The new Super Eagles coach opted to leave the Watford forward out of the
team for the weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, was it a grave
mistake?
It wasn’t the kind of start Sunday Oliseh
would have wanted in his bow as Super Eagles boss, but there can’t
really be too many complaints about the goalless draw with Tanzania in
the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers over the weekend.
There weren't too many positives to take from Oliseh's debut encounter, although debutant
Carl Ikeme, who made a string of saves that ensured the result didn’t
go the way of the Taifa Stars, deserves the credit he has subsequently
received. The Wolverhampton Wanderers shot stopper put in an excellent
performance that was enough to reassure fans that Nigeria’s no.1
position is secure even after Vincent Enyeama calls it a day.
Beyond him, though, has there been much to commend Oliseh?
Ikeme has secured much of the headlines since the match, taking the attention away from Nigeria’s offensive deficiencies
Emmanuel Emenike’s Super Eagles goal drought continued and one must
wonder, in light of the new Al Ain man’s recent struggles, why Oliseh
didn’t turn to Odion Ighalo.
There had been a huge public outcry over Oliseh’s decision to
overlook Ighalo, although the coach reiterated that the forward is part
of his plans and only left him out because he invited two players
for each position.
Why couldn’t Ighalo be the second man along with Anthony Ujah rather than the misfiring Emenike?
Goal’s Solace Chukwu gave two reasons:
‘Either he does not rate the player or he considers Tanzania
low-hanging fruit.’ However, in light of the 0-0 draw, questions must be
asked about whether Oliseh’s logic is sound.
In a recent Goal poll,
exploring the exclusion of foreign-based players in Oliseh’s list for
the Tanzania game, Ighalo polled the highest as the most surprising
exclusion. The Super Eagles supporters clearly want him with the squad,
and clearly disagree with Oliseh’s reasoning.
Why wouldn’t Oliseh rate Ighalo?
The Super Eagles’ strike force hasn’t been anything to write home
about in recent times, and Ighalo could be the one to reignite the fire.
The result from the poll indicates that the supporters see the worth in
the forward and want him present.
Has Ighalo not done enough in the Premier League to deserve a starring role for Nigeria?Ighalo’s start to life in the English top flight with Watford has been encouraging.
After an eight-year stint in the Championship, the Hornets’ ultimate aim will be survival, and Ighalo can lead the charge.
The former Granada forward scored a fantastic 20 goals in the
Championship en route to EPL promotion last term and, along with captain
Troy Deeney, has been the key figure in the Hertfordshire side’s
forward line. Indeed, Ighalo has already found the net in the top
flight, bagging in the opening-day victory over Everton. Goal’s Ed Dove describes Ighalo
as “an electric talent of whom great things are expected” and great
things should definitely be expected for the 20-goal frontman this
season.
Dove also noted that Ighalo notched up 13 goals in nine games in
January, which was more than the best players in the game Lionel Messi
and Cristiano Ronaldo managed within that period. His Championship stats
put him in contention to set the EPL abuzz and the few glimpses he has
shown this season indicate that, with a bit of refinement, he can be a
menace for Premier League defenders.
Oliseh must reconsider his options carefully and not go in the path
of his predecessor Stephen Keshi, who never really found the right
balance in the squad. Oliseh shouldn’t experiment on players for too
long and must play his best players in order to find the formula to put
Nigeria back at the top of the continental food chain.
Relative minnows
such as the Taifa Stars can be overcome if Nigeria have their best XI on
the field, otherwise, this ‘low-hanging fruit’ will continue to pose
problems for the Super Eagles.
Ighalo—now a regular in the world’s greatest league—will surely be a
key figure as Nigeria return to their former glory…if, of course, Oliseh
picks him.
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