The Super Eagles final 23 man list for the World Cup in Russia which commences on June 14 later this month was announced on Sunday a day after the international friendly against Engand in which the Eagles lost 2-1.
The list as expected has generated some controversy on social media and not a few Super Eagles fans have voiced their discontent at some of the players that made the final 23 man list.
The general consensus though is that Ogenyi Onazi and Joel Obi should not make the squad to Russia due to their poor performances during the recent friendly games against Congo DR and England.
The last straw for many has to be the 2 players' showing in the game against England where their shocking performances in midfield exposed the Nigerian defence causing them to be under undue pressure and also failing abysmally to control possession with several misplaced passes.
The performace of the team in that first half against England was woeful and the root of it was in the midfield where Onazi and Obi where having a shocker.
It was so bad that even the English media felt unsure how to come to terms with England's dominant display because their performance had to be evaluated within the context of a very poor performance by the Super Eagles.
They knew this was not the best the Super Eagles could offer and of course, when Rohr made the necessary tactical tweaks and changes, the Super Eagles put in a far better showing in the second half.
At the end though, Gernot Rohr had a decision to make and one wonders if the FIFA rules had not been a stumbling block whether Rohr might have looked for alternatives outside his provisional squad.
Members of the provisional squad: Dele Ajiboye, Stephen Eze, Junior Lokosa, Uche Agbo, and Moses Simon had been dropped after the Congo DR friendly while Mikel Agu and Ola Aina were both dropped after the England game.
From all indications, Rohr has stuck with the players he used to prosecute the World Cup qualifiers. Moses Simon though misses out due to injury. As for the home based players, Rohr probably feels this tournament has come too soon for the likes of Lokosa and Eze to challenge the established order.
The surprise inclusions have to be Simy Nwankwo who after a decent debut against Congo DR makes the cut and Joel Obi who has failed to impress in 4 friendly matches he has started for the Eagles this year.
Chelsea full back, Ola Aina sadly misses out after a poor showing against Congo DR which culminated in a reckless challenge that led to Congo's equaliser from the penalty spot. It has to be said though that Ola did not play in his best position which is right back.
Who should start and what needs to improve?
Starting with the goal keeper, it appears Rohr feels Francis Uzoho represents Super Eagles' safest hands. Since his debut against Argentina last year, Uzoho has been in goal and it's unlikely Ifeanyi Ezenwa will upstage Uzoho at this stage.
Would Ezenwa have allowed Harry Kane's shot to creep under him like Uzoho did in the England friendly? Very unlikely, but Ezenwa seems jittery when dealing with crosses, perhaps a factor in Rohr's decision to settle for Uzoho as his number 1.
Uzoho however, needs to avoid a repeat of his error in the England friendly during the tournament proper. He has so far shown he can deal with crosses easily.
In the defence, Tyrone Ebuehi has emerged as a strong contender for the right back position after 2 commanding displays against Congo DR and England.
He should be given the nod to start at the World Cup as Shehu Abdullahi who is a midfielder by trade was exposed in the first half by Raheem Sterling and Ashley Young in the England friendly. Shehu was also often caught out of position thus exposing Troost Ekong.
The central defence pairing of Ekong and Leon Balogun still looks solid and even though they had some difficult moments against England in the first half they were not helped by a porous midfield that had Joel Obi and Onazi having an embarrassing performance.
Whoever Rohr picks at left back, it might not make much difference in an attacking sense. Bryan Idowu or Elderson Echiejile seem good defensively but offer little going forward. Idowu though seems to be the one that has Rohr's trust.
In midfield, John Obi Mikel played his first game for the Super Eagles since the Argentina friendly and seemed slightly off the pace. Another game against the Czech Republic should help bring him up to the levels he should be at the World Cup.
Hopefully in Nigeria's match against Croatia, Wilfred Ndidi will be fit to partner Mikel in midfield. Rohr obviously sees his importance to the team and has elected not to risk him until he is fully fit. Onazi's poor form as well would have convinced Rohr not to gamble with Ndidi's fitness.
As for who partners Mikel and Ndidi in midfield, this will depend on Rohr's tactics and what he believes may be our best combination. Alex Iwobi seems to relish a central role and his performance early in the second half against England helped galvanise the team.
The third midfielder would probably be between Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu and Iwobi.
In the forward line, Moses will always get the nod on any of the wings as well as Iwobi if Rohr elects to go for a 4-3-3 formation. Musa who seems to be rediscovering his form can be useful as an impact player.
With Moses Simon's injury causing him to miss out, a lot of the forwards could be made to play on the wings. Kelechi Iheanacho could also fill in on the wings if the situation demands such.
One problematic spot for the Eagles seems to be the striking position. Odion Ighalo seems to be Rohr's preferred option but he has so far proved inconsistent, wasteful and unprolific. His hold up play and strength is good but his finishing has to be better if the Eagles are to progress beyond the group stages.
Iheanacho is more clinical but lacks height and strength. And against the best defences this shortcoming may pose a problem especially if the Eagles are chasing the game.
Can Simy Nwankwo turn out to be the solution? He seems to have good feet, tall and hopefully, decent in the air. He had a good showing against Congo DR but will he be able to cut it at the World Cup since he remains relatively inexperienced? Would Rohr start him over the likes of Ighalo or Iheanacho?
The Verdict
Based on what the Super Eagles have showcased so far this year in friendlies, Nigerians had better hope that there is more to come from the team. If the kind of mediocre and shoddy display the team exhibited in the friendlies against Serbia, Congo and England are anything to go by, then expect the Super Eagles to end up bottom of Group D.
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