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Ahead of the round of 16 game in the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, former Nigerian midfielder, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has called on the interim coach of the Super Eagles, Austine Eguavoen to utilise Kelechi Iheanacho as a striker because he’s more of a top finisher.
Okocha, a master dribbler during his playing days, noted that coach Eguavoen has not been fixing players in their best positions.
He said for instance that Alex Iwobi should have been more functional in the No.10 role where Kelechi Iheanacho played against Guinea Bissau.
“I’d like to see the coach play players in their right positions,” Okocha, a former Super Eagles star told Super Sports.
“Iwobi became a better player when he took over the No.10 from Kelechi Iheanacho.
“Kelechi Iheanacho is not a typical No.10. He is a top finisher. I can understand why the coach is playing him in that position because he can convert a half chance.”
23 Comments
I have echoed this many times Okocha is right.Iheanacho is a great finisher he is best as a top striker.Playing Iheanacho behind the top striker is undermining his strength.He should be in contest with Aboubakar for the tournament goalador had he featured as a centre forward.
I also mentioned the misuse of Iwobi by Eguavoen.I was shocked hearing Yobo saying Iwobi is best a winger he is definitely not and he demonstrated that when he swapped position to his natural number ten in the second half where he flourished compared to his ineffective first half playing from the wings.
Super eagles should do better playing Iwobi behind Iheanacho,Simon and Chukwueze from the wings.
We should play this way henceforth.
OKOYE AINA SANUSI EKONG OMERUO/AJAYI. NDIDI ARIBO. SIMON CHUKWUEZE. IWOBI.IHEANACHO
Super eagles played to their strength yesterday against the Guinea Bissau.They started the first half of the match truly on the front foot outclassing and outmanoeuvring Guinea Bissau especially the first fifteen minutes.The second half was better when Iwobi moved to his natural number ten and Simon came in to produce a terrific mvp performance.Simon is in the form of his life.
Rejuvenated Simon making us proud in Cameroon.
Best of luck the super eagles!
What about the times iwobi has not played well as a no 10. Have you forgotten that. Iwobi did well as a winger for arsenal. He had also played in that position for us too.
Iwobi flourished under Rohr as a number 10.The times he was deployed to play from the wings example the world cup opener he struggled.
He said it many times even to his club manager in Everton though through his social media account,he wrote he was glad going for the internationals where he is played in his preffered number ten i think that was a couple of weeks before one of Nigeria’s international games.
After reading this he was summoned by Benitez they had a heart-to-heart talk,the next match day he got his wish.
Oga common!stop all these baseless analysis…” he got his wish”;then what? …he just became not as bad as he always is as a winger. but benitez reverted back to other options cause even the 10 he claims to feel comfortable at other available options were better than him at it. the truth is iwobi isnt a total of any particular attribute, just a tiny bit of every other thing, minus defensive and goal scoring qualities.
Thanks to your rude remarks.If i were you i wouldn’t even bother responding to a baseless analysis.
On the best day of his life and worst day of every other person, why wont he shine when others were totally stifled out of position and expressiveness, while he was in ‘place’ only to still give nothing more than half of what is obtainable/expected.
Thought they said they said he has been doing that. Wasn’t what the former coach was accused of especially on Mosses Simon who fortunately hit form in this competition? Anyway, it is a gamble since it’s paying off the wailing wailers will not say anything everybody is celebrating and even digging aims at the former coach as spoiler but the day it backfire they start they turn their back on Eguavon
With all due respect@Okohca pls do not confuse our Egudiola, allow him to do continue doing what he is doing as long as Eagles are winning and playing well. Ihenacho is preferred to iwobi as a number 10 because of his movement, high pressing, eye for an assist and ability to score from impossible angles. He is the Engine of our attack. Iwobi no doubt has a wider passing range than iheanacho but lacks high pressing, striking from deep areas, position, speed, ,and ball winning ability. For now a midfield combo of Ndidi, Aribo and Iheanacho is the best and Egu should go with. Iwobi will always come from the bench as a Utility player
Do you know that Alex Iwobi is Jay Jay Okocha’s nephew? Nepotism is working here. Iwobi is a bad player even in his club. Okocha is putting down other players to promote his own Alex Iwobi. Let him leave the Coach alone. He should be promoting gambling. He’s not in the camp. Alex Iwobi in my opinion was the worse player yesterday on the Eagles’ side. Just running aimlessly like a headless chicken. It’s Okocha’s influence that’s keeping him there.
Okocha is always pushing for his Iwobi to play #10. Is Iwobi the only footballer in Super Eagles squad? Didn’t Nigeria comfortably beat Egypt without Iwobi? Which football Iwobi sabi play sef? Those twerking and ‘okoroso’ football? Put Kelechi Iheanacho in Everton, he’ll make bigger impact than Iwobi. Put Kelechi in Arsenal, he’ll make more impression than Iwobi did before he was shipped out.
In fact Okocha should leave Eguaveon alone! Eguaveon has turned Super Eahles around, he deserves commendation, not pushing for your nephew to be played.
For me, Kelechi Nwakali is a far better and more matured footballer than Iwobi. Look at his game yesterday: great passing, vision, dangerous setpieces, purposeful skill and command of his area. I’ll prefer Nwakali at #10 anyday than Iwobi.
