African Match of the Week: Zambia vs Ghana

The top match of the week was at the Ndola Stadium with Zambia meeting Ghana for the first time since their semi-final game at the ANC. Having lost their opening match to Sudan, Zambia was under pressure to produce a win, and they did...

A match played in an even spirit would end heatedly, with the Ghanaians upset by certain decisions by the Tunisian referee Med Kordi, with some merit I might add. Mr Kordi' performance was at times questionable, with his average mobility appearing to lead him to guess on certain decisions.

But overall and in all fairness, his decisions were not decisive in the outcome of the match, not by a long mile and Ghana must heed Micheal Jackson's words to look in the mirror....

A tepid Black Stars team playing at a pedestrian tempo, appeared convinced of the validity of its slow passing game. The true test of possession is in the evidence of cutting edge in the final third! Without generating any serious tempo until the dying moments of the game, Ghana had nothing in the final third: not movement, not pass completion ratio, not chances....

Without Asamoah Gyan, Ghana lacked a striker who had the movement to create space in the final third, and the ability to play with back to goal, hold up the ball and bring others into play, in spite of the manful efforts of Adiyah.

On the opposite end, Mayuka had everything Adiyah lacked; he especially had the mobility to make clever runs to create space to receive the ball and drag the center backs out of position for Katongo to take advantage of.

The Zambian template for victory was the same as at the Nations Cup. A flexible 4-4-2 (4-4-1-1) formation executed in typical blue collar fashion, with Chris Katongo in a free role behind Mayuka, enabled Zambia again overcome Ghana through its superior work rate in midfield, organization in defence by dropping off quickly, and pace and mobility upfront which the Ghanaian defence never fully came to terms with.

In Isaac Vorsah, Ghana may have an experienced defender, but his lack of pace meant Mayuka and especially Ranford Kalaba would take turns to race past him. It should have been 2-0 at half time...

As it was in the Nations Cup, Ghana continues to struggle to get the balance right in central midfield especially with the absence of Kevin Boateng. Even with a double pivot in Derek Boateng and Agyeman Badu, a static central defence was further exposed by failure to pick up runs into the box from midfield, or effectively cover wide players attacking the inside of the fullbacks.

In my opinion a choice needs to be made between Kwadwo Asamoah and Muntari to play on the left of Badu (if match fit or Annan) to provide balance in central midfield, with Christian Atsu furthermost of the three behind the striker. Or in the alternative, create a free role for Kwadwo in the same position.

In lateral defence, the reality is that Inkoom is a poor defender and lacks end product as a wing back. Ghana must develop better options. On the left, Afful had a decent game, but was disappointed not to see Massawudu who I thought showed good potential at the Nations Cup.

In consecutive losses to Zambia, one thing that has stood out for me was Ghana's lack of organization and commitment in pressing Chansa and Sinkala in the Zambian central midfield, whom I have always felt to be vulnerable in possession, especially the latter.

In spite of the loss I still favor Ghana over Zambia,with road games against Sudan being decisive. But the corresponding fixture in Accra should be a treat....

Malawi vs Nigeria Preview

1. Malawi meets Nigeria for its first home game in the world cup qualifying series, following a draw on the road to Kenya and a home win for Nigeria against Namibia. Interestingly,  the loquacious coach Kinnah Phiri was team manager when an energetic Malawi team held Nigeria in a pulsating 2-2 draw with Clement Temile and the late Clifton Msiya starring...and current Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi as captain... 
2. Three players Harry Nyirenda, Robert Ng'ambi and Chiukepo Msowoya, return after missing last week's match in Kenya, while wide midfielder Peter Pindani earns a first call up.
3. Defender and team captain Peter Mponda also returns after missing the trip to the Kisarani due to club commitment. The vast majority of the squad is drawn from the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa, except for the young Robin Ngalande from the youth team of Atletico Madrid and Russell Mwafulirwa who is currently unatached.
4. For Nigeria, all the starters from last week are available, but injuries have led to the dropping of Ekigho Ehiosun and Odumadi. Also dropped is Izu Azuka from Sunshine Stars and suprisingly Fengor Ogude who had earlier been declared fit. Obiorah Nwankwo is retained and is expected to shake off a minor knock, while Raheem Lawal is added to the first team squad.
5. In my opinion the major tactical challenge for Nigeria going into this game lies especially in the ability of the team to use the midfield, and controlled possession to suck the energy and enthusiasm from what should be a bouyant Malawi team, and create a platform for the counterattacking game. This is especially important as a sometimes over exhuberant Malawi team, tend to leave undefended zones for a counterattacking team to exploit.
6. Simultaneously, a static defence line often leaves the team vulnerable to the quick 1-2 pass and deep runs from midfield, with defenders ball watching and inattentive to the movement around them.
7. Against Namibia, a nominal 4-2-3-1 team structure often looked like a 4-2-4, an imbalance that was never challenged by a cautious opponent sitting too deep and lacking quality. This will have to be addressed in order not to put too much pressure on the defence as well as leave the forwards isolated.
8. The next major challenge I suspect will be the structure of the pressing game:

