After the morale-boosting 2-0 win over Madagascar on Sunday, it was apparent that the game plan of the national team is same as the one they used during the World Cup.
The Eagles were dumped out of the mundial after coming last in a group that comprised Argentina, South Korea, Greece and Nigeria.
Argentina beat Nigeria in the first game 1-0 and it could have been more but for the excellence of Vincent Enyeama, who personally stood between Lionel Messi and as least three goals.
In the second game, the Eagles succumbed to a 2-1 defeat after scoring the first goal through Kalu Uche. After Sani Kaita got himself sent off, the game changed and the Greeks were able to equalise and get the winning goal. In the final round of group matches, however, the Koreans drew 2-2 with Nigeria.
In the World Cup report produced by FIFA, the summation of the poor form displayed by the Eagles was that “Nigeria was left to rue their profligacy in front of goal as they finished at the foot of Group B.”
Planning for success
Another part of the FIFA report said: “The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa showed that the most successful teams were flexible and able to adapt their style of play to the match situation. It was this flexibility, together with the teams’ healthy aggression and the players’ excellent technique that paved the way to success. Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay, Brazil, Ghana, Argentina, Chile and the USA all provided the best examples of this.”
The Eagles played a 4-3-3 formation at the World Cup but it was more like a 4-2-1-2-1 because the two wide attackers did not complement the central striker on any of the goals scored by the Eagles.
Against Argentina in the opening match, Chinedu Obasi and Sani Kaita played upfront to support Yakubu Aiyegbeni but Kaita did not have any shot on target in South Africa. The questions will be asked of the former coach, Lars Lagerback on how he chose his personnel for the matches but like all things Nigerian – the report has not been published 64 days after the expiration of the tournament, and that is counting from the day of the final match between Spain and the Netherlands. We exited after the first round.
The report also said: “Teams were successful if they started a game with a set strategy but were able to adapt during the match. It was interesting to see Brazil, an experienced and well-drilled team, lose their focus after the Netherlands’ equaliser in the quarter-final as they were unable to adapt or cope with the pressure of having to win at all costs.”
The Super Eagles situation against South Korea was that of a team that could not change tactics mid-way because of the sending off of Sani Kaita, after Kalu Uche had grabbed the lead and was playing comfortably before the Kaita mishap.
Yobo described the situation thus, “We should have been better organised even when we went one man down. The experienced players in the team should have done better than we did. We made a lot of mistakes after the sending off.”
He also alluded to the fact that the team missed Mikel Obi at the World Cup.
The need for exceptional players
There was also the confirmation that Nigeria did not have any outstanding ball player in the mould of Austin Okocha. On this the FIFA report says “It is difficult to get in behind the opposition defence as teams are often very compact at the back with eight or nine players behind the ball.
“That is why teams now need outstanding individual players who can make their mark in one-on-one situations down the centre of the pitch but particularly down the wings, where they can drive as far as the opponent’s goal line to create space that often does not exist down the centre of the pitch.”
The player who got close to this for the Eagles in South Africa was Kalu Uche but the Almeria man can be largely frustrating. Though he scored two goals against South Korea and Greece, his major contribution was in the first match against Argentina. When he came on with Osaze Odemwingie, they were able to stretch the Argentine back-line and the Eagles almost scored an equaliser in the closing minutes of that match.
Formation
Although Uruguay played player of the tournament, Diego Foran, as the principal striker, he operated mostly in an advanced midfield position behind the team’s main striker, Luis Suarez. In effect, Forlán had a free role and was always looking to keep play moving before driving forward. Some observers believe Osaze Odemwingie could have played this role for the team but only Lagerback can explain why he did not utilise the player in that role.
Commenting on this, Garba Lawal a former member of the Super Eagles who was in South Africa, as an observer believes that the Eagles did not play to their strengths.
“The team did not have a good balance. We were not pressurising key offensive positions and not trying hard enough to put pressure on the player with the ball.
“Maybe it was because of the new coach and the new way he tried to set the team. Looking at what we are doing now, we are neither playing through the wings or through the centre.”
The FIFA report continued: “Teams such as Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Chile aggressively tried to win the ball back in the opponent’s half of the pitch or close to the halfway line at the latest. This tactic prevented opponents from building attacks as they were not given time to construct moves.
Some teams like Argentina, Germany, and Ghana used a mixture of the two types of tactics.
Playing tactics
In a match, tactics play a key role in the success or failure of a team. For world champions, Spain, their tactics was pressuring the opponent in their half to create mistakes. Teams such as Algeria, Uruguay, Portugal and Switzerland lay in wait in their own half of the pitch before launching quick counter-attacks to catch opponents off guard.
“Some teams defended too deep, however, which meant that their defenders could be outpaced.” Nigeria has to fall into this category as against Greece as we defended too deep and that meant Enyeama was always playing blind behind his defenders as the players were literally standing in his line of vision.
Christian Chukwu believes the team has to evolve its own unique style of play using the players that presently compose the squad.
“Nigeria has to devise a working tactic that will suit its players. No matter how much you can hold and pass the ball, you cannot do it as well as the Brazilians of the Spanish. We have both technically gifted players who are also supreme athletes. We also have a lot of flair but we must find a way to mix everything up to suit us and to get the desired results,” he said.
FIFA report said the successful teams at the World Cup; “the Netherlands, Germany and Spain all used a 4-2-3-1 formation – a type of 4-3-3 but they all interpreted this system in their own way. Holland fielded an attacking trio behind their lone striker, Robin Van Persie. Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt played on the wings, but they were always looking to push forward to create a three-man attack with Van Persie. Robben and Kuyt often rotated and swapped positions during matches”.
Successful transition
Nigeria’s last match against Madagascar showed improvements in the fact that more home-based players got a chance to show their quality and new players were introduced but football analysts believe that the change that is needed goes beyond just changing personnel but that there has to be a scientific approach to defining where football will go in the country and how to approach it.
Paul Bankole, a coach, is more interested in growth than superfluous activity. He said: “We know the problem – and it that of insincerity from the authorities. We need to understand that planning is life. What we saw in South Africa was a result of a total lack of planning.
“We must stop lying about the age of our players, develop the local league and school sports and make sure that only those deserving of the jersey wear it. If we can start that immediately, we will see genuine growth and our players will be well sought off again from all over the world.”