For me, the jury is still out on Eguaveon. Even without coaching or training the team, I have it here severally, that playing Iwobi in the wings, especially the right wing, is almost like a waste, because he doesn’t have so a lot of pace and the necessary guile for wing play. He is undoubtedly our best playmaker with vision and killer passes, and can also score. I really understood what the coach was trying to do yesterday, but that experiment obviously didn’t work. It is either Iwobi is played as number 10 or kept on the bench for a natural winger.
I fully agree and align with the first comment. Iheanacho should be played as the striker with Iwobi as number 10. I’m very sure and can even bet that with that arrangement, our goal scoring and attacking threat will burgeon. Awoniyi and Umar could be brought
Pls let us give respect to those that have earned it. Okocha is a master of the game, he has played at the highest level of football. Champion league, world cup, nations cup, FA, EPL. Played with and mentored some of the best players the world have seen recently. He has also worked as pundit in some of the best sporting studio in the world. If he say anything about football we can respect it and accept it because he is a master of the game. But if you disagree with his opinion just say it rather than try to abuse or say offensive things about him. Or because he is related to Iwobi he should keep quiet when you are talking about the position that he played all his playing days and even the once that he is yet to play. Some of the people that are making those nasty comments, even their parents may not be confident enough to seek their opinions in family meeting but here they are wasting people.
If that is The case, iwobi can be coming in for awoniyi in The second half then kelechi can switch to The front man, it depends on who have been doing well in The game if awoniyi performed better iwobi can come in for iheanacho aswell, becos we only have one striker in this team which is awoniyi, sadiq and Olayinka are not ready for now
A goof look at the three matches eagles have played, kelechi is not playing as no 10.. He’s is playing as a supporting striker, just behind a main striker.. Eguavoen is playing 4 2 4.. Aribo is the one playing no 10,pls go and watch our matches very well and do pay attention yo formation given BT tv station showing the matches..
A number 10 is one who plays behind the striker.
Aribo is playing as the central midfielder wheras Ndidi is the defensive midfielder.
Depends on formation. Who was the #10 between Amokachi and Okocha? Which player was paired with late Yekini?
Or better still, in the current Liverpool or Real Madrid setup, who’s the #10???
If Amokachi was playing behind late Yekini he was the number 10 irrespective the jersey number.At the Olympics Amokachi played behind Kanu he played the number ten role.
In a 4.3.3 formation you have one defensive midfielder and two attacking midfielder the number 8 plays on the right side attacking midfield wheras the number 10 plays on the left then two wingers on either sides.
I have not seen Liverpool nor Madrid play lately so can’t answer that correctly sorry.But i know Liverpool plays a 4.3.3 formation,so if i should go by previous games i know Salah and Mane play on either sides of Firminho,so whosoever plays closer to Firminho from the midfield is the number 10 on the match day.
I know liverpool and Madrid plays with two central midfielders so theres always one that plays just in front of the two that obviously is the number 10.
I believe Iheanacho is playing 8 not 10. A supporting striker is best known as 8. An attacking midfielder is different from a supporting striker. No 10 can play as an attacking midfielder or a central midfielder. Iheanacho has never played as a midfielder but as a striker either as 8, 11, or 8
Some of you guys are very funny. Wearing jersey number10 doesn’t mean you are playing number 10.
When you hear Cerezo, Oliseh, Finidi, Rufai, Garba, Adepoju, Kanu, Nwanu, Keshi (RIP) and Emenalo interviwws or presentations,you will know they are really blessed mentally abd technically. These guys talk without preconceived notions.
Okocha is a great footballer but he is not a poor analyst. Most of his submissions are off the mark. I’m not really sure he is trying to make a case for his cousin. If Iwobi fails to raise his game beyond the lackluster perfoances in recent times, he may find game time difficult in club and country.
Nacho carries more threat than Iwobi in te #10 role.Nacho best position as asserted and demonstrated by his past coaches is support striker. He is a player that benefits from attention drawn to robust and all action strikers by opposing defenders. His accuracy makes up for his lack of speed and concentration at times.
Considering Cerezo’s approach (pressing/all in-all out), only technically gifted and all action strikers (Osi,Awo, Olayinka, & Dennis) can adapt easily. Players like Moses,Nacho & Aribo will benefit a lot from this formation as there will be more spaces to exploit.
** he is not a good analyst**
Whatever is the reason for Okocha’s take is not backed by statistics, especially goals and assist (GA)! I really do not care about dribbles, I’m more interested in end-product. Thats why Nwakali really impressed me yesterday. Highly technical footballer with great vision.
It is not necessarily so. Number 10 doesn’t always play directly behind the striker. Perhaps, you are talking of SS (support striker). Number 10 is the attacking midfielder (AM) who is in most cases, the play maker of the team. In a situation where you have
one striker, the number 10 is very likely to play directly behind striker.
In yesterday’s match, Iheanacho played as number 10 and also as a support striker. What the coach wanted to do, which obviously didn’t work was for Iwobi to play through the wing and sometimes play through the number 10 position. In essence when Iwobi is in possession and comes through the number 10 position, he will now have two strikers ahead of him. But that experiment obviously didn’t work