Nigeria, Confederations Cup and the Super Eagles

The Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 begins from June 13-30, with Nigeria set to test its mettle against South American champions Uruguay, world and European champions Spain and the part timers of Tahiti. Unfortunately, key players such as Emenike and Moses are unavailable through injury.

 

Since the surprise triumph at the Africa Nations Cup, the team has grown in confidence, but the football has not always kept pace with its status as continental champions.

 

Post AFCON, six new players have joined the project: midfielders John Ogu and Emeka Eze, and forwards, Joseph Akpala, Michael Babatunde, Mohammed Gambo and Anthony Ujah; while Odumadi returns after injuries had earlier delayed his debut in the team.

 

National teams typically grow from enhanced team spirit arising from playing together, and Keshi has been especially proficient in developing this.

 

Beyond this, national teams especially grow from competition arising from the infusion of new talents who introduce new skills sets that enable the team grow and expand the dimensions of its game. For instance, the introduction of Sunny Oliseh to Clemence Westerhof's team in 1993, enabled Nigeria to expand the scope of its game and the quality of its tactical organization, beyond what Emeka Ezeugo before then offered.

 

Unfortunately this has not been the case with Keshi's team, although results have remained positive, but with the performance level never advancing beyond the Nation's cup standard, which in itself was average, as has been the last two or three tournaments.

 

While John Ogu looks an interesting addition, with the skills set to enable the team slow down the game when necessary and exert greater control in central midfield, the same can hardly be said of the players from the Nigerian league, in which Keshi's strategy is heavily invested.

 

There is a sense that Nigeria's national team handlers have not always kept pace with the development of its players in national team invitations. Too often emerging young players are made to go through the youth teams, even when their standards belong to the full international game or in some cases overlooked altogether.

 

It is ironic that Anthony Ujah whom I had discussed here a few years ago is only now making his national team debut, incidentally at a time he is working to rediscover his game!

 

In the just concluded European season, there was no better Nigerian forward than Imoh Ezekiel, whose pace, variety of movement and the vision to find space in the penalty area is beyond that of any current Nigerian forward. Yet he does not begin to get in the conversation, even where there is space for a Joseph Akpala, who like Ujah is seeking to rediscover his game after years of stasis.

 

In some cases, certain players who at first appeared to have been prematurely capped, have now been dropped at a time they have started to make significant progress in their careers . I speak here of Raheem Lawal whom I had earlier criticized here. His performances for Mersin İdmanyurdu in the Turkish Liga, along with the wide midfielder Nduka Ozokwo is a clear indicator of the talent which attracted the national team handlers in the first instance.

 

While Keshi's use of homebased players is truly commendable and should bring attention to the domestic game, the returns from this approach, relative to the scale of the project, has been at best paltry, with only Oboabona and Mba making any impact.

 

While his heroics at AFCON, the verticality of his game, speed and ability to get in the penalty area suggest that a talented player resides in him, Sunday Mba's overall game remains limited, as increasingly is his contribution to the team. Hopefully the enhanced exposure should enable him take his game to Europe.

 

The invitation of Gambo Mohammed may be commendable and should enhance his career development prospects, it is hard to see how this advances the national team at this time, given the level he plays at, and the opportunity foregone in not inviting an Ezekiel Imoh...

 

While I am a believer in second chances, it is hard to see the basis for the persistence in the lateral defenders, Solomon Kwambe and Francis Benjamin after repeated poor performances, especially given the opportunity foregone in not inviting a Daniel Adejo (Reggiana) or Leon Balogun (Dusseldorf).

 

What this evidences is a lack of consistency and clarity in strategy. The result is that the team is not developing viable and competitive options and the team's bench lacks players whose quality can enable the coach change a game when necessary.

 

On the technical side, the tactical formulation that led to success at AFCON has had its weaknesses exposed severally, first by a mediocre Kenyan team, and recently Mexico...

 

The lack of organization in the non-possession phase of the game was brutally and repeatedly exposed by Mexico until had a player sent off. Again and again, the lack of cover for the defence in wide areas was palpable, as is Oboabona's lack of positional awareness.

 

In midfield, the team's dependence on Mikel Obi is self evident, as is the over dependence on the raking long balls behind the opposing defence. Yet the adjustments in terms of tactics and the development of new options appears not to be keeping pace.

 

It is in this context that the Confederations cup should be a good barometer for measuring the standard of the team and the rebuilding project.  In the absence of any embarrassing result, this should be the primary value of this tournament and the metrics for assessing performance.

 

 

Squad:

Goalkeepers: 23-Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers), 16-Austin Ejide (Hapoel Beer Sheva), 1-Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv)

Defenders: 5-Efe Ambrose (Celtic), 21-Francis Benjamin (Heartland FC), 3-Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga), 6-Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), 12-Solomon Kwambe, 2-Godfrey Oboabona (both Sunshine Stars), 22-Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag)

Midfielders: 18-Emeka Eze (Enugu Rangers), 10-John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), 13-Fegor Ogude (Valerenga), 4-John Ogu (Academica Coimbra), 17-Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio), 19-Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers)

Forwards: 9-Joseph Akpala (Werder Bremen), 15-Michael Babatunde (FC Kryvbas), 11-Muhammad Gambo (Kano Pillars), 8-Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kiev), 7-Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow), 20-Nnamdi Oduamadi (Varese), 14-Anthony Ujah (FC Cologne)

Thoughts on the Nigeria-Mexico Match...

The Nigeria Mexico game unfolded in four phases:

 

In the first phase of the game, Nigeria was at sea and Mexico passed the ball around the Super Eagles and working the ball and players between the lines with fluidity and increasing ease, creating more chances than I've seen them do in the entirety of 2013.

 

In the second phase of the game, with Mexico down to 10-men Nigeria dominated and were very good in maximizing the numerical advantage, mostly by keeping the game wide and stretched, and pushing Ambrose high, with the long diagonal ball repeatedly finding him in acres of space.

 

This continued in the third phase of the game, which was the first part of the 2nd half. But Mexico even in this phase continued to find the occasional gaps in Nigeria's midfield and defence.

 

In the fourth phase, Mexico reshaped, playing more of a 3-4-2, with and dominated as Nigeria increasingly tired, with players cramping...

 

The real concern for me from this game is the weakness of the Nigerian organization. The ease with which Mexico played through the Super Eagles in the 1st phase should be a matter for concern by the teams handlers..

 

Personnel wise, no real surprises...John Ogu in his first start showed good signs but as I've often stated he is slow and was often susceptible to high pressing by Mexico in the first phase of the game.

 

On the whole, I'm not sure if the idea behind the friendly was wise and well thought out, given the long distance the team had to travel and are due to travel even more in the next four weeks. Perhaps from a commercial perspective it was worth it, but from a football angle, I am doubtful...