Nigeria's ANC Challenge: The Midfield Options

As I stated here,  the key tactical challenge for Nigeria in midfield at the Africa Nations Cup (ANC) will revolve around the decision on who to sorround Mikel with in midfield .

 

There is little question that John Mikel Obi is Nigeria's best central midfielder.. While I have often criticized the direction of his development and personal ambition as a player, there is little doubt that even in the narrow, regimented role he has at Chelsea, when he is on top of his game, he plays at a very high level.

For the purpose of this article, the assumption of course is that Mikel's role in the Super Eagles mirrors his role at Chelsea and is accepted as fait accompli.

  

The challenge then is to achieve complementarity within this framework, first in the choice of players around him, and second in the identification and designation of roles between the holding player, the ball winner and the attacking/creative player, with the primary goal being to achieve tactical balance in midfield.
 

From the body of work of Steven Keshi so far, especially the two games against Liberia, it is clear that whatever formation he chooses, Nigeria must deploy a minimum of three central midfielders (or covering players) to be successful.

 

With Mikel Obi in a holding role, a ball winning midfielder, with box-to-box capability is needed. The players in competition for this spot include, Fengor Ogude, Reuben Gabriel, and Obiora Nwnakwo.

 

Of the three players, Fengor Ogude is recovering from injury and slated to return later this month. But with the Norwegian Tippeligaen now past Week 26, there are only four more weeks left for him to be involved in competitive league football. This is probably not enough for a player returning from a long term injury, and who in a tournament will be expected to play multiple games within a week.

 

On the other hand Reuben Gabriel is reported to be sidelined for three months with a groin complaint Source. With the Nigerian season over, its clear Reuben, like Ogude, will not be available for the Nations Cup, which leaves the team with Obiora Nwankwo.

 

Since leaving Inter Milan in 2010 to Parma, initially on loan, Obiora Nwankwo's career has nosedived steadily and precipitously. In nearly one year at Parma (2010/2011-2011/2012) he would play a total of two games for 64mins, and was subsequently loaned to Gubbio, where he appeared to pick up his career, making 18 appearances last season. Having returned to Parma at the end of the season, he was again loaned to Padova his current club, where he has played just three games, all as subs, for a total of 63mins, including a five minute cameo against Reginna, a match in which Daniel Adejo got a late winner...

 

The reason I have gone in detail about Nwankwo's career is to show proof of the potential risk for the Super Eagles in being dependent on a player who is not only playing at a lower level, but is simultaneously lacking in regular games.

Let there be no misunderstanding. Obiora Nwankwo is talented. However his development as a player has stalled. Ditto for Raheem Lawal who now plays in the Turkish second division.

Technically, Nwankwo lacks the speed and verticality to be effective in a high pressing game or the tactical awareness to read opposing movements. In any case, such tactical awareness is Mikel's stronger point. 

If he is retained in the current Super Eagles, the best use that can be made of him is perhaps in a deep role in front of the back four. A rigorous ANC camp will be of great value to this player.

On the basis of these identified weaknesses the recent decision by the team's handlers to look seriously at additional options like Ramon Azeez is wellcome.

The problem though is that Azeez has not been regular for Almeria II, the B-team of an Almeria team that plays in the second division of the spanish league, and sustained a knock in a recent Copa del Rey game against Alcorcon. That is poor level for a Nigerian international player.

Izunna Uzochukwu on the other hand has been very impressive this season for the Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland, continuing from where he left off as the team's best player last season. A combative player who sometimes plays too close to the edge, he has the skills to play as a ball winner or a holding midfielder.

A wild card option might be the Arsenal starlet, Chuks Aneke who is currently on loan with Crewe in the English championship. A very talented player whose main advantage is that he is the beneficiary of a world class development curriculum, both at Arsenal and at Crewe. He not only understands the position, but is a very confident player, and although only 19 years old is physically well equipped for the rough and tumble of African football. 

In left central midfield, there is, I think, a real place for Joel Obi whose control, technical skills and workrate, bring great balance on the left of Mikel; more than any other midfield player available to the Super Eagles at the moment. At the end of the Siasia era, his understanding with Mikel Obi had grown exponentially and needs to be harnessed further in developing the current team. Next to Mikel, he is overall, easily the next best Nigerian central midfielder at the moment. His workrate and mobility means he can be effective in a pressing game, while his ball skills means he can run at a defence when necessary, even from wide positions, as well as break into the box on late runs.
 

In the attacking midfield role, Nosa Igiebor has recently emerged as a key player. Nosa is a talented player with decent ball skills but lacking in tactical awareness and a broad vision of the field, especially in how to position himself among his teammates, and the ability to play between the lines.

The other option for Nigeria is to play Victor Moses in this role, an area he has prior experience in, from his days at Wigan under Roberto Martinez. His experience as a wide player can in addition help the team overload the flanks in the attacking phase. He has the explosiveness to be decisive in this area, as long as he avoids some of the showboating he displayed against Liberia.

The third option is of course Sidney Sam, but there are as yet no clear and conclusive signs that he has signed on to the Nigeria project. However should he become available, he has the technique and the overall ability to elevate the Nigerian attacking game in midfield, and like Moses, the ability to transform into the so-called 'central winger', playing both centrally and wide to help overload the flanks.