ARE THE FORWARDS TAKING US BACKWARD?
Will the best attackers disappear like last time?
Will Nigeria Surprise Nigerians Again, Like in 2013?
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By Victor Akpanchukwu
A blessed nation with unfortunate moments capable of incredible lows and unbelievable highs.
The Super Eagles aren't far from this description, when you least expect them to turn up, that's when they are at their best, when expected to soar, they end up sour. The last ten years can justify this. Since they last won the AFCON in 2013, Nigeria have managed to achieve a quirky stat: they've qualified for two World Cup tournaments, missed one and failed to make the 2015 and 2017 AFCON events qualifying for the 2019 and 2021 events.
The coaching dilemma has continued since after the departure of Late Stephen Keshi we haven't had a coach in whom we have confidence in. Under the Big Boss as Keshi was popularly known, the squad had touches of home-based players. We had nine different home based players featured under Keshi from 2011-2014, with Reuben Gabriel and Ejike Uzoenyi playing at the world cup. Since then, only six home based players have featured. This season, can the likes of Saviour Isaac of Enugu Rangers, Robert Mizo of Bayelsa and Sikiru of Remo Stars make the squad? They will be a good addition to the Super Eagles going into the AFCON in about 50 days. Under Keshi we had a brief stint of Shaibu Amodu and Daniel Amokachi took over from the Big Boss and Sunday Oliseh came in for a period of one "yeartroversy." It was then time for Gernet Rohr to roar the soaring Eagles to victory as he will end up as our longest ever serving coach before being relieved of his duties a month before the last AFCON in Cameroon.
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Well, in came Austin Eguaveon, nine pts from three group games (the only team to achieve that at the AFCON) a reinvented Moses Simon and it seemed like the saviour had arrived. Unfortunately, we were bundled out n the second round and one place was pointed out, "the goalkeeping," a persistent problem of consistent inconsistency with its solution yet to be found after eight years. Peseiro has since come in and have had a trow on Francis Uzoho has the first choice but no positive impact. Are the coaches always to be blamed or we need to look deeper at the administrative role?
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The big question has been if Jose Peseiro should be relieved of his duty?
Well any coach that leads Nigeria to the AFCON is blessed with a gem of forward players, Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen), Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest), Jonathan Okoronkwo (Arsenal Tula), Gift Orban (Gent), Chuba Akpom (Ajax), Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester), Terem Moffi (Nice), Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor), Umar Sadiq (Real Sociedad), Cyriel Dessers (Rangers), Akor Adams (Montpelier) and others the likes of Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman who can run down the flank.
On top of that slew of attacking talents like Emmanuel Dennis, David Okereke, Josh Naja, Ighalo, Ahmed Musa, Victor Olatunji, Leke James are left out to show you the glorious attack SUPER EAGLES can proudly boast of.
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Nigeria strikers have stolen the headlines in the last two seasons from Osimhen and Lookman battling for the golden boot in Serie A to Chuba Akpom winning the golden boot in the Championship and to Gift Orban getting five hat tricks in the space of eight months and to Akor Adams who scored a minute and 42 seconds brace on his Ligue un debut or is it Paul Onuachu who scored a goal worthy of the Puskas award? In Osimhen, the 24 yr old might have been out and last scored for SSC Napoli in October 8 but good news to all Nigerians as he has returned to training. With six goals in ten games this season and he averages 4.1 shot per game (the highest in Serie A), with 1.5 of those shots being on target, tells you of a Six-feet One-inch striker who is hungry for goals. Woe betide opposition defences when he is fully fit.
Victor Okoh Boniface, another Victor, not just known for his goals but for using the term "Amaka" on X. A fun guy on Social media to many Nigerians and was recently seen taking his mum to the Bundesliga to witness him score more goals. Sixteen appearances for Leverkusen has produced eleven goals with six assists and only Harry Kane (11.18) can boast of more expected goals (Xg) than his, (9.82) in the Bundesliga. Nathan Tella, his teammate has just one goal, one that came after his call up but he is yet to start for the club in the Bundesliga.
Taiwo Awoniyi, the 26 year old was eyeing a record of being the first African to score eight consecutive Premier League games at the start of the season, but was halted against Chelsea as he could only manage an assist on that day and was forced to stop at seven alongside Salah and Adebayor his fellow African compatriots. At the time of this writing it was confirmed that he will miss next year's AFCON. A big miss to Nottingham Forest not just Super Eagles as he has contributed to 27% of their goals since the start of last season as only Haaland (39%), Kane (32%) and Salah (28%) have had more. In addition, of the 118 players to have fired off ten or more shots, none have a better conversion rate than Taiwo Awoniyi (33.3%) in the Premier League this season
In Akor Adams, you have a player who have had a hat trick of Ligue un braces and only Mbappé has scored more league goals than him this season in the French top tier league. Seven goals in eleven games is enough for a call up to a national team right? No, definitely not in the Super Eagles but will he finally get that call up and join the Eagles to fly to Ivory Coast. Terem Moffi! Sounds familiar right? Yes! A 24 year old who got a call up over Adams with three goals and two assists. Seems Akor has got to add some assists to his name! Umar Sadiq another talented striker but yet to score this season after returning from injury but he's got an assist to his name as he has managed just three starts for the high flying Sociedad side.
