World Cup Exit: Could Nigeria Have Survived?

The Super Eagles were finally knocked out of the World Cup by perennial nemesis Argentina 2-1 at the St Petersburg stadium after a late strike by Argentina's Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo to give Argentina the dramatic winner in a thrilling encounter.

This defeat extends a run of 4 previous straight defeats for the Super Eagles at the hands of Argentina at the World Cup group stage. It is a run dating back to the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

This game though was a good opportunity for the Super Eagles to end this miserable run and get one over Argentina who have become somewhat of a bogey team for Nigeria at the World Cup. Unfortunately, they fell short again against a chaotic and ageing Argentina squad.

The Super Eagles yet again started this game cautiously and showed little attacking intent as they accorded Argentina too much respect as they failed to threaten the Argentine defence in the first half. 

One begging question remains: why has Gernot Rohr failed to arrest what has become a theme for the Super Eagles since the England friendly- their lack of an attacking threat in the first half of games?

Is it plausible that the team are simply following the game plan Rohr has set up for them?

Lionel Messi gave Argentina the lead in the 14th minute. An organised and well drilled team would not give Messi the kind of room he was afforded to wreak havoc so early in the game.

Had the team been better organised as a defensive unit at the start and prevented Messi from grabbing that early opener perhaps the uncertainty that has bedevilled this Argentine squad in this World Cup could have given the Super Eagles a psychological advantage.

Credit where credit is due though, the team did very well in ensuring that Messi didn't have a sniff for the rest of the game as they continually crowded him out and won the ball off him.

The Super Eagles as usual turned up in the second half and grabbed an early equaliser after Javier Mascherano brought down Leon Balogun in the penalty box. Victor Moses stepped up to Coolly convert the resultant penalty.

Nigeria however failed to put the game to bed as Odion Ighalo who had come on at the start of the second half as a substitute for the ineffective Kelechi Iheanacho wasted 2 gilt edged chances to make an Argentina comeback an uphill task.

In earlier posts on this blog, I have been critical of Odion Ighalo's scoring record for the Super Eagles. It has ultimately determined Nigeria's fate at this World Cup. One of Gernot's Rohr's failings has been his inability to scout for prolific strikers for the Super Eagles instead he has put his faith on a misfiring striker.

As harsh as this is on Ighalo, there is a reason why a 29 year old striker who supposedly should be in his prime is plying his trade in China. No decent team  in the top leagues in Europe would have Ighalo as their first choice striker. He is simply not clinical.

Iheanacho deserves a special mention too. He had a poor first half against Argentina and was subsequently hooked at half time. I have been an advocate of his instead of Ighalo. He as well failed to live up to expectation.

Rohr in his press conference after the Argentina game admitted that Iheanacho was not fully fit so this probably explains Iheanacho's display against Argentina. However, should Rohr have started him considering the fact that we had other fitter attackers?

Alex Iwobi was ineffective on the wings in the first game against Croatia but we have seen in times past how effective he is when he plays centrally especially in the friendly against Argentina last year where he scored twice. Could Rohr not have used him ahead of an unfit Iheanacho to partner Ahmed Musa in attack?

Marcos Rojo eventually restored Argentina's lead in the 86th minute and they were able to manage the game till the final whistle leaving all of us to wonder what might have been had we taken the chances that fell our way and managed the game excellently at the latter stages.

Game management- a strategy that only a coach can instill in a team is one of the reasons why Nigeria lost this match. Rohr apparently failed to do this. Because if he had, he would have known that results elsewhere were going in our favour and we didn't have to win at all costs and leave our defence exposed. 

There is simply no reason why the Nigerian defence should be light at the back so late in the game such that a defender would come so far forward and have all the time and space in the world to convert a volley unmarked! Victor Moses was at fault here as he failed to track the run of Marcos Rojo on time.

Rohr then went on to make substitutions that turned out to be too little too late. Rohr again failing to make the right calls. Couldn't he have made some of the substitutions earlier when Nigeria was on top while Argentina were disjointed? 