9. 
   

   How high do we press the Flames and as a consequence how high will the defensive line be?

   How is this executed- individually or more structured, perhaps within zones?

10. The team's pressing game against Egypt and especially Peru was often exposed for its lack of structure, with gaps emerging behind the central midfield as the pressing players are drawn out of position.
11. This is especially important as the Flames are a fairly decent (even if erratic) passing team in open play, with the occassional swift combination passing game. The left side of the team appeared most potent at the Kisarani, with good chemistry between Kamwendo and Ngalande; the latter making some telling deliveries, often to the far post.
12. The match should provide a good test for the Nigerian lateral defenders, especially if Pindani starts and brings his club form to the game. It should especially test Juwon Oshaniwa's lack of positional discipline and poor recovery rate.
13. Against Namibia, Nigeria looked most dangerous when Ike Uche or Victor Moses ran at the defence centrally. I expect the two players to remain the most influential in attack.
14. On the flanks, Utaka and Uzoenyi were ineffective, with the latter unable to bring his undoubted qualities to aid the team game.
15. In my opinion Keshi's homebased approach will live or die by this game....
16. The decision to drop Fengor Ogude who was already fully integrated into the Super Eagles, and declared fit earlier (Source) is suprising to say the least. While I respect the right of every coach to make decisions concerning the team, you have to wonder whether this decision is entirely based on technical considerations.
17. 
    

    PS: The Nigerian team's chattered flight that was to depart tonight has now been cancelled Link. With the game scheduled for Saturday afternoon, the team now runs the real risk of repeating the mistakes from the Ethiopia match which was discussed here.

Eagles squad to Malawi:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim

Defenders: Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Gege Soriola, Papa Idris, Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echejile and Juwon Oshaniwa.

Midfielders: Gabriel Reuben, Raheem Lawal, Obiorah Nwankwo, Henry Uche

Strikers: Victor Moses, Sunday Mba, Ikechukwu Uche, Omatsone Aluko, Uche Kalu Ejike Uzoenyi, Obinna Nwachukwu, Ahmed Musa, John Utaka

Malawi Line-Up vs Kenya

Goalkeeper: Simplex Nthala (16)

Defenders: Moses Chavula (3); Foster Namwera (4); James Sangala (13); Limbikani Mzava (12)

Midfielders: James Kamwendo (10); Dave Banda (6); Chimango Kayira (15); Robin Ngalande (11)

Strikers: Russell Mwafulirwa (9); Atusaye Nyondo (18)

Subs Used: 37′ John Banda (2) in for Robin Ngalande; 54′ Frank Banda (8) in for Atusaye Nyondo

90′ Zicco Mkanda (13) in for Russell Mwafulirwa

Subs not used: Amadu Ali (1); Pilirani Makupe (7); Steve Chagoma (14); Jimmy Zakazaka (17)

Ndaziona Chatsalira (19)

Has Anybody Seen the Super Eagles?

...cus I haven't! Not recently at least.

Since I've been following football I have never seen the idiocy that is currently being perpetrated on hapless Nigerian football fans in the name of rebuilding the Super Eagles. Nowhere in the world has anybody summarily dismantled the core of a national team with the explanation that he wants to 'give others a chance'.

