The Super Eagles' Uninspiring Victory In Seychelles

Last weekend the Super Eagles got back their African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification campaign back on track as they defeated Seychelles 3-0 in an easy victory at the Linnite stadium in Seychelles.

It will be recalled that Nigeria began their qualification for the Nations Cup to be held next year in Cameroon on a disastrous note as they lost to South Africa in Uyo 0-2.

As a result, this victory over Seychelles is a welcome development even though Seychelles is hardly a team that should give Nigeria sleepless nights. Herein though, lies the problem with the result.

The 3-0 scoreline looks flattering and is capable of giving a skewed impression of the Super Eagles performance on the night for anyone who couldn't see the game.

This game was Nigeria's first game since that disappointing loss to Argentina at the World Cup in Russia. Again, the Nigerian team was poor, ponderous, failed to dominate and riddled with sloppy errors.

The culprits who were guilty of making most of them include the usual suspects Ogenyi Onazi and Kenneth Omeruo. Even Francis Uzoho was even caught in no man's land when he came out rushing for the ball leaving his goalmouth exposed. Fortunately for the visitors, they  weren't punished.

The midfield was as unimaginative as ever as Kelechi Iheanacho brought his poor premier league form with him to the national team as he failed to impose himself on a lacklustre Seychelles side. 

Of course Iheanacho's free kick which came off the upright led to Nigeria's second goal as Chidozie Awaziem scored from the rebound but that and one shot off target marked the only significant contributions Iheanacho made throughout the game.

Another maligned figure, Odion Ighalo grabbed Nigeria's third goal from the penalty spot after Samuel Kalu was brought down in the penalty box and also had a chipped effort hit the crossbar. Other than these, he didn't do much to warm his way back into the hearts of supporters.

To be fair, he was starved of service and isolated for most periods but his overall performance in a relatively easy fixture shows that he has a long way to go to winning back the goodwill of fans. 

In a nutshell, the Super Eagles' performance was bang average. The team had to rely on individual brilliance  to grab the all important 3 points. And on this evidence, Libya whom the Super Eagles face in a double header in October have nothing to fear.

The Super Eagles of course were missing the influence of John Obi Mikel and the creativity of Alex Iwobi in midfield and the defensive partnership of Troost Ekong and Leon Balogun. Balogun had to make do with Omeruo who was guilty of too many silly errors.

It was not all gloom though as there were a few bright moments. Ahmed Musa's performance was great. He also scored Nigeria's first goal. Samuel Kalu had a decent debut. He won Nigeria the penalty which Ighalo converted. Then Awaziem took his chance to stake a claim for a starting place with an impressive performance at right back  and even scoring a goal. Here though ends the positives.

This is hoping that in October when Nigeria come up against group leaders Libya, these injured players will be available to give the squad a bit of cutting edge and wipe the smirk off the Libya's coach's face as he has started his own brand of mind games by calling Nigerians  'Juju' worshippers.

We May Not Have Appreciated What We Had

With the sad demise of 2 great Nigerian icons and ex-Super Eagles coaches in the persons of Stephen Keshi and Amodu Shuaibu a couple of days ago, a period of sober reflection is not out of place for anyone who in one way or the other is a stakeholder in Nigerian  football. 

As we come to terms with the shocking news of their deaths, the inevitable revelations of how they were treated while still alive has started coming to light. It is shameful that stories about how these men are still being owed salaries and entitlements by their former employers, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) even after being disengaged like in the case of Stephen Keshi almost a year after, is all over the news.

The fact that the NFF is owing these former employees of theirs is nothing new in a country where many Civil Servants are also being owed months in unpaid wages. However, when you look at the NFF's antecedents, the unending crises in the Glass House and Nigerian football as a whole, you would have to come to the conclusion that this was totally avoidable. 

Keshi who died 3 days before Amodu was Amodu's understudy and assistant in the African Cup of Nations in Mali in 2002. The tournament will be remembered mainly for the off the field squabbles in the Nigerian camp between the team and the NFF inspite of the fact that Nigeria won a bronze medal. What Nigeria would give now for an Afcon qualification let alone a third place finish. 

The chaos in the Super Eagles camp during the tournament got enough coverage in the media such that when the team failed to win the Afcon tournament, it was no surprise when Amodu and Keshi got sacked and the team disbanded. It marked the end of the  national  team careers for some great Super  Eagles legends such as Sunday Oliseh, George Finidi, and Victor Ikpeba.

This would be the first time Amodu would  lose the chance to take Nigeria to the World Cup after leading Nigeria successfully through the qualifiers. Amodu would be denied again by the NFF in 2010 from leading the Super Eagles to the World Cup in South Africa after again claiming bronze at the Afcon. The NFF famously said they would "sink or swim" with Amodu this time but went back on their word and decided to hire the Swede, Lars Lagerback, instead.

It is pertinent to note that on both occasions when Amodu was denied the chance to lead the Super Eagles to the World Cup, Nigeria was eliminated from the World Cup in the first round. Would it have been better for the team and cheaper to have allowed Amodu to lead the team rather than Festus Onigbinde or Lars  Lagerback?