Had he made the right calls perhaps some of the tiring legs would have been removed so that the fresh ones would keep the game tight in midfield or defence thus preventing the space Rojo had to score Argentina's winner. Small margins.

What does the future hold for Gernot Rohr? Should he keep his job? Common sense dictates that he should since he has built a good team already. And with some tweaks in midfield and attack we should see Nigeria rise again. 

His future of course will be decided by the NFF. But it is clear for all to see that Rohr made some mistakes with some of the personnel he took to this tournament, how the team approached games and getting the best out of his squad. This is hoping he learns from this experience if he is retained. 

What Next For The Super Eagles?

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) elections come up in a few months time. Fingers crossed Amaju Pinnick and other key executive members of the NFF board will be re-elected into office so that the good foundations that have been laid by this current crop of NFF leadership continues to be built upon.

Nigeria has never had it so good for decades in terms of the visionary and exemplary leadership exhibited by Amaju Pinnick and other board members. Their continued presence in steadying the ship will ensure the giant strides they have made continues to bring success long term. 

The African Cup of Nations qualifiers resumes later this year. This team cannot afford to miss out of it next year if they are to go on and become a force in world football. Nigeria started the qualifiers with a 0-2 home loss to South Africa. We need to get back on track quickly if Nigeria is not to miss out of AFCON for the third time in a row.

Rohr, if he keeps his job, should as a matter of urgency find a dependable striker(s) who will bang in the goals. Enough of the wastefulness up front. The team survived in the World Cup qualifiers because goals were spread throughout the team but when that seized we have struggled. 

Rohr should also look at our midfield and see what alternatives the team can have to captain John Obi Mikel. This is not to forget that he needs to play these players according to their strengths and not shoehorn players in order to accommodate favourites.

One positive though from this early ouster is that it appears we have a settled defence and a decent deputy to Carl Ikeme in Francis Uzoho who hardly put a foot wrong in this tournament.

This Super Eagles team certainly has potential and could rule Africa in no time if the coach is not sacked but allowed to continue to improve the squad and correct the mistakes he made at this World Cup.

5 Things Rohr Must Fix Before The World Cup

The Super Eagles in midweek took on the Czech Republic in a friendly match in Austria which was their last tune up game before they begin their World Cup campaign in Russia and succumbed yet to another defeat. They lost the game by a lone goal scored by defender Tomas Kalas.

Of course, it is merely a friendly and results are secondary at this stage. The real business of getting points and results begins on June 16 when Nigeria take on Croatia in Kaliningrad.

But after a series of uninspiring performances against Congo DR, England and lately the Czech Republic, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr must have come to the realisation that there is a lot of work to be done in getting the Super Eagles ready for the World Cup in Russia. 

To put it mildly, the Super Eagles have underwhelmed with a series of mediocre performances. It is either the Eagles have  hit a bad patch at the wrong time or they are merely going through the motions as we often do during World Cup preparations over the years.

Here are 5 things Rohr has to fix if the Super Eagles are to progress out of Group D and go far in the tournament.

1. Dealing with set pieces

Make no mistake, our opponents are watching and must be rubbing their hands in anticipation. The Super Eagles often lose concentration and are not very organised when dealing with set pieces. 

Congo DR's equaliser in Port Harcourt came from the penalty spot. England's first goal was from a corner kick while Czech Republic's solitary strike in Austria also came from a corner kick.

So it's clear the Eagles are vulnerable at set pieces and our opponents -Argentina, Croatia and Iceland are teams who are capable of taking advantage of any lax defending. 

The Eagles cannot afford to give themselves a mountain to climb by gifting ruthless opposition soft goals as a result of school boy defending.

2. Poor communication on the pitch

Not as grave as the set piece issue but a potential banana skin nonetheless. We have witnessed a comedy of errors and embarrassing head clashes between players trying to win the same ball and ending up injured. 

We saw it against England when Joel Obi comically 'contested' with Leon Balogun for a header and ended up clashing with Leon Balogun leaving him with a gashed skull.

