Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi is a mere few months on the job, and so far has played only one competitive game. This in all fairness does not provide enough data on which to assess his performance as coach, especially on field.
However he has adopted a bold strategy of rebuilding the team primarily from the domestic game and supplementing with the foreign based players. As I discussed here it is a viable long term strategy that has the potential to enhance competition and ultimately the quality of the national team. But the devil is firmly in the details...
While it is true that these are early days, the overall strategy of Mr Keshi raises some concerns about the viability of an approach that appears haphazard.
Watching his team lose gallantly to an experienced Egyptian team again confirmed my belief in the availability of talent in the domestic game. It is expected that roughly the same team will be used to prosecute the friendly against Peru in Lima on May 23.
While there are a few players worthy of further looks, you have to wonder about the wisdom of persisting on a much larger number whose immediate viability for the Super Eagles is at best doubtful, especially in comparison with several emerging foreign based players. Where for instance is the merit in spending time and resources on such raw talents as Sunday Mbah, Kalu Uche, Obinna Nwachukwu or Salami, given the vastly superior options we have in attack from the foreign based legion?
According to Austin Okocha, while 'players from the domestic league are the future of the Super Eagles, they are at least three years away from being ready' Link.
It seems to me that what should be a target specific approach to address areas of weakness in the Super Eagles is being converted into an endless rebuilding exercise, with the national team coach as a troubadour, traversing the land in search of all manner of players like the severely average fullbacks, Oshaniwa and Oboabona.
And even among the foreign legion, there is as yet no clear sense of a strategic plan behind the invitation of players. Where does a reborn John Utaka fit in the strategic order according to Stephen Keshi? Yes a revived John Utaka merits a recall, but as what? Where does he fit in an overall plan, both now and in the future?
Why is this question important? Take the case of Yakubu Aiyegbeni:
On the back of several goals in the English Premier League, he was recalled in what is the twilight of a nomadic career to lead the line against Rwanda, in preference to such younger players as Emenike, Ideye and Ehiosun who were already being integrated into the team by former coach Siasia. Now he is relegated to the Championship! He is then dropped for the next round of games and an opportunity to build on existing foundations is wasted.
So what happens next? What happens to Ideye, Emenike and Ehiosun? Who is the next ghost to be resurrected?
As I said at the beginning of Keshi's tenure (Link) he inherited a team in much better stage of development than his predecessor was bequeathed; a younger, more mobile and faster team, which created more chances per game than previously, but which was also tactically imbalanced.
What was needed was a well thought out strategy to build on these foundations, while learning from the failures of Siasia, not a strategy that amounts to chasing rats in an empty cassava farm during the annual bush burning!
When are we going to reintegrate Apam into the team following his return to first team football? When are we going to invite Terna Suswan who has broken into the first team at Setubal? When are we going to look at Omeruo as an option at right back following his impressive displays for ADO; after Oboabona implodes in a competitive game?
Like me, Okocha agrees that the future is at home: "Definitely the future lies in those new players, but for the moment they cannot be as consistent as where we want to be." He goes on to state that it would take 3-4 years to get them ready, except in the case of exceptional talent.
What in effect Stephen Keshi is doing is confusing a long term and a short term strategy.
"A troubadour, I traverse all my land
exploring all her wide flung parts with zest..." (Dennis Brutus)
So what happens next? What happens to Ideye, Emenike and Ehiosun? Who is the next ghost to be resurrected?
As I said at the beginning of Keshi's tenure (Link) he inherited a team in much better stage of development than his predecessor was bequeathed; a younger, more mobile and faster team, which created more chances per game than previously, but which was also tactically imbalanced.
What was needed was a well thought out strategy to build on these foundations, while learning from the failures of Siasia, not a strategy that amounts to chasing rats in an empty cassava farm during the annual bush burning!
When are we going to reintegrate Apam into the team following his return to first team football? When are we going to invite Terna Suswan who has broken into the first team at Setubal? When are we going to look at Omeruo as an option at right back following his impressive displays for ADO; after Oboabona implodes in a competitive game?
Like me, Okocha agrees that the future is at home: "Definitely the future lies in those new players, but for the moment they cannot be as consistent as where we want to be." He goes on to state that it would take 3-4 years to get them ready, except in the case of exceptional talent.
What in effect Stephen Keshi is doing is confusing a long term and a short term strategy.
"A troubadour, I traverse all my land
exploring all her wide flung parts with zest..." (Dennis Brutus)
While I may agree with you that a realistic strategy is needed, I beg to disagree that the 'local' players would need 3 yrs to fully mature. Please, on what ground is your your statement. Realise one clear fact, the moment any of these present players get signed by any European club (irrespective of the league), his status changes, he wears a new label. What I think should be done is to give every willing player an opportunity to showcase his talent. South American teams build the core of thier teams around locally-based players. Besides, we remember very well how Okocha 'matured' into the Super Eagles!
ReplyDeleteMy grounds for the statement are based on historical facts. The Westerhof approach with HB players took 2.5 years, at which time we had such high quality talents as Uche Okechukwu and Danny Amokachi still playing @ home. Now we have the likes of Oshaniwa and Obaobona, all due respects; with the league far worse than it was in 1988/89..
DeleteTony, your allussion to historical Westerhof is not completely accurate. Needless to remind you that the Dutchman's achievements were not rapid, he patiently assembled his winning team through painstaking process of strategic experimentation. Reflect on this, Nigeria defeated Spain in 1998, why? Spain was in a rebuilding process. It eventualy paid off. We are too in a hurry to achieve magical success. If Keshi is focused, determined and creative, I am sure he will turn around our fortunes. I don't care about unfounded sentiments, this guy did marvels with Benin. Lets give him time. This cut and paste approach we are all suggesting he adopts is an adventorous short-cut to success. However, your idea of comtinuity is a good suggestion.
ReplyDeleteU seem to have lost track of ur main point, which was my basis for determining it would take 3yrs for HB players to be ready; NOT about giving Keshi time, which I completely agree with. First the 3yrs date comes from no less a person than JJ Okocha. More importantly this is not strategic experimentation but a scatter gun approach. The most important contribution the domestic game can make for the SE is in such positions as fullbacks, creative midfield and central defence in that order. We need to focus the search on areas that HB players can be competitive...
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