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Paul Onuachu, 29 year old, the Six-feet Seven-inches striker needs no mentioning after announcing is name 29 seconds at his debut in Asaba on his debut but currently with six goals and one assist in eight appearances for the Turkish outfit, Trabzonspor. Cyriel Dessers, the best of him was seen in the inaugural Conference league some seasons back, this season he has had four goals to his name in fifteen games as he is yet to register his name among the top scorers in Europe. But there's someone who is scoring in Europe, Gift Orban, "the Gift that keeps giving," scoring the fastest hat trick in a UEFA competition at 3 minutes 25 seconds last season's Europa League. He is the current top scorer in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season with four goals in three games after his famous hat trick days after his name didn't make the list this time around, seven goals in total this season.
Kelechi Iheanacho known as senior man Kelz, at 27 years seems to be better off in the creative role for the Super Eagles with two assists and two goals for the eagles in the last four games will tell you a lot but for Leicester six goals and two assists is what he has managed in eighteen games.
An alternative to watch is Chuba Akpom of Ajax who seems to have been forgotten since switching his allegiance in 2019. A career best season with Boro after missing out of a promotion to the Premier League even after his 28 goals in 36 league games and Championship player of the year wasn't enough to propel his team past the championship. The Arsenal academy graduate this season has started just one of Ajax games this season scoring four goals but is yet to register a goal in Europe and amazingly, Akpom boasts the best mins per goal record in the Eredivisie this season (2+ apps) having scored a goal every 45 minutes.
Goal-scoring should not be an issue for the Super Eagles when the continental competition returns next year. The collective performance of Nigerian Super attack in home and abroad has presented a healthy headache to the coaching crew with Jonathan Okoronkwo of Arsenal Tula, who is 20 years of age presents a goal scoring option as he has better twelve goals in nineteen games this season. Robert Mizo and Sikiru are other names in the local scene.
The numbers have normalized, the stats have stabilized so we can analyze.
With this blessed attack where we saw six centre forwards and four midfielders called up, who feeds the attackers as the question begs, "Are the Forwards taking us Backward?"
With only one player, Alex Iwobi with the ability to create in the midfield, it's high time creativity is brought to the team as that could be the best option for our attackers to score. An embarrassing world cup outing in Uyo and Kigali is enough for the technical crew of the Super Eagles to know there's a problem somewhere. Even in the league you can find creative geniuses like Saviour Isaac, famously crowned the "King of the midfield in the NPFL" by Coach Fidelis after he scored his first goal for Rangers in the 4-1 victory over Kano Pillars earlier on this season, Olisema and many others who can make things happen are still in the mix.
Kelechi Nwakali, a prodigy at youth level after winning the MVP of Under-17 World Cup 2015, never really reached his full potential was brought in to solve the creativity problem by Eguaveon, Nigeria's first interim coach to lead the team to a major tournament. Things didn't quite work out as expected
In the next AFCON which is starting in 50 days. The Super Eagles are grouped with Host, Côte D'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea. "Naija no deh carry last" literally translates to "Nigeria never takes last position." As it is believed that this saying shows that Nigeria are the best wherever they find themselves, Africa's Giants. With the NFF coming with a slogan, "Let's Do It Again." The question beckons, what do they want to do again? Is it that they don't want to qualify for the world cup again? Obviously not, they are gunning for a fourth AFCON title, with 137 goals scored at all AFCON tournaments participated by the Eagles, you will be expecting more goals. But can these goals come without a proper creativity? No, and that's why more creativity is needed, given the wealth of talent Nigeria have up front, it is that time were Nigerians are dreaming of a return to glory. The forwards will need a proper midfield to take the country forward. And forwards will also be needed to be available unlike last AFCON where inform Emmanuel Dennis missed out, Osimhen was out through injury, Ighalo couldn't make it. Well, with Awoniyi out, there's a shout that 2021 AFCON played in 2022 won't repeat itself in 2023 AFCON played in 2024 but possibly a 2013 AFCON is what the Eagles are gunning to do again.
It will be a chance to dance at the AFCON so at the end they can romance the trophy and make the Fans happy in a country that was colonized by France.
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