We saw a similar incident in the second half of that same game when Kenneth Omeruo and a fellow team mate got injured after they both contested for an aerial ball. 

It may not look a big deal at the moment but it could be a symptom of a larger problem brewing and could lead to costly  errors when team mates don't communicate properly with each other and our opponents take advantage of such errors.

3. Lack of creativity

The midfield lacks creativity. And as a result if Nigeria goes behind, they may struggle to get back into the game if they come up against a well drilled and organised defence. The type Nigeria might be up against when taking on Croatia or Iceland. 

In the qualifiers, Nigeria punished teams like Algeria and Cameroun with some blistering counter attacking football. Teams though at this level are less susceptible to such and will defend deep to hold on to leads. 

The Eagles have to find a way to create chances and unlock stubborn defences but are lacking many creative midfielders in this department. 

John Obi Mikel and Alex Iwobi appear to be the only players capable of doing so. Yet, they don't seem to be able to create that many. This is besides the fact that the Super Eagles main striker who is wasteful.

Rohr is faced with a decision on where to use Iwobi since he and Mikel appear to be certain starters. Iwobi can be deployed centrally in midfield, on the wings or behind the main striker. This of course, is dependent on the system Rohr wishes to adopt. 

Will he go 3-5-2 as the team seems more cohesive in this system at the moment and play Iwobi behind presumably Odion Ighalo? Or will he play him on the wings in a 4-2-3-1 system?

4. Poor form of key players

During the World Cup qualifiers, our key men undoubtedly were Moses Simon, John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses. Unfortunately, Simon misses out due to injury while Moses and Mikel haven't shown anything like their best since the end of the season.

Are they keeping their best form for the tournament proper? The Super Eagles faithful will hope so. But on the evidence so far, they both seem jaded and aren't reproducing what Nigerians expect from them.

And if Rohr decides to go for the 3-5-2 system, then Moses' indifferent performances could see him being relegated to the bench even though he can play as a wing back like he does for Chelsea. 

It is unlikely however, that Rohr would pick him ahead of Tyrone Ebuehi or Brian Idowu who are both natural full backs and will retain better defensive discipline.

As for Mikel, he is the skipper and will surely start if fit. He will hold on to the ball well and use it efficiently but will he be capable of giving the killer pass regularly? On current form, will he be able to inspire the team like he did against Cameroun and Algeria during the qualifiers?

Rohr has to work some magic to bring out the best in our key men. Only Iwobi at the moment seems capable of doing well at the World Cup.

5. A misfiring attack

The Super Eagles don't score many goals. This is partly due to a toothless attack. Ighalo our top striker needs several chances before he can score and with a midfield that does not create many, he won't get many chances to convert.

Nigeria needs a ruthless finisher. The only one who comes close is Kelechi Iheanacho. But for obvious reasons, Rohr prefers Ighalo who has the strength and can hold up play bringing in other players to join the attack. 

Simy Nwankwo could provide the cutting edge we lack in the attack as he has everything Rohr would need from a point man but for him to do this he has to do a 'Schillaci' before he can upstage Ighalo.

Will Rohr give him the chance? Has he adapted to the Super Eagles style of play and forged an understanding with his team mates in order to do this since his next game will be his third cap? 

These are the areas Gernot Rohr needs to earn his corn. If he can crack these problems between now and June 16, then expect a decent showing from the Super Eagles. They may or may not qualify out of their group but they will not be leaving the tournament in disgrace.

Super Eagles World Cup Squad: Who Could Miss Out?

        

On Monday this week, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) submitted the provisional squad list of the Super Eagles that will represent Nigeria at the World Cup Finals in Russia next month to FIFA.

The list will be whittled down to 23 after a series of friendly games and training sessions would have given the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, a fair idea the best players fit and good enough to perform well at the world cup.

The list as expected included the usual suspects such as Captain John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, Ogenyi Onazi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho amongst others.

