Nigeria’s World Cup preparation has largely been serene, with the Super Eagles camp – and supporters – filled with optimism ahead of their sixth appearance at the Mundial. Admittedly, there are some concerns, with the identity of the goalkeeper and the starting centre-forward the subjects of considerable debate before the tournament.
Similarly, there are doubts about who will start at full-back – due to a wealth of options rather than a deficiency – while the loss of Moses Simon to injury is a loss that could prove more severe than many expect. However, generally, there are considerable reasons for optimism, despite a testing group-stage draw.
That perception may have changed after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by England at Wembley, where coach Gernot Rohr found himself faced with new challenges and problems, the like of which he may not have been expecting after Nigeria’s comfortable qualifying campaign.
The central midfield has long been an area of strength for this Super Eagles side. There has been, during Rohr’s tenure, an ideal balance in the heart of the park; Wilfred Ndidi is the destroyer, John Obi Mikel is the creator, and Ogenyi Onazi offers the legs.
Kwese Sports and John Obi Mikel spoke about their excitement together as the Nigeria captain and former Chelsea midfielder announced their new partnership. The last two have a long relationship and understanding stretching back to the 2013 African Cup of Nations success, and while there have long been debates about who should join them as the ‘Third Man’ in the heart of the park, those discussions were ended with the emergence of Ndidi.
The defensive midfielder took to life in the Premier League immediately last season after joining the then-troubled champions Leicester City halfway through the campaign. He asserted himself immediately in the midfield – the Foxes finally had a replacement for N’Golo Kante – and proved his mettle in the Premier League with a seamless adaption to the top flight.
Ndidi also looked the part in the Champions League knockouts, and was the Prem’s most effective tackler this term, averaging 4.2 tackles-per-match. The midfielder is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and his absence was felt against England on Saturday – it’s worth noting that any further assessments about Nigeria’s midfield on the day must be made with the caveat that they were without their key man in the heart of the park. While the likes of Abdullahi Shehu and Francis Uzoho have been criticised for the Super Eagles’ sub-par first-half showing on Saturday – and they were fortunate to have gone in only 2-0 down at the break – it was arguably in the midfield where things really fell apart.
Out of possession, Nigeria lacked the intensity, the awareness and the organisation that was required to stifle and stymie an England side who looked to control the ball and set the tempo.
England’s players constantly found space with their sharp passing and intelligent movement, but in truth, they were allowed to play by a midfield that did not act as a coherent unit and were without the presence to put pressure on their foe. Ndidi surely would have helped the situation, but Joel Obi – his replacement – and Onazi appeared off the pace and, at times, unfocused.
Some of the blame must also be apportioned to Rohr, for the side’s apparent lack of organisation, and to Mikel, as the coach’s de facto on-field leader. “They were neither compact with a good block, nor pressing early,” said KweséESPN opposition analyst and former Zambia coach Irfan Kawri. “They were neither here nor there.” In possession, all three were culpable as the Eagles failed to make the most of their opportunities to deny England the ball and impose themselves on the hosts.
It was Onazi who gave possession away carelessly in the build-up to England’s second goal, while Alex Iwobi, perhaps desperate to impress the Wembley public, had also been guilty of overly ambitious play in key areas during the first half. England’s Harry Kane (left) and Nigeria’s Ogenyi Onazi battle for the ball during the International Friendly match at Wembley Stadium, London. Certainly, the performances of Onazi and Obi, now running out of chances to stake a claim to a starting berth, will come as a major concern ahead of Nigeria’s World Cup opener against Croatia.
Perhaps the key to winning that first match and setting the tone for the Eagles’ entire campaign will be winning the midfield battle against a Croatia side that can call upon Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mateo Kovacic. In their friendly defeat by Brazil on Saturday, they served reminders of how they are organised, use the ball intelligently and are tough to dispossess. On this weekend’s evidence, they have the potential to assert themselves emphatically over the Eagles in Kaliningrad on June 16.
Both Onazi and Obi were replaced at half-time against England, and while the former is still likely to start against Croatia, expect Rohr to assess some of his other options against the Czech Republic in midweek. John Ogu, so calm, composed and assertive after being introduced, may finally be winning over the manager, while Oghenekaro Etebo offers the kind of energy that was lacking during the first half against England.
Such is Ndidi’s quality, he could yet be the panacea to the ills of Saturday’s showing, yet the extent to which Nigeria were outplayed by the Three Lions ought to raise major concerns for Rohr about the viability of this Eagles midfield…particularly with Croatia the first team up in Russia. ESPN
