pundits hope is that Francis Uzoho can easily replace Akpeyi if he falters like he normally does under pressure. Uzoho kept the goal for Nigeria at the 2018 Russia 2018 World Cup, where he gained confidence with every game. Ikechukwu Ezenwa could also fit the bill, making pundits a little bit relaxed ahead of today’s game, unlike before the world Cup opener against Croatia, which we lost 2-0.
It is unfair for our players to think that Nigeria will be ranked underdogs in Africa. Most of our players have distinguished themselves with big European clubs, culminating in a net total value of N78 billion.
“If anybody says the tournament will be easy, it is a lie because it is going to be tough; it is going to be hot but I believe in the team we have; we have all it takes to do well at the AFCON,” Ighalo told the NFF media.
“Nigeria has a good team that can play in the semi-final and the final. As I said, we will not get carried away.
“We have a team that can even win the trophy if we work hard and if we give everything we have on the pitch, not saying had I known later. We have all it takes to win it but let’s just start with the first game, to the quarter-finals, semis, then we will see how it goes.”
“Anything I do in life, I like people to take me as an underdog because I like to surprise people and I like to take people unaware; that’s for me as a person,” he added.
“If they are taking us [underdog], it is very good because it won’t give the team more pressure. When the team has more pressure of winning this and that, that’s when you will start thinking of the final when you have not even played the first game.”