Stephen Keshi was luckier in this respect than Amodu was. He benefited from the change in the Afcon calendar in that tournaments were no longer held in a World Cup year. Who knows? Keshi might have lost his job too? He actually stepped down from his post after leading  the Super Eagles to Afcon victory in 2013 in protest at how he was treated by the NFF in South Africa. It was the intervention of the Presidency that persuaded Keshi to rescind his decision. But the seeds of discord between he and the powers that be in the NFF had been sown and as soon as power shifted towards the NFF, he was  dismissed in July 2015  for reasons of disloyalty and indiscipline.

Keshi and Amodu may not have been perfect. None of us are. They both have their share of the blame in the way things turned out for Nigeria in major tournaments. For instance, Amodu famously said he was not going to include Wilson Oruma in his squad for the Afcon in Mali in 2002 even if he was scoring on the moon. A misguided comment which he had to back track on. It was a comment which would not have fostered unity in the national team camp because it suggests he had his favourites who would always get the nod irrespective of form.

Keshi also had his own battles. He famously fell out with Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo during Afcon 2013 in South Africa but got away with it as his preferred centre back partnership of Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Obaobona ultimately delivered. He was also fingered as one of the leaders of the 'cabal' in the Super Eagles during his playing days. 

As we can see, Amodu and Keshi were far from perfect but what is undeniable,however,  was their contribution to the success of Nigerian football over the years and the fact that they were serial achievers of success in their careers. Amodu on several occasions was called upon to embark on several rescue missions when it seemed the Nigerian teams were on the verge of losing out on qualifying berths for major tournaments like in the case of the Atlanta Olympic qualifiers and the Korea-Japan World Cup qualifiers. He also led Nigeria to World Cup qualification in 2010  and 2 Afcon bronze medals. 

Keshi of course had an illustrious career as a player for Nigeria and also led Togo to World Cup qualification in 2006 as a coach. He also had a spell as coach of Mali. He has 5 Afcon appearances for Nigeria and won the Afcon as a player and coach with Nigeria in 1994 and 2013 respectively. He is also credited with starting Nigerian players exodus to the European leagues.

Nigerians may not have fully appreciated their service to the country while they were alive but in the coming years as we struggle to regain our rightful place in world football, we might be forced to accept that Stephen Keshi who departed us at age 54 and Amodu Shuaibu who a few days later followed suit at age 58 were truly heroes and perhaps sadly, have lost 2 great men who had time on their side to contribute more to the growth and development of Nigerian football.

Super Eagles Off To A Good Start But Not Yet Uhuru

The Super Eagles over the weekend defeated 'minnows' Chad Republic 2-0 in Kaduna to give Nigeria a perfect start in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON ) qualifiers. Nigeria who missed out on the last edition held in Equitorial Guinea will be hoping to win the sole ticket for their group which also comprises of Egypt and Tanzania in the next tournament which will be held in Gabon in 2017.

The result was respectable, however, the performance on the field of play was less than Super from the Nigerian side. The Chadians surprisingly didn't come to pack the bus and actually gave the new look Nigerian defence some worries. After they had gone a goal down though, they did their best to contain Nigeria so as not to lose by a large margin.

Goal keeper Vincent Enyeama, was called into action a few times in the first half to make important saves. Enyeama, as usual, was composed and commanding throughout the match.

Leon Balogun, who earned his third cap on the day was made to fill in at right back. He was not comfortable since his natural position is at centre back. He made quite a few errors especially in the first half when the Chadians pressed very quickly.

Again, the right back position continues to remain a thorn in Stephen Keshi's flesh. He is yet to find a natural right back that will slot into that position with ease let alone a natural cover for the first choice right back. A stronger opposition such as Egypt might fancy their chances building their attacks from that wing.

William Troost-Ekong made his debut for the Super Eagles and partnered Kenneth Omeruo in central defence. The defence looked shaky initially because of the high pressing of the Chadians but Ekong eventually settled and gave a decent performance. He is currently a free agent and he willl be hoping that his call up to the Super Eagles will put him in good stead in getting a new club. With more games, he should form a good understanding with Omeruo.

Kingsley Madu, a former youth international, made his debut at left back and was quite impressive especially in the second half when the Eagles were in the ascendancy. In contrast to the right back position, Nigeria is not lacking in quality left backs. But his emergence can only be good for the Super Eagles.

In midfield, Stephen Keshi went for two holding midfielders in Ogenyi Onazi and debutant, Anderson Esiti to shield the defence. Anderson and Onazi who eventually got sent off in the latter stages of the match didn't do too badly. We would expect however, that their discipline and concentration levels will be raised when Egypt comes calling because on a few occasions, Onazi's concentration was suspect and it led to the Nigerian defence being exposed in the first half.

Babatunde Michael was very mobile in the the first half but the creativity which Keshi would have loved him to exhibit was missing and as a result, Rabiu Ibrahim came on in his place and his introduction yielded the impact Keshi would have desired.

