Eagles, this is your life

Victor Moses owes his mates a world of duty to give his best today in Uyo against the Algerians. I imagine that Moses apologised secretly to his teammates for dodging the away tie against Zambia in Ndola last month. The manner in which Moses avoided the Chipolopolo jolted not just the coaches but the fans, who had watched him shine for his English Premier League side, Chelsea FC of England.

It is easy for Moses to walk back into the team because we beat the Zambians at home. Had the Eagles been beaten in Ndola, Moses won’t be in Uyo. His presence therefore in today’s battle should be the elixir that the Eagles need to fly over the Desert Foxes at dusk.

I have picked Moses out for this exercise because he appears to have the qualities needed to drive the Eagles to victory, akin to what he does at Chelsea, where his selfless displays have earned him accolades in the international media. Moses must distribute passes to his teammates who are freer to score, not shoot blindly like he did in the past for the Eagles.

Nigerians want to celebrate from the blast of the whistle. I feel strongly that Moses is the match stick that can ignite some of the finer qualities of Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi. If Moses plays for the team, Iheanacho could score a hat-trick. I won’t be surprised if Iwobi joins the scorers’ list. It won’t be out of place to task Moses to score goals too, only as the icing on the cake of the avalanche of goals expected from the Eagles.

This isn’t blind optimism. Nor is it unrepentant patriotism. It is the fact because the Algerians are depleted in strength and should be drubbed with goals, if our players play to their potentials.

Should the Eagles soar over the Desert Foxes with five goals, for instance, it would rule them out of the race for the sole ticket since such heavy defeats would affect the psyche of the Algerians, who are fanatical when supporting their team.

If Nigeria’s flag must be hoisted in Russia in 2018, formidable sides, such as Algeria, who care visiting us with an injury-ridden side, should be battered with goals. With Algeria out of the picture, it would be quite easy for the Eagles to grab the 13th point in the return leg next year, since their fans won’t be keen on the outcome of the game. Drubbing Algeria with goals would also scare the wits out of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, our next opponents at home next year.

The Eagles must restore the fear factor that most teams had for them in the past by whipping this half-fit Algerian side. We must make the Nest of Champions Stadium our slaughter slab, beginning with the Algerians. Moses, give us this day with your best performance to appease many fans, who feel strongly that you shouldn’t be in this game. But since the manager decides who plays, we wish you the best and pray that you play to your full potentials for us all to celebrate. Going to Russia in 2018 is a task that must be done.

I have enjoyed reading the concern expressed by soccer-loving Nigerians over the absence of Carl Ikeme in today’s game. What an irony of fate because the same fear was expressed when Nigeria began her failed bid for a qualification ticket to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania.

It was Sunday Oliseh’s first game against the Taifa Stars, with legendary goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama out of the squad. Many people panicked. I remember telling those who expressed fear about Ikeme’s ability to hold the fort in Enyeama’s absence that he was the reserve goalkeeper for the Eagles at the Africa Cup of Na tions hosted by Ghana in 2008. Ikeme was the Man-of-the-Match. As they say, the rest is history. Ikeme was also spectacular against the Zambians in Ndola.

The figure to snatch the sole qualification ticket is either 12 or 13 points. And having a good goalkeeper makes the task easy, once the strikers are efficient in scoring goals. Eagles should aim at beating the Algerians with a margin of four goals, knowing that Cameroonians are home against the Zambians. Goals could decide the eventual winner of the group, if two teams tie on points at the top of the table.

Sadly, the League Management Company (LMC) has cast an indulgent eye on the critical issue of naming the best players per week in what is globally known at Team of the Week. If the LMC had this rating chart in its 38-week league competition, Coach Rohr would have looked at it. He could also have asked for the match tapes to pick the man to replace Ikeme. We must learn how to replace foreign-based players with our homegrown lads, if we want to encourage them to play here.

Sources in the team’s camp said that Daniel Akpeyi could be selected ahead of Dele Alampasu. But what I know from foreign coaches is that they like to see players perform during training to make their decisions. And with the way those who saw the game between the possible and the probables are singing Alampasu’s praises, I won’t be surprised if he is picked ahead of Akpeyi.

