By Daily Sports on March 27, 2018

I was on ITV Benin on Tuesday morning as co-guest of sports presenter Comrade Emerson’s daily breakfast sports programme Global Sports.

In the same programme were two other analysts, one of who I know having been in the programme with him before.

There was another guy whose name I have forgotten who was making his debut on the programme.

We all agreed on most of the talking points of the programme, but however there was a disagreement between me and the debutant on one fine point concerning a question that was directed to me by Emerson.

He asked if I felt that Gabriel Okechukwu, the CHAN Super Eagles and Akwa United attacker, could displace Changchun Yatai of China attacker Odion Ighalo as the top striker of the Super Eagles.

My answer was a no. I based my reply simply on the fact that Agu is not as experienced as Ighalo and has not done enough to displace the former Watford man.

But the Global Sports debutant disagreed with me by stating that the door shouldn’t be closed on any one and that there must be a level-playing field for all invited players to fight for their shirts.

He further reeled out names of players like Emmanuel Amuneke who, in 1994, became a hero of the Super Eagles by making his first start and scoring two goals that earned Nigeria a 2-1 win over Zambia in the Nations Cup final and ensured the Super Eagles won the Nations Cup that year in Tunisia.

But I countered by saying that my analysis of the situation concerning the duo is simply based on my common logical assessment of things, based on what I think of the recent past achievements of both players, their current form, and level of experience.

In everyone there’s a fair bit of romanticism; the one that pushes us to want to see an unheralded person surprisingly rising to the top against all odds. There’s a big possibility that an unheralded player could take the World Cup by storm and surprise everyone with match-winning superlative performances.

It is partly for this reason that some Nigerians continue to call for a level playing field so we won’t be denied of the possibility of seeing players who are in the fringes rise to impress.

But every coach that prepares for a tournament would always have a core of players expected to be in the first team and baring any unforeseen circumstances like a serious injury, the players will make it to the tournament and be a part of the fulcrum of the starting 11.

In this regard, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr can’t be different.

Having been around for a couple of years as coach of the team, I think he must have a good picture of the make-up of his first 11 with just a few months to the Mundial.

Looking at how the players have performed internationally and in their clubs in recent times, I think there are some positions in the starting 11 that are settled.

The center back pair of Leon Balogun are Troost Ekong is settled.

In the middle, Mikel Obi the captain and Wilfred Ndidi are going to be sure starters while in attack Odion Ighalo and Victor Moses have done enough to earn starting shorts at least in the first match of the world cup.

The remaining positions are still up for grabs and the players in contention must continue to believe.

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 27, 2018

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