At the time Siasia was fired for failure to qualify for the Nations cup, a definitive team was starting to emerge in the Super Eagles. Joel and Mikel Obi were starting to form a credible partnership as a double pivot in central midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation. But there were flaws; weaknesses that needed to be addressed, both in tactical organization of the team and personnel, especially in defence as I discussed here..

But in come Mr Keshi and Daniel Amokachi. Two men who cannot put together a proper tactical plan decide in their own wisdom to embark on a wholesale change in the Super Eagles. They say they are searching for hungry players; players who can 'hussle'. So in one fell swoop we do away with Taiwo, Ogude, Nsofor, Obasi, Emenike, Brown. We invite Raheem Lawal who could not make the U-23 team until its star players like Nosa Igiebor became unavailable, but leave Nosa at home!

We consider Taiye Taiwo not good enough but persist with Oshaniwa who has no clue what the role of a fullback is, and would give an arm to play at the level Taiwo currently does! And all the while the drumbeat of dichotomy between the foreign and homebased players is sounding ever louder. Something smells about this weird experimentation and it ain't sweet...

We consider Obaobona good enough at right back or a substitute center back and then play Ambrose Efe at right back. Yet we have Terna Suswan, one of the best fullbacks at the last WYC in Colombia, and who has broken into the team at Vitoria Setubal.

On the Chelsea forum. fans are clamouring for the return of Omeruo from his loan spell at ADO Den Haag in the Eredivisie, where he has been outstanding as a right back, including scoring two goals. Yet we consider Godfrey Oboabona good enough to start for the Super Eagles, while Omeruo sits at home.

We consider Azubuike Egwueke good enough to start in central defence, yet Onyekachi Apam who has made a solid return to first team football at Rennes is left to sit at home. Something smells about this endless rebuilding exercise and it ain't sweet...

Let there be no misunderstanding! As I have said before, I am in support of the strategy of building the Super Eagles from the domestic game. But it has to be based on using players who are competitive in the positions they play and who bring added value to the team. It cannot be based and should not be based as Mr Keshi has said on giving local players a chance (Source). The task of team building is not an affirmative action exercise nor is it an exercise in participatory democracy! It seems Mr Keshi is confusing his job as Super Eagles coach with that of the INEC chairman!

They say the foreign based players lack commitment. Yet Siasia's inability to qualify for the ANC had nothing to do with a lack of commitment on the part of his players. We seem to be diagnosing solutions to a non existent problem....

They say the homebased players are hungry and can hussle.

First, 'hussle' is not a tactic known to the game of football. The popular but misleading tendency is to confuse 'hussle' for 'pressing'. The 'hussle' is about individual players running after the football like headless chicken. Pressing on the other hand is the systematic movement of a group of players, often within defined zones, to reduce the time and space an opponent has on the ball.

The miserable performance of Keshi's Super Eagles against a pedestrian Namibian team is evidence of a clear and present danger. While it is quite possible that the team may grow from this victory, there is little evidence to suggest this beyond a hope and a prayer.

The evidence does not lie in the fact we dominated Namibia. That was always the expectation leading up to the match.

The evidence does not lie in the 4-2-4 formation that Keshi and Amokachi effectively employed against Namibia, or their laughable attempt to play a 'false 9' without understanding the lines of movement such a tactic recommends....

The evidence does not lie in the numerous 'chances' we missed. That's what happens when you get 50/50 or scrambled chances; the kind that results not from constructive team play but individualism or mistakes from the opponent. They are called half chances because they can go either way...

Something smells about this homebased rebuilding exercise; and it smells a lot like dead fish!

In the last decade, millions of hapless Super Eagles fans have endured the spectre of a national team consistently underachieving in the continent, supervised by ex-footballers who lack the personal commitment to rigorously apply themselves to  the work required to be a top coach, instead relying on their citizenship to get jobs for which they are highly underqualified for or unprepared.

Sadly the misery endures.....

Why Should Africa Participate in the 2018 World Cup?