As usual with provisional squads, a few surprise inclusions and wild cards have made the cut. Players such as Dele Ajiboye who is Plateau United's shot stopper, Junior Lokosa who is the NPFL's top goal scorer with 18 goals for Kano Pillars, Simeon 'Simy' Nwankwo from Italian side Crotone who has been in hot form recently and Stephen Eze a defender who was impressive at CHAN 2018 and now dorns the colours of Lokomotiv Plovdiv in Bulgaria have also been included.

All 4 players will be hoping to impress the coach enough to warrant a spot in the final cut of 23.

       

While it is good to see deserving home based players given the opportunity to stake a claim to be put on the plane to Russia, the final 23 man shortlist appears predictable and it would take a big and outstanding performance by any of the new faces to persuade Rohr to change his mind and drop an established household name.

Would there be enough minutes on the pitch and time for these players on the fringes to give Rohr a welcome 'selection headache'?

It is not surprising that Gernot Rohr has stuck with mainly the players he used during the World Cup Qualifiers. A squad who were unbeaten in the group of death and had already qualified for the tournament before the last game of the qualifiers.

        

But with the announcement of the provisional squads by other countries and seeing how strong they are on paper, one begins to wonder if the Super Eagles will be able to reach the minimum requirement which is the last 8. Getting there has proved elusive for Nigeria since our maiden appearance in the USA '94 World Cup.

So, who are the players likely to be left out or at best be put on standby?

Goalkeepers

Francis Uzoho was in goal for the Super Eagles in the last international break and his performance was suspect but appears to be highly regarded by Gernot Rohr. 

Ifeanyi Ezenwa from Enyimba stepped up to the plate after Daniel Akpeyi performed poorly in the AFCON qualifiers against South Africa and the world cup qualifiers in the game against Algeria. He gave a good account of himself but showed a weakness when dealing with crosses and making poor judgements like the soft penalty he gave away against Cameroon.

Dele Ajiboye could make a good case to be on the plane if he is given a game during the preparations and performs creditably well. It would mean Akpeyi gets the bullet after appearing to fall out of favour since the shambolic performance in the friendly against Argentina.

Verdict : Akpeyi should get the axe.

        

Defenders 

In the defence, Rohr shortlisted 10 players. Rohr is likely to take 8 to Russia meaning 2 players will be dropped. The central defence looks settled barring any injuries to the duo of Ekong and Balogun. This means Omeruo and Awaziem are likely going to be cover for the first choice centre backs. 

The full back positions though seem a tricky one. Shehu seems nailed on to start at right back. Ebuehi and Aina appear to be jostling for the second choice. Aina however has filled in at Left back in the past as well and will be competing with Idowu and Elderson. This is where it gets interesting.

Elderson has been poor for the Super Eagles especially going forward. His passing is wayward and his crosses aren't good enough at this level. He hasn't played for Nigeria since the Zambia game. Idowu on the other hand was impressive on his debut and scored a goal against Argentina. 

Would Rohr stick with experience or will he go for versatility and inventiveness? The only thing going for Elderson is that he is the only left footer in that defence.

Verdict : Eze and Elderson likely to be dropped.

        

Midfielders

In this department, many of the players here are untouchables and barring injuries only the fringe players like Joel Obi, John Ogu or Uche Agbo are likely to drop out. 

Mikel Agu, even though he has been poor in a Super Eagles shirt appears to be in the good books of Rohr. The reason is not far fetched. He has been a consistent performer at club level. He has however failed to transmit that form while in an Eagles' shirt. Will the world cup provide him that platform? Stranger things have happened.

Verdict: barring a performance of outstanding quality in friendlies Joel Obi is likely to miss out due to his poor performance against Serbia. Agbo should join him by virtue of his status and for never really impressing.

         

Forwards

The attacking players like the midfield is filled with the spine of the team. Full of experience, youth and energy. 

Which makes the arrival of Junior Lokosa and Simy into the frey one that has come too soon.

It has to be mentioned though that if Ighalo continues to be wasteful in the friendlies then one of these fringe players should be taken to Russia as a wild card if Rohr sees potential in any.

