The Super Eagles were defeated for the first time
in 2013 because of a lack of potent strikers who could have finished
off La Celeste
ANALYSISBy Babajide Alaka | Deputy EditorThe
Super Eagles tasted defeat for the first time in 2013 and after taking
sometime to sink in we will realise the defeat showed that the team is
almost ready to compete with and beat some of the best teams in the
world.
The Confederations Cup will have afforded the technical crew a true
assessment of some of the players in the team and know which holes have
to be filled in the coming months as the World Cup qualifiers get to a
very critical stage.
Goal looks at some of the insights that showed forth against Uruguay.
| KESHI IS DOING SOMETHING RIGHT |
Thursday’s 2-1 defeat was the first that the Eagles have suffered
this year and the last time they lost was to Peru (another South
American team) in 2012. In that time, the team has won the Nations Cup,
are on the cusp of qualifying for the third round of African qualifiers
for the World Cup and the team has restored the confidence of players in
the local league.
The ‘Big Boss’ is definitely doing something right in helping to
rebuild the national team and the good part is that he is getting
results. Though he has made mistakes and continues to make them (which
human being is above mistakes?), he has shown that with some patience
and support, he can get the job done; though we do not clearly
understand the targets that have been set for him by his employers – the
Nigeria Football Federation.
What he has shown in the 20 months that he has been in charge is that
a Nigerian coach can get results with the national team if he is
supported, that the local league still possesses talents in abundance
and that Nigeria has not been left behind in football development.
| MIKEL MUST PUSH UP AND KESHI HAS TO REJIG HIS TACTICAL FORMATION |
It was not about the goal that Mikel Obi scored even though that
helped this assertion but the fact that the Eagles do not have a
substantive playmaker makes it pertinent that Mikel is pushed directly
behind the strikers.
At the Nations Cup, he had three assists without scoring but his
passes most of the time prompted the forward play of the Eagles. Against
Uruguay, he again showed that he can move the ball quickly in the final
third and that if the chance comes he can finish.
Though this causes a problem in the balance of the team as initially
he is supposed to be the second defensive midfielder but since he will
push up, there is always a gap that is left behind. In South Africa,
Nosa Igiebor suffered for this and against Uruguay, John Ogu suffered
because he was supposed to be the offensive player but most times, Mikel
was in the positions he was supposed to be occupying. So Keshi needs to
affirm Mikel to go forward while looking for other defensive hands to
join Ogenyi Onazi in patrolling the front of the back four.
| WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING COGENT ABOUT SET PIECES |
There were some instances when the Eagles should have caused Uruguay some problems on Thursday but
La Celestewere
let off the hook by bad deliveries. In modern football, set pieces are
strong avenues to get goals because it needs maybe one or two strikes to
get the ball in the net.
We know that we missed the services of Victor Moses, who was in
charge of free kicks and corners at the Nations Cup but we need to find
another player apart from Mikel who is capable of delivering pin-point
crosses.
There is also the issue of pulling rank when the opportunities
present themselves so the coach must have the first, second and third
alternatives so that it is not that – ‘I am feeling good; let me take
this’ attitude that will reign. In some matches, it may just be the only
opportunity to score.
| AKPALA DOES NOT HAVE A PLACE WHILE IDEYE CANNOT BE THE TOP STRIKER |
Yes, it is good that the coach is giving chances to players from all
over but by the end of this Confederations Cup tournament, Stephen Keshi
must know that the most probable cause of not going further (this is
not saying Nigeria can’t beat Spain and qualify) is that our players
cannot just put the ball in the net.
It showed against Kenya and Namibia – matches in which the Eagles
should have won very comfortably but for the inability of the strikers
to convert their chances.
For the Eagles going forward, Joseph Akpala and Brown Ideye cannot be
relied upon to get us goals. Ideye prospered at the Nations Cup because
of his understanding with Emmanuel Emenike and the fact that Emenike
was scoring.
Ideye scored just a goal in South Africa – that scuffed effort in the
semi-final against Mali and missed many in the final against Burkina
Faso. And like they say in England, he is the best striker in the
channels that the Eagles currently possess.
| WE NEED TO GET AN ANTIDOTE FOR SOUTH AMERICAN TEAMS |
Argentina, Peru and Uruguay all have something in common –they are
all from South America and they have all beaten the Super Eagles on the
world stage in the last 24 months. We need to confess the fact that we
have always had problems with countries from that region – especially
Brazil and the reason is not far fetched.
They are like us – play robustly, fast athletes but they are more
tactically sound – which is the edge they have. They also believe that
an African team is decidedly inferior, which plays out in their approach
to games against African teams.
When we qualify for the World Cup, I would suggest that the team
plays as many friendlies as possible against teams from that region.
There will be five of them so there is every possibility that we could
be grouped with one of them – let’s try to break the hoodoo before then.
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