1. It is six years to the next world cup and yes, I know its early but the question needs to be asked:
 
2. Why should Africa participate in Russia's world cup?
 
3.  As is unfolding in the lead up to the European championships, it is clear there is a serious problem of racism in football in Eastern Europe, of which Russia is an integral part.
 
4.  The Russian league season has been blighted by incidents of racism. What began with the throwing of bananas at Roberto Carlos has since spread to the Ivorien born Dacosta Goore, Nigeria's Emmanuel Emenike and Peter Odenwigie, and Congo's Chris Samba. In response the Russian football authorities have set of a Task Force on Racism in Football, on paper a bold move... But it is the action of the Russian FA on reported incidents of racism that speaks louder!
 
5.  Emmanuel Emenike of Spartak Moscow was recently fined US$17,000 for an offensive gesture towards Dynamo Moscow fans who racially abused him. Here is a report on this from BBC Sports:
 
6.  "We decided it was an adequate punishment," said Vladimir Vasilyev, a Russian FA's ethics committee official.
 
7.  However Spartak coach Valery Karpin said the FA had failed to address the racist abuse.  "I have to agree that Emenike did something that he should not have done," the former Russia international told reporters.  "But at the same time I couldn't follow logic in the FA's decision as they didn't take any action against the Dynamo fans who had racially abused Emenike," he said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17572890
 
8.  This is the environment to which Issa Hayatou and CAF are willy nilly sending African footballers and fans to.
 
9.  It is easy to see in this so called Task Force, parallels to the events leading up to the 1936 Olympics Games. I imagine that as the world cup nears, local spectators and residents will be 're-educated' and primed to be at their best behavior for all of the 2-3 weeks that the foreigners are around and ready to return to the status quo once they have departed.
 
10.  This is the country whose bid Issa Hayatou is said to have supported in the 2nd round of voting for hosting the world cup.
 
11.  If such reports are true, the question needs to be asked, what was Hayatou thinking in voting for Russia? What guarantees did he seek and what was promised?
 
12.  If Issa Hayatou and CAF cannot sufficiently look out for the interests or speak out for African footballers repeatedly abused for the color of their skin, on what basis should he then be seeking yet another term?
 
13. Why should Africa participate in Russia's world cup?
 
14.  And for how long must Africa put up with the incompetence of Issa Hayatou?
 
15.  PS: The decision by UEFA on the concerns about racism at Euro 2012 reflect my concerns about this issue and especially why CAF must seek guarantees to protect African players and fans.
 
16.  UEFA has decided that incidents of racism are best left to the referees to address and that any player walking off the field, like Balotelli has threatened to do will recieve a caution via a yellow card.
 
17. Thats all well and good. But in the heat of the moment, reality is somethings are more important than football- self dignity.
 
18. Let there be no misunderstanding. What UEFA's primary goal here is, is to protect the game; their game, AND then the player, in that order. 
 
19. The anguish on the faces of Marc Zoro and Eto Fils reacting after finally having had enough is very instructive Link. The reaction of both players is evidence that somethings transcend football. 
 
20. The referees do indeed have a responsibility. But they must get on top of the situation immediately. If not, the rules will not be enough... 
 
21. As it turns out, some of the worst fears about Russian fans is proving to be true as UEFA is investigating possible racist abuse of Czech defender Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is of Ethiopian descent.
 
22. This clearly brings to sharp relief, the need for CAF and Hayatou to seek guarantees on behalf of African players and fans, as well as develop a mechanism for monitoring the work of the Russian Task Force on racism in football.  

Keshi: Troubadour or Strategist...

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)

Barca, Nigerian Fans and Zombies...

I have just returned from a trip to Nigeria for the burial of my beloved sister, whose sad, sad story (http://www.ogorip.com/) has ignited the internet and brought new focus to women issues in Nigeria.

But thats not what am about here.

In the midst of the pain and the sadness though, I had some small window to follow football, specifically the UEFA champions league (UCL) semi finals.

What particularly struck me was the passion of huge sections of Nigerian football fans against Barca, which led me to repeatedly asking- why do Nigerian football fans hate Barcelona so much?