It is easy for cynics to talk about Alampasu’s lack of experience. But I differ here because Alampasu has been incredible playing for his Portuguese third division side. Goalkeepers don’t attract quick contracts from European clubs, like strikers, midfielders and defenders. So, if Alampasu can play regularly for his Portuguese side, I don’t see how the Algerians would rattle him. Not with his outstanding performance with the World Cup winning Golden Eaglets.

I saw the Eagles defence in Ndola and wasn’t convinced that Musa Mohammed would have been worse off than Wilfred Ndidi who played at the right back. Not only was Ndidi unable to stop his opponents, he lacked the vision to locate his team mates with good passes, preferring to hit the ball aimlessly into the skies.

I understood why Rohr played midfielder Ndidi ahead of Mohammed in the Zambian game. The German wasn’t comfortable with the fact that Mohammed wasn’t playing regularly for his Turkish side. Good decision. But it is expedient that the coach has done a recant. I hope his decision is right this time. No excuses, dear Rohr.

I was excited when Rohr recalled Mohammed in spite of his playing few matches for his Turkish side. Mohammed is a natural right back who understands the rudiments of playing in that position. He marks his opponents closely and he is comfortable joining the team’s attack, just as he knows that he must fall back to defend when his team loses the ball.

The Eagles defence in Ndola panicked under pressure. Goalkeeper Ikeme’s brilliance hid the defenders’ mistakes. Our wingers must fall back to help the defenders. Kenneth Omeruo panics, largely because he wants to be stylish, only to lose the ball due to lack of concentration. Rohr has the option of pairing Troost Ekong with Leon Balogun, if he is fit. But is a half fit Balogun better than Omeruo? I don’t think that the coach should parade any unfit player. Unforced changes occasioned by fielding any player with injury worries before the game would be a monumental disaster. Balogun appears not to be 100 per cent fit. Eagles’ defence needs a leader to direct others on what to do in Ikeme’s absence.

I want to see what Moses and Iwobi will do when we lose the ball. Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger has repeatedly charged Iwobi to fall back to mark. Moses’ biggest edge over his competitors at Chelsea is his ability to fall back when Chelsea is under pressure and also join the attacking onslaughts on the counter.

I share in Mikel’s warning that they confront the Algerians with caution. I also identify with his charge to the players that they must score goals to guarantee the result that we desire. Injuries have disrupted the plans of both managers. But the effect is more with the Algerians. And it helps our cause to drub them with goals. The midfield of Ogenyi Onazi, Mikel, Iwobi and Iheanacho look like one to deliver the goals, if they pass the ball to the freest teammate to tuck the ball inside the net.

The pertinent question to ask the Eagles manager is where he hopes to play Ogenekaro Etebo today? Etebo is strong, fast and has the knack for scoring goals. He shoots well and I look forward to seeing how Rohr will pair him with Iheanacho. What happens to Ahmed Musa, Brown Ideye, Odion Ighalo and Moses Simon, who held the Eagles’ attacking positions? Rohr, I don’t envy you.

Like the Zambians said before the October 9 game in Ndola, the Algerian manager, Georges Leekens, has told his boys to mark out Iwobi and Iheanacho, if they hope to leave the Nest of Champions Stadium, Uyo unscathed.

Leekens said: “We have found out the two important players in Nigeria’s team; they are Iwobi and Iheanacho. In their tight spaces, their teammates are always looking for them. They are also good at running behind unnoticed. The key is to deny them access to the ball, as whichever formation Nigeria plays, they are key, not even their captain. Stopping Iwobi and Iheanacho will neutralise Nigeria’s complex formation.”

Such mind games won’t shock Rohr, nor would it affect his strategies today, knowing what to expect from the Algerians. Ninety minutes can be short if goal-scoring chances are frittered away. And such missed chances return to hurt such wasteful teams. Indeed, goals scored galvanise the fans to root for such winning teams. They want to see goals scored and quickly too so they can beat their chests to say: “I said so.”

Will Rohr hand Iheanacho the task of scoring the goals? Or will he evolve a scoring template that will make the scorers be those who can free themselves from their markers? Or will one player seize the day like Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Okocha did in the past?

Our players owe Nigerians this victory, especially as the country will be missing out of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Gabon. Incidentally CAF has raised the winners’ prize to $4 million. Many Nigerians are still ruing Nigeria’s absence from the Africa Cup of Nations. Give us this day, dear Eagles. Up Nigeria!

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