The African Cup of Nations is upon us again, this time Cote d’Ivoire, the two-time winners, are the hosts. Nigeria’s Super Eagles are gearing up to browbeat their way to the final and probably win the trophy, not because of the strength of their preparation, quality friendly matches, pedigree of coaching crew, but more because of the providence nature bestowed on us as a country by having a few top class players in the mould of Victor Osimhen and the rave of the German League, Victor Boniface, of Bayer Leverkusen.
But winning the Africa Cup of Nations or indeed major football tournaments goes beyond the quality of players and coaches, it also tasks each country’s football administration cascading from the Sports Minister: his drive, persona, charisma, and his hold at the president’s office down to the aura of the Football Federation President to the tactical depth of the coaching crew, and very importantly, the commitment, passion, grit, energy technical ability and discipline of the players individually and collectively.
Another major factor in winning tournaments is the quality of the opposition.
Today in Africa, the reigning champions are Senegal’s Teranga Lions, and FIFA World Rankings put them ahead of Nigeria. Morocco is another country tipped to excel due to the Atlas Lions’ sterling performance at the Qatar 2022 World Cup where they got to the semi-finals.
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The host country, Cote D Ivoire, is a contender simply because they have a legendary youth football culture spewing up such great legends of the past like Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Omar Ben Sallah and Abdullahi Traore.
Among the contenders for every edition are six-time winners, The Pharaohs of Egypt. Not only have they entrenched a solid home-based club football culture, but they have the best club-sides on the continent in Al Ahli, former Ahli National and Zamalek Sporting Club. They have midwifed generations of legends like goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy, Hossam Hassan Hussein and one of Africa’s greatest exports to the English Premier League today, Mohammed Sallah of Liverpool. It’s impossible not to acknowledge Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, South Africa’s Percy Tau, three-time champions Cameroon with Andre Onana, and Bayern Munich’s Choupo-Moting.
Even with all these great players, no country is guaranteed to excel without the tactical prowess of their coaches. Here we are talking about the formation and style of play of a team. Gernot Rohr, for instance, when he was the Super Eagles gaffer, was accused of not being offensive enough in the team’s play. Peseiro has also been criticized for a weak defence and choice of sloppy, error-prone goalkeepers like Francis Uzoho.
But with the abundance of talent Nigeria has today, how do we evolve a team that defends well, enforces a good defensive midfield wall and even without the mercurial skills of Jay Jay Okocha, creates defence-splitting passes to feed Osimhen and Boniface?
For want of honing a winning team and strategy together with the coaching crew, I might suggest Stanley Nwabili of Chippa United in goal because the South African league tests you enough especially as a first-team goalkeeper. African Cup of Nations football is gritty, rough, and rigorous. I’m not sure that Francis Uzoho is that tough and rugged or if he can maintain an optimal concentration throughout ninety minutes of African weather.
Ola Aina, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi and Zaidu Sanusi, hopefully, are experienced and will do a good back four for me. Wilfred Ndidi sits in front of the back four while Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho play as 8 and 10. Of course, the three attackers will be Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan, Victor Boniface of Bayer Leverkusen and the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, who leads the attack.
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Tactically, the definitive transition from defence to attack is not only extremely key, it is also imperative. And on the field of play, Ndidi and “Senior Man” Iheanacho must assume leadership on the pitch and service the attackers.
Having attended 12 AFCON tournaments and 6 FIFA World Cups between Spain ’82 and South Africa 2010, I guess one has acquired an intuition and sixth sense that guides one towards who are likely winners, contenders and pretenders to the title. I dare say countries like Cameroon, Cape Verde and Ghana might likely be surprise packages of the tournament despite not being top-notch during the qualifiers.
As a note of caution, I was in Ivory Coast in 1984 when the Super Eagles boasted of the likes of Stephen Keshi, Emmanuel Okala, Muda Lawal, and Henry Nwosu and Cameroon knocked us out in the final with a star-studded team that comprised of Thomas Nkono, Stephen Tataw Eta, Djonkep Bonaventure and Francois N’Doumbe Lea. Super Eagles were overpowered by their stars. The reverse is the case today. We have the stars like Osimhen and Ndidi.
Can we overwhelm Morocco, Egypt, Senegal and the hosts Cote D Ivoire? Are dollar issues and greed of officials going to affect and distract the team? Is there luck associated with Nigeria’s Presidents and Sports Ministers in our favour during tournaments?
In less than 14 days the games will begin in Abidjan, and then the real challenge will start. I dare say that the success or failure of the Super Eagles will depend on not only the technical and tactical strategies on the pitch but also on the diplomacy, the politics, the administration and the positivity of all Nigerians to the team. As we move to battle, I love the new jerseys but the players must know that wearing the jerseys means they carry the hopes, dreams and pride of 200 million Nigerians. One can only admonish them and say to them “Fly Super Eagles, fly!”.
Dr. Danladi Bako (The Grandmaster) attended six FIFA World Cup finals and 12 AFCON tournaments and was Chairman of Sokoto State Football Association from 2000 to 2003.
16 Comments
The writer must have mixed Patrick and Emmanuel Okala up. Emmanuel Okala the snr of the two retired after the 1980 afcon.
By the way that team was the youngest team Nigeria ever assembled till date with Muda Lawal the captain and oldest at 28 or 29 and the likes of Tarila, Keshi, Ehilegbu, Temile Adesina, Rufai, Yekini et al in there teens and early 20s (22 at most). That was Baba Onigbide’s team and it was beauty to watch.