Gbolahan Salami, who was deployed on the wing and who seems to be a favourite of Stephen Keshi, probably because of his work rate, got the opening goal. The execution was quite impressive. Fans will be hoping that they will see more of this sort of display from him in subsequent qualifying matches.

In attack, Aaron Samuel who was the lone striker, had a bad day at the office and his substitution came as no surprise. And of course, Odion Ighalo, his replacement made a better contribution to the Super Eagles' cause than him. 

it was Ighalo who carved out the opening for Salami to score the curtain raiser and It was also he who scored the penalty to give Nigeria a second goal and quash any hopes Chad had in getting a positive result from this game.

This victory no doubt is a good one for Nigeria but it is glaring that there is still work to be done. The team still needs a dependable striker. Whether Rabiu Ibrahim or Babatunde Michael become the creative elements our midfield desperately needs is still to be seen. Our fruitless search whether Keshi realises it or not for a quality right back continues.

The team is in transition and so Nigerians will need lots of patience as there will inevitably be bumps on the road as Keshi tries to rebuild his squad and get Nigeria back to the pinnacle of African football.

Pictures are courtesy Goal.com

Keshi's contract extension: A reward for mediocrity?

Stephen Keshi is set to be offered a 2 year contract extension by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to manage the Super Eagles presumably till the 2017 Nations Cup finals if we qualify. The deal ought to have been signed since Friday 17th April, 2015 but the NFF seem unprepared to finalise the deal for reasons best known to them. And if reports are anything to go by, the deal will not be signed any time this week. We wait and see how the signing ceremony will pan out.

The aim of this article is not to criticise the incompetence of the NFF in their shoddy handling of the failed contract signing ceremony of Keshi but the decision of the NFF board to reward Keshi with a new contract.

Does Keshi deserve a new deal? Is the hand of outgoing president, Goodluck Jonathan, involved in ensuring Keshi remains coach of the Super Eagles? Is there no other manager the NFF can hire to take the Super Eagles to the next level?  When other coaches like Christian Chukwu and  Samson Siasia failed to qualify Nigeria for a major competition they were shown the door, why is Keshi's case different?

If we are to look at this scenario based on his achievements with the Super Eagles and his past record with other nations then Keshi would get the backing of many to lead the Super Eagles into the future especially because of how he was able to bring in some unheralded players like Sunday Mba who were in the local league to limelight. Players he used ultimately to bring glory to Nigeria in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa in 2013 and our qualification for the World Cup in Brazil last year.

However, if we are to look at the team's performance critically, especially after the Brazil 2014 World Cup and their failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations held in Equitorial Guinea to defend the title they won in 2013, then one wouldn't be overly excited that Keshi's contract is being renewed. In fact, in other climes, many managers' heads would have been chopped off without a moment's hesitation if they had overseen such a mediocre performance that the Super Eagles showcased during the last AFCON qualifiers.

The reality of football today is that you are as good as your last game. And the Super Eagles' recent performances at the AFCON qualifiers where they struggled to beat Sudan in Nigeria and failed to beat South Africa over 2 legs as well as embarrassing losses to Sudan away and Congo at home are the type that even the best in the business of football management would struggle to survive.

To be fair, Keshi didn't have the goodwill and support of the NFF board who were neck deep in crisis between themselves. Who could forget the drama they regularly served the watching Nigerian public as the battle for the leadership of the NFF board unfolded? We had different chairmen emerging through every kangaroo election they held and FIFA were kept busy monitoring the farce as they unfolded.

How many times did Nigeria flirt with FIFA's hammer? Nigeria eventually got suspended though. It took good old president Goodluck Jonathan's intervention for sanity to be brought back to the Glass house and the resulting bans from FIFA lifted.

There were even more twists that played out during the ill fated Equitorial Guinea AFCON qualifiers. Keshi after presiding over a hard fought victory over Sudan, was sacked the following day by the NFF but was reinstated a few weeks later after technical director, Amodu Shuaibu, wisely rescinded his decision to accept the job of managing the Super Eagles for the rest of the qualifiers. He had probably thought  that it was better Keshi was allowed to finish what he had started. The team was in such disarray that no right thinking coach worth his salt would accept such a poisoned chalice which was Keshi's post.

Clearly, Keshi was being frustrated by the NFF hierarchy and it probably had an effect on the team's performance. That notwithstanding, the team had their AFCON qualification hopes in their own hands but at the end, they narrowly escaped defeat to South Africa's Bafana Bafana after another sloppy performance especially at the back in the last round of matches in the group. Two late goals from Sone Aluko could not save Nigeria from being bundled out of AFCON as we forced South Africa to a 2-2 draw.

Now that we are back to the drawing board and Keshi has been given the nod to manage the Super Eagles again, he needs to sort out several problems with the Super Eagles. Problems which led to the fiasco Nigerians witnessed during the last AFCON qualifiers and problems if resolved could aid the Super Eagles to reach the pinnacle of African football again.

These problems and what he should do to tackle them would be discussed hopefully in my next article.