By Douglas Baye-Osagie
1. It’s safe to say that after watching the first-round fixtures in the ongoing 35th African Cup of Nations in Morocco, Nigerian fans can start dreaming. Eric Chelle’s team has not only put their opponents to the sword, they’ve been swashbuckling and full of variety in tactics and execution.
2. First, we had a seemingly typical Nigerian type of preparation. The squad list was announced quite late after the disappointment of missing the World Cup. Some key players like Benjamin Frederick and Ola Aina were missing due to injuries, while the standing skipper, William Troost-Ekong, ended his international career. A list with a defensive crack wasn’t a potential champion in the making.
3. A friendly 2-1 loss to record champions Egypt in Cairo didn’t provide conviction about the true strength, though it gave the coach an opportunity to try out some of his new invitees.
4. The tournament, which has had some of the best organisational qualities in recent times, has kicked off, and we can all see that the Super Eagles, after victories over Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda, are in Morocco with the intent to play seven games and return home with the trophy. With the exception of Senegal, no team has looked like a potential champion like the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
5. But recent history suggests that Nigeria must tread with caution after a similar perfect first-round display in Cameroon in AFCON 2021 resulted in a 2nd-round exit. Tunisia humbled the Super Eagles and sent them home with a lone strike that has still defined the career of Maduka Okoye. Winning your first three games is not a free ticket to the quarter finals because recent AFCON history some teams won all their group stage matches and were eliminated in the Round of 16:
- 2019: Egypt (eliminated by South Africa) and Morocco (eliminated by Benin Republic)
- 2021: Nigeria (eliminated by Tunisia)
- 2023: Senegal (eliminated by Cote d’Ivoire)
These teams were eliminated by best loser teams.
6. Talking tactics, the Super Eagles have benefited from the avalanche of technically brilliant attacking options. A team that houses the two top goal-scorers in Turkish football, two former African footballers of the year, and has the luxury of not even playing the top goalscorer in the European Conference League is a threat to the rest of the continent. The Super Eagles have used the extra training time, which they’ve benefited from since the coach took the job, to provide the attacking verve to kill their opponents.
7. Against Tunisia in the second group game, the Super Eagles showed amazing coordination with a cagey and fluid midfield, which was the catalyst to blow open the North Africans. Going three goals up against a team that didn’t concede throughout the World Cup qualification shows how dominant the Super Eagles have become under Chelle.
8. For the record, the Coach hasn’t lost a match in 90 minutes since taking over as Super Eagles manager. The players have stayed true to the cause by taking each game as it comes. The only snag so far has been game management towards the end of the match. Conceding goals in the last quarter of the game has dented the three victories recorded so far in the competition. This should be the first correction the technical crew makes in the later stages of the competition.
9. Against Mozambique, the same mentality must be used to approach this fixture in what will be our last game in Fes, a venue that has seen 3 sweet victories with showers of rain throughout the competition. The Super Eagles won’t take this game lightly and will look to add to the memory bank of the fans. A convincing victory against the Mambas should be enough to instill fear in the favourites when they travel to Casablanca for the quarter-finals against Algeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
10. In terms of deployment, there has been a little stability in goal, and Stanley Nwabali should start for the team. His mental state of mind is still debated after the loss of both parents a year ago, but he has carried on with the pain, as we see from his recent interviews. He needs to reduce his antics and distribute the balls quicker than normal.
11. The defence hasn’t been tested much, but after the rest given to most of the starters in the last game, we should see the first-team back four of Osayi, Calvin, Ajayi, and Bruno. They’ve all earned their places in the team and should attempt to keep their first clean sheet of the competition.
12. The midfield gets a bit interesting. Will Eric Chelle opt for an Iwobi-Ndidi pivot, as seen in the opening game against Tanzania, or choose a more combative midfield with an extra leg in Frank Onyeka, or likely give Rapael Onyedika a chance to play ahead of Onyeka? I’d be bold and start Onyeka in this game if I were Chelle, because of the goal threat he poses when the team is attacking.
13. Mozambique, with all due respect, should be denied the ball with a midfield of Ndidi, Onyedika, and Iwobi. This will give our attacking players a lot of movement in the box and possibly lead to plenty of goal-scoring opportunities. Onyedika’s man-of-the-match performance against Uganda has shown he’s too much quality to sit on the Super Eagles bench.
14. The attack has become the beauty of the Super Eagles in this competition. While Osimhen brings the biggest threat and distraction to opponents, the rest of the attack and teammates have scored goals and created chances for the team.
15. In Akor Adams, we have a glimpse of the 90s version of Daniel Amokachi and possibly Samson Siasia. His diagonal runs around the attack and bursts of speed have brought midfielders into the game and created chances for Victor Osimhen. An old-fashioned supporting striker who can flow with the main striker is rare in modern football.
16. In Ademola Lookman, Nigeria has a potential player of the tournament in this AFCON. He’s been direct and precise, and his shooting range has been the deadliest weapon in the team. Chelle must deploy him more from the left rather than through the middle, as a running Lookman attracts defenders and tears up the opposition.
17. Osimhen should be told to put less pressure on himself. He has the qualities, and he’s not proving anything to anyone. His desire and intentions are applauded, but he can do with a calmer head in front of goal. Mozambique shouldn’t prove too much of a problem, but the team must take their chances and give opportunities to a hungry bench to help close the game.
18. Paul Onuachu has shown he can keep the ball on his feet and help the attacking players with that virtuoso performance against Uganda. His first AFCON goal has blended him into the competition, and I expect Eric Chelle to bring him on at some point.
19. Tactically, I’m expecting a lineup that will not only seize possession but also score an average of 3 goals and finally keep a clean sheet for the first time in the competition.
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