Why do Nigerian football fans, who are famed for their love of beautiful football, the same fans who rebelled against Amodu and his depressing team, hate a Barcelona team that has set new standards for art football and redifined time-space dynamics in football, while being extremely successful?

As if this was not enough, even the pundits have joined in the act!

Every foul call in favor of Barca (they pronounce it 'Barka') is greeted with derisive chants of 'PDP'..., and the players labellled divers, even for the most obvious fouls! Every yellow card for a Barcelona player should've been a red card! And Messi? The only thing they did not wish was the pox on him! To many of them, the Ronaldo v Messi debate was long settled in favor of the Madrid player...

In writing this, I know that I will come under attack from the horde of Chelsea/EPL androids out there. And for full disclosure I am a longtime Liverpool fan.

But even if the roles were changed and Liverpool was in the same position as Chelsea this week, while I would be happy with the win, I would simultaneously be saddened by the spectre of a multi-million dollar team, replete with experienced internationals resort to prehistoric football to win a match, however important that match may be.  The sight of a Didier Drogba repeatedly chasing huge punts downfield from Petr Cech, left me wondering if I was somehow caught in a time warp, trapped in Wimbledon in the 80s. Worse still, to see the talents of our Jon Mikel Obi, a close contemporary of Messi at the world youth championships in 2005, reduced to chasing shadows, was physically painful.

And as the game wore on and Chelsea brought football frther to its knees, the English commentators would explain each downfield punt as, just another way of playing football. True that...

Its also another sure way to kill football. John Lennon asked us to imagine...so imagine a football in which all critical games were reduced to the Chelsea approach at the Nou Camp...We would either all become androids or fans of netball!

I pondered these on my long flight back to the States, through the flight from Abuja to Amsterdam; then during the long layover and through the connecting flight to Memphis..Late at night as my last flight made its way to Philadelphia, it finally struck me....

The EPL has made football zombies of Nigerians...

Keshi: A Dangerous Precedence

1. I am a supporter of Keshi's bold approach to rebuilding the Super Eagles on the foundations of the domestic league players and supplementing with the euro-based players.
2. This support however is based on the assumption that such players are first and foremost competitive in the positions they play.
3. And in addition that the factor of their greater availability, vis a vis the euro-based players, would offer the coaching crew ample time to train and thus formulate a more cohesive team than is typically the case with the euro-based players.
4. I am however concerned by certain indications emerging from the match in Kigali. In assessing the team's performance, of the Chairman of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Green, said at least five of the foreign-based stars will be axed for the Eagles subsequent games as they failed to live up to expectations.
5. Green said: "I am disappointed at the showing of some of this our foreign players. Some of them were totally not in this game. In the same vein, Keshi said: "I am not very impressed with the performance of some players. I would not mention names but I have learnt lot from this game," “The home boys gave a good account of themselves and I must commend their guts but all together we have to return to the drawing board and there I would review a whole lot including future invitation of foreign-based players." (Source).
6. While it is imperative that a coach review's his team's performance following any match, it is important that we do not look at the Super Eagles through the false dichotomy of 'home-based' and 'foreign-based', but rather good and bad players on any given day.
7. This kind of talk can only lead to a dangerous precedence and ultimately a major impediment to team spirit. One also has to also wonder about the propriety of Mr Green's public involvement in what is the remit of the coach...
8. Let there be no misunderstanding! The use of home-based players as articulated by Mr Keshi is a viable long term strategy that has the potential to enhance competition and the quality of the national team. But it is not an end in itself, neither is it a magic wand that solves all problems.
9. For one, there must be a well formulated playing philosophy around which Stephen Keshi's decisions are made, including the choice of players to invite and the tactical organization of the team. What does this mean?
10. A philosophy based primarily on the counterattack for instance, would place primacy on the invitation of players in midfield with the discipline to seat deep in their defensive zones or the speed to translate defence to attack quickly, as well as wingers and strikers with the explosive speed to transition quickly into attack.
11. So far no definitive playing philosophy can be discerned from the games so far supervised by Keshi or players invited by him. But these are very early days...