Moving on....to Ghana.

In football, as in most team sports, players are taught to have a short memory, and the best cure to a painful loss is often another match! So we move on to Ghana....

Let there be no misunderstanding though. Missing out on the ANC is a major, major blow to the rebuilding project, but it is not terminal. While the on-field mistakes that led to this failure belong squarely to Samson Siasia as coach, the reality is that there were other issues that meant that Nigeria was forced to play catch up from the beginning of the qualifiers. I say this with specific reference to the 'toll collectors' and clowns masquerading as a technical committee at the NFF.

Following the abysmal failure at the world cup, the NFF had more than sufficient time to appoint a substantive coach with ample time to begin rebuilding the team. They failed! Instead Austin Eguavoen was forced into the untenable situation of leading an ad hoc team to Conakry and a 1-0 loss. Then there is the debacle of the botched travel arrangements to Ethiopia which I had described here. 

Some football associations plan for success; ours seem irevocably committed to serving their self interest.

Lost in the current anger and dissapointment, is the fact that the Super Eagles is actually getting better. As Samson Siasia himself said, "the team has grown younger, we are tactically stronger, we play the ball quicker than before, we create more than 7 chances in every game and we have not failed to score more than two goals. Except for the friendly against Argentina (Link).

I completely agree! But we can do better, indeed must do better. To the millions of dissapointed Nigerian fans out there, "the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives...."

Ghana will start the friendly at Fulham's Vicarage Road the clear favorites, even without key players like Ayew and Prince Boateng. The GFA has done an outstanding job in building upwards, ensuring continuity, making the right decisions and sticking by it. The result is a Black Stars team that is able to reinvent itself with constant addition of new talent.

As usual the strength of the team remains in midfield and the tactical balance between offense and defence. Never been in recent years an explosive attacking team, its the ability to control games and the organization of the team in the non-possession phase that has sustained the success of the Black Stars team since 2005.

In defence, the game presents a great opportunity for the young Genoa defender Massawudu Alhassan who has a chance to challenge for the problematic left-back position in the absence of Daniel Opare. The rest of the selection represents a cast of regulars and squad players. Against Brazil, even before Opare's dismissal, the team had problems dealing with the rapid passing and movement of the Brazillian players, although the strength in defence was still visible.

On the Nigeria side, Ugo Ukah earns his first callup as Siasia evaluates new options in central defence, while Ekpo makes a return to the team after a credible cameo against Argentina.

Missing however is an invitation to the young right-back Terna Suswan who has broken into the starting team at Setubal. Without the ANC, a new sense of urgency is required in the invitation and trialing of new players.

A new attempt needs to be made to recruit the Manchester City right-back Nedum Onuoha as well as Sidney Sam at Leverkusen. There is a need for greater urgency in processing the nationality switch of Victor Moses and Shola Ameobi.

Even more important, a critical tactical problem remains the continued tendency of the team to give up undefended zones in wide areas, on the inside of the full-back in the non-possession phase, a direct consequence of the use of wide forwards with limited awareness of their defensive responsibilities, and a major factor responsible for Obinna Nsofor's continued backward slide in his club career from Inter Milan to Malaga, West Ham and now Spartak Moscow.

In goal, the reality is that Dele Ayenugba will probably never be a consistent high level performer, even with the occassional flashes of brilliant reflexes. What is more, there is not enough competition for places in the goalkeeping position. We need to begin to look seriously at new options, even when Enyeama returns. This would include Carl Ikeme of Middlesbrough and the young Dami Paul who had an outstanding tournament with the U-20 team.

Being a friendly, I look forward to seeing Nosa Igiebor, Odumadi and Ukah play prominent roles.

Prediction: A 2-0 Nigeria win, even with Osaze Odemnwigie's late withdrawal..Go Eagles!

Squad:

Ghana squad

Goalkeepers: Adam Larsen Kwarasey (Stromgodest) Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals)

Defenders: Massawudu Alhassan (FC Genoa) John Paintsil (Leicester City), Isaac Vorsah (TSG Hoffenheim), John Mensah (Olympique Lyon), Lee Addy (Red Star Belgrade)

Midfielders: Samuel Inkoom (FC Dnipro), Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu (Udinese), Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan) Anthony Annan (Vitesse Arnhem), Albert Adomah (Bristol City), Abu Mohammed (Stromgodest), Derek Boateng (FC Dnipro) Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Panathinaikos FC)

Strikers: Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain), Prince Tagoe (Bursaspor) Dominic Adiyiah (Karsiyaka).

Nigeria Squad:

Goalkeepers: Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei-Yehuda), Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves)

Defenders: Taye Taiwo (AC Milan), Joseph Yobo (Everton), Efe Ambrose (FC Ashdod),Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga), Chibuzor Okonkwo (Heartland FC), Dele Adeleye (Tavriya), Ugo Ukah (Widzew Lodz)

Midfielders: Joel Obi (Inter Milan), Mikel Obi (Chelsea), Fengor Ogude (Valerenga), Nosa Igiebor (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Nnamdi Odumadi (Torino), Emmanuel Ekpo (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Kalu Uche (Neuchatel Xamax), Ikechukwu Uche (Granada), Osaze Odemwingie (West Bromwich Albion), Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kiev), Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim), Peter Utaka (OB Odense), Ahmed Musa (VVV Venlo), Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow), Obinna Nsofor (Locomotiv Moscow), Ekigho Ehiosun (Samsunspor)