Verdict: Lokosa and Simy likely to join those to be axed from the team unless of course there is an outstanding performance during friendlies.

Nigeria's Group Of Death: Can Nigeria Make It?

After the Russia 2018 African World Cup Qualifiers draws were held in Cairo Egypt last weekend, Nigeria has found itself in what is regarded as the 'group of death' in Group B with opponents Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia.

Had Nigeria not been a fading force in African football, it would have fancied itself to go through despite the tough opponents it would have to face. But on the back of 2 consecutive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification failures, many supporters will be concerned that Nigeria's chances of making it through to the World Cup as group winners may be quite slim considering Nigeria has struggled to qualify from easier groups in the past and has failed to qualify for the AFCON since the Super Eagles won it  under the management of the late Stephen Keshi in 2013.

At the moment, the Super Eagles don't have a confirmed head coach since Sunday Oliseh controversially stepped down as Super Eagles coach citing a lack of support from the NFF amongst other grievances. Presently, the interim coach is Salisu Yusuf who took over from  Samson Siasia who was drafted to  handle the squad after Oliseh's bizarre resignation. 

Salisu has been in charge of the team during recent friendlies and it is yet to be seen the role he will be given in the new management. If the statement of NFF Chairman Amaju Pinnick is anything to go by, it appears Salisu might not be considered as the coach on a permanent basis. Rumours are rife that the chosen candidate for the hot seat is former PSG and Cameroon coach, Paul Le Guen. Announcement on the identity of the coach whoever it is should be disclosed by the NFF soon.

It is important that this key aspect is taken care of as quickly as possible so that the coach can set the ground running as the Super Eagles take on Zambia in October. It is imperative that the manager if he turns out to be a foreigner gets familiar with the players he intends to use to prosecute the qualifiers against Zambia. 

Looking at the fixtures, Nigeria has the chance to build momentum and pile pressure on their group rivals if they can get a victory against Zambia away from home and defeat Algeria and Cameroon at home in the following games. Nigeria has been good at getting draws away from home and could achieve that against Cameroon and Algeria if they defeat Zambia at home. 

Easier said than done though. But it represents the likely way Nigeria will qualify if adequate preparations are made and the best players are selected based on current form and not solely on reputation. If in doubt, ask former England manager, Roy Hodgson on the pitfalls of picking a player based on reputation and not on form or fitness.

For the pessimistic lot among us, it is best not to have high hopes of qualifying if the recent failures to reach AFCON tournaments are anything to go by.  Zambia which could be regarded as the 'weakest' team in the group won the AFCON in 2012, defeating Ivory Coast in the final. Algeria won the AFCON in 1990 and are currently ranked 32 in the FIFA world rankings. They also rank as Africa's highest ranking team at the moment. If their performance at the last World Cup is to be considered, Nigeria would have to be at their very best when they come to town. 

Algeria indeed have world class players in their prime at the moment. Riyad Mahrez was voted PFA player of the year after a stellar campaign for Leicester City last season in which against all odds won the premier league. They also have the likes of Yacine Brahimi, Islam Slimani, and Sofiane Feghouli in their ranks amongst others excelling in various clubs in Europe. It has to be said though, that Algeria has a poor record against West African opposition and this represents a glimmer of hope for Nigeria.

As for Cameroon, they are in similar underwhelming circumstances like Nigeria. A former African Super power with 4 AFCON titles and 7 World Cup appearances but has been mediocre for close to a decade despite having world class players like Samuel Eto'o, Rigobert Song and Alex Song. There are signs though that they are on the brink of a resurgence and a clash with the old enemy Nigeria might trigger another rivalry similar to the glory days of both nations. 

In the last couple of years, Nigeria has emerged victorious or come out with a credible draw when they met each of the teams in their Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers group in friendlies or in a major tournament like the AFCON. Will these positive outcomes continue to be the trend or will the harsh reality of the curent state of the Super Eagles reveal how far we are behind our rivals?