That team that one only 1 match in the whole tournament with their crude bus parking philosophy was a beauty to watch…? Cmon….that’s like saying a team coached by Mourinho was/is good to watch.
We can excuse them for being quite young though, but It took Manfred Hoener a few years later to come reset that team to winning ways after the double failure of not qualify for the world cup and the subsequent afcon
@ Drey also note that Horner also lost to Cameroon in the finals. Even though I thought SE gave it all, but the Cameroon squad was good and no hard feelings.
Hoener’s team lost to Hayatou and the centre referee.
If we had VAR, who knows, Henry Nwosu’s goal could have been forensically dismissed as inadmissible. Cameroon came to the match on the back of their world cup experience. Show them respect.
Oh please! Why are you so reductive in this analysis Dr Drey?
We breezed out of our group effortlessly dismantling Ghana and avoiding losses against mighty Algeria and a stubborn Malawi. Is it easy to navigate any group stage undefeated?
The brand of simply breathtaking as Egypt couldn’t live with us in the semi-finals.
Cameroon were just lucky that we stepped off the gas after taking the lead against them. Did you notice the bicycle kick that almost landed us our second goal? If I am not mistaken, that should be the first time a bicycle kick will be attempted in the Afcon in the 1980s, such was the eloquence and beauty of the team’s approach. We used wing play to pepper Cameroon but we just didn’t enjoy the rub of the green on the night.
The team’s brand of football was compelling. You said they only won one match ; I put it to you that they actually only lost 1 match out of 5. That is impressive.
Lobatan!
Hahahaha….weldone Deo.
You are very correct…..so beautiful and breathtaking was the team’s performance that the high chief was subsequently excused from the team by the sports commission back then…LMAOoo
The crises, heated debates and disorganization of wether we was gonna stay or be allowed to continue culminated in our late start for the 86 series which we eventually ended up not qualifying for.
@ Deo, good for shedding more light, I guess Dr Drey is fresh in memory with the Baba Onigbinde’s 2002 of the so called “junk” players if I may recollect how West called the 2002 team.
And @ Dr Drey it’s amazing how you talking of Manfred Hoener after the 1984 afcon. Hoener came in after the papa eagles era of post 1984 afcon and in-between where Chris Udemeze (sp), Ekeji and I think Hamilton (not sure of him though) were coaches till I think 1987 when Horner took over.
But how can we call the 2002 Nigeria world cup squad junk?
It had quality players who only fell short in a group of death. Recall, even world cup winners Argentina crashed out alongside Nigeria in the group stages of that year’s event.
We had bandana man Efe Sodje, Isaac Okoronkwo Pius Ikedia, Rabiu Afolabi, Eric Ejiofor, and Batholomew Ogbeche in that squad – all players of exceptional quality.
Some people believe we could have won the tournament with those players.
@ Deo, Efe a quality player? Anybody that believed that we can win the world cup 2002 with that squad must be livng in a LA LA land. That squad was poorly assembled by Baba Onigbinde assisted by Henry Nwosu et al. Infact the way and manner baba snatched that job from Amodu (the great), was mind bugging.
I believe Baba played a victim card during the afcon 2002 first match in Mali, knowing full well that as the then nfa technical director he will lead the team to the world cup since there is limited time to appoint a new coach should Amodu, Keshi and Erico be dismissed.
Well, the then sports minister played to the gallery and the rest was history.
@ Drey, irrespective of caf politics then as I do agree with you that Hayatou’s influence was clear to see. That Cameroon team was good.
Happy new year guys
Hahaha Kim, don’t mind Deo. He’s being at his sattirical best.
I quite agree with your thoughts on that camerounian team though…very strong team….drawn mostly from the likes of Canon Sportive, Union and Tonnere Yaounde who were all dominant forces on the continent too back then. It was the spine of that team that qualified for their first WC, won their 1st and 2nd afcon and reached the qfinals of the WC.
A pleasant new year I wish you and everyone in the building.
Hahahaha
Happy New Year Dr Drey. 🙂
Happy New Year Kim,
Efe Sodje was the ultimate Bandana Man. Who else has worn a bandana to play for Nigeria? He was that good.
That team won many friendly matches. In fact, Sweden and Argentina only defeated them narrowly.
The world cup was coming home in 2002, the stars just failed to align for us. That was not only a golden generation, it was a golden, silver and bronze generation wrapped in one. With James Obiorah, Benedict Akwuegbu and Batholomew Ogbeche, have you ever seen a more ruthless and deadly Nigeria squad?
Lobatan!
@Deo, don’t mind them. Those players are not that bad. A team that had Kanu, Okocha, Yobo, Aghahowa, Shorunmu, at his best is not good enough? If not for Kanu’s injury in the first match, the midfield would have had more bite. That was the best selection of players then. An Oliseh would have been a good addition to compliment the team, but he rejected to be part and he also played below par in Mali 2002. Taribo was just talking trash. He should have led better and motivate the team more as a senior player. He was a rebel. Some one that could not prevent the demolition of Denmark in 1998 was talking a team is not good enough.
Thanks Tols,
Was it not Taribo’s kerewa kerewa defending against Sweden that led to Sweden’s equaliser?
It was a solid squad.
To add to it, that team will train our current super eagles football. It will start from the midfield domination