Ezenwa, Agu, Rohr: 4 talking points as Eagles fly near Russia News

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Ezenwa, Agu, Rohr: 4 talking points as Eagles fly near Russia

By Daily Sports on September 5, 2017

Its mission almost accomplished for Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles. With four points taking in the double header against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in the Russia 2018 world cup qualifiers, Nigeria sits pretty comfortably on top of their qualifying group, and baring any monumental disastrous surprises from their last two games against Zambia and Algeria, the Super Eagles are going to be in Russia given their near unassailable lead.

Here are five main talking points from the Nigeria vs Cameroon double header.

1. Rohr has got the Eagles roaring like lions

German born tactician Gernot Rohr has no doubt greatly steadied the Super Eagles ship and they’re playing with the confidence and tactical discipline that made them a feared force of African football for decades.

The Super Eagles played free flowing football and have scored goals aplenty in their qualifying games.

It looks pleasing for the Eagles fans to see their famed wing play come alive again as Moses Simon and (especially) Victor Moses mesmerised Cameroon with pace and skills time after time in the course of the two-legged qualify. Their display brought back sweet memories of the heady days, under Dutch technical adviser Clemence Westerhof, when Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke were patrolling the Eagles flanks.

The two wingers showed the discipline of timing their tracking back and keeping the middle of the pack compact when the Eagles didn’t have the ball. Such discipline is the hallmark of a good and well drilled side. Rohr deserves the credit for focussing on such important details and deserves accolades.

2. Ndubuisi Agu’s must learn fast from mentor Mikel

Vitoria Setubal’s young attacking midfielder Ndubuisi Agu is one of the players in the slipstream of youth injected in the Super Eagles and it’s heartening to see him feature for the Eagles.

I played with Agu (he was a junior player at my grassroots club BJ Foundation) some years ago before he left for Portuguese giants Porto and to see the young gentleman make such giant leaps in his career is sweet.

Judging from what I’ve seen of his two appearances for the Eagles against Cameroon, he’s got the talents to play for the Eagles. His creativity in the midfield is not in doubt, for those of us who have watches him closely. However Agu, I think, needs to be more assertive for the Eagles.

Against Cameroon in Yaounde, he seemed to immediately move into a deeper midfield position when he replaced Mikel Obi with about 20 minutes left of the game and that coincided with a tough period for the Eagles as they struggled to contain the rampaging Cameroonians who smelled blood immediately Mikel departed.

I'm not sure whether it was a tactical decision from Rohr, but Agu isn’t the best of markers and requiring him to be stationed in front of the back four to shield the defence may not be the most effective way to use the lad.

Agu needs to have the confidence to play behind the striker, as Mikel did so effectively over the course of the games against Cameroon, screening with Odion Ighalo and using his creative instincts to open up play for Nigeria.

That’s where Agu is most effective. It boils down perhaps to how confident he is to get into advanced positions and take risks to hurt opponents and establish his name firmly in the team list of the Eagles.

3. Rorh must prepare for another battle after the qualifiers

Yes, we all know that the lobbyists are patiently waiting for the Eagles to qualify for the World Cup before jumping in with (some strange names) to tag along the established stars in the World Cup squad list. We’ve been there before. Rohr must use all the experience in his disposal to ensure that every player in the world cup squad gets there on merit.

To do well in the Mundial, the Super Eagles need a strong squad depth and players with the right characteristics to have that are good enough to allow for flexibility of tactics and personnel.

The difference between success and failure may lie on such details in the world cup.

So far Rohr has shown good managerial know-how in ensuring a relatively harmonious eagles group, far away from the turmoil that marked his local predecessors reign in charge of the senior national team. If there’s any one that can help keep the lobbyists at bay with firmness and calm, my money is on Rohr.

4. Ezenwa’s penalty error shows there’s still work to do in the ’keeping department

The fears of many Nigerians about how well a local goalkeeper would fare against Cameroon with the absence of hitherto regulars Carl Ikeme and Vincent Enyeama were allayed by the generally assured performance of Ikechukwu Ezenwa between the sticks in the two games.

Ezenwa looked solid, organised his defense well and showed great agility to smother any danger on a number of occasions, save the one in which a moment of rashness gifted Cameroon a penalty in Yaounde.

Against bigger opponents and more deadly strikers at the world cup, Ezenwa, if he’s first choice, would be called into action much more. The goalkeeper coaches must do much more work on him and try to make him better at deciding when and where to commit to coming out and stretching his hands in the face of an onrushing opponent.

There would be calls to get Enyeama back because he's been there and done that, but it’s fair to give the likes of Ezinwa as much chance as possible in the training ground and in top friendlies to be the number 1 that his desire deserves.

Source Daily Sports

Posted September 5, 2017