Football Glee Nigeria

Sleeping Giant Finally Awake?

The Super Eagles over the weekend restored some respect and glory to the national team after a convincing 3-1 defeat of the Fennecs of Algeria last Saturday in the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Uyo.

Algeria which is one of Africa's in form teams with an attack that is quite formidable prior to the commencement of the World Cup qualifiers were brutally exposed by the rampaging Nigerian attack which counter attacked ruthlessly. A brace for Victor Moses and Chelsea outcast, John Obi Mikel did the trick for Nigeria.

If teams had written Nigeria off as a fallen giant in African football after its failure to qualify for the last and next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON ), this victory over Algeria may be a timely warning that this sleeping giant may be experiencing yet another resurgence.

After the dithering by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in appointing a coach for the Super Eagles after the abrupt resignation of Sunday Oliseh, it appears the NFF have made an astute appointment in the hiring of Gernot Rohr as coach after the ill fated attempt to lure Paul Le Guen.

He has been pragmatic and business like in the management of the squad. A trait which is unsurprising considering where he hails from. These traits have aided in putting Nigeria in pole position to claim the group's sole ticket for the World Cup.

This is hoping the NFF will consolidate on these early strides made by the German coach by ensuring that they give him all the support he needs to prepare the team for the task ahead. Many that would have watched the team tackle Algeria on Saturday would have noticed that the team is far from being the finished article. There are still lots of work to be done by Rohr if the Super Eagles are to maintain their current position on the table.

August 28, 2017 is when the next round of fixtures is supposed to resume as Nigeria hosts Cameroon. It is an opportunity for the Super Eagles to strengthen their grip on first place if they defeat Cameroon knowing fully well that a sterner test will await them in the return leg. If the Super Eagles can come out with at least 4 points from that fixture, they will be quite confident in sealing their place at the World Cup with a victory against Zambia at home. For Algeria to stand a chance of turning the tables, they would have to win their next 3 games.

It is still early days yet. August 2017 is a long time. Many things could go wrong between now and then. Key players could lose form, injuries could rule out important members of the squad, or who knows, someone in the NFF could fall out with Rohr or vice versa which could lead to disharmony in camp or even worse, a sacking... Nothing is impossible in this part of the world and so all hands should be on deck until the goal of qualifying is achieved.

Back to the game on Saturday, despite the handsome victory over the Greens of Algeria, there were some areas of key concern for the Super Eagles which Rohr will be looking to sort out quickly if our quest to qualify and actually make a serious impact at the World Cup in Russia is to be realised.

Ikeme Needs Competent Cover

Daniel Akpeyi was called upon to fill in for Carl Ikeme for the game against Algeria after he pulled out of the game due to injury. Akpeyi didn't exactly cover himself in glory as he was a bunch of nerves initially and even though he could do nothing about the goal by Nabil Bentaleb, his positioning was poor. Ikeme made Nigerians abandon their clamour for Vincent Enyeama's return. If something were to happen to Ikeme... Rohr appeared to have been satisfied with Akpeyi's performance. Nigerians will hope he knows something that they don't.

Rohr Is Yet To Solve The Right Back Conundrum

Kenneth Omeruo played at right back last Saturday and of course he had some anxious moments during the game as he hasn't played there in a long time for the Super Eagles. The problem which the late Stephen Keshi could not solve permanently with Efe Ambrose is still proving a hard nut to crack. Rohr played Wilfred Ndidi in that role in the game against Zambia and now has experimented with Omeruo in this role as well. He wouldn't have been too convinced by his performance.

Nigeria Still Needs A Dependable Striker

Kelechi Iheanacho gave an indifferent performance at best on Saturday and even though he will have better days in a Super Eagles shirt, the fact that the other strikers in the team such as Odion Ighalo and Brown Ideye seem to be wasteful in front of goal should cause some to worry that this profligacy could yet come back to haunt the team in more difficult games and against more resolute defences.

Nigeria's Group Of Death: Can Nigeria Make It?

After the Russia 2018 African World Cup Qualifiers draws were held in Cairo Egypt last weekend, Nigeria has found itself in what is regarded as the 'group of death' in Group B with opponents Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia.

Had Nigeria not been a fading force in African football, it would have fancied itself to go through despite the tough opponents it would have to face. But on the back of 2 consecutive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification failures, many supporters will be concerned that Nigeria's chances of making it through to the World Cup as group winners may be quite slim considering Nigeria has struggled to qualify from easier groups in the past and has failed to qualify for the AFCON since the Super Eagles won it under the management of the late Stephen Keshi in 2013.

At the moment, the Super Eagles don't have a confirmed head coach since Sunday Oliseh controversially stepped down as Super Eagles coach citing a lack of support from the NFF amongst other grievances. Presently, the interim coach is Salisu Yusuf who took over from Samson Siasia who was drafted to handle the squad after Oliseh's bizarre resignation.

Salisu has been in charge of the team during recent friendlies and it is yet to be seen the role he will be given in the new management. If the statement of NFF Chairman Amaju Pinnick is anything to go by, it appears Salisu might not be considered as the coach on a permanent basis. Rumours are rife that the chosen candidate for the hot seat is former PSG and Cameroon coach, Paul Le Guen. Announcement on the identity of the coach whoever it is should be disclosed by the NFF soon.

It is important that this key aspect is taken care of as quickly as possible so that the coach can set the ground running as the Super Eagles take on Zambia in October. It is imperative that the manager if he turns out to be a foreigner gets familiar with the players he intends to use to prosecute the qualifiers against Zambia.

Looking at the fixtures, Nigeria has the chance to build momentum and pile pressure on their group rivals if they can get a victory against Zambia away from home and defeat Algeria and Cameroon at home in the following games. Nigeria has been good at getting draws away from home and could achieve that against Cameroon and Algeria if they defeat Zambia at home.

Easier said than done though. But it represents the likely way Nigeria will qualify if adequate preparations are made and the best players are selected based on current form and not solely on reputation. If in doubt, ask former England manager, Roy Hodgson on the pitfalls of picking a player based on reputation and not on form or fitness.

For the pessimistic lot among us, it is best not to have high hopes of qualifying if the recent failures to reach AFCON tournaments are anything to go by. Zambia which could be regarded as the 'weakest' team in the group won the AFCON in 2012, defeating Ivory Coast in the final. Algeria won the AFCON in 1990 and are currently ranked 32 in the FIFA world rankings. They also rank as Africa's highest ranking team at the moment. If their performance at the last World Cup is to be considered, Nigeria would have to be at their very best when they come to town.

Algeria indeed have world class players in their prime at the moment. Riyad Mahrez was voted PFA player of the year after a stellar campaign for Leicester City last season in which against all odds won the premier league. They also have the likes of Yacine Brahimi, Islam Slimani, and Sofiane Feghouli in their ranks amongst others excelling in various clubs in Europe. It has to be said though, that Algeria has a poor record against West African opposition and this represents a glimmer of hope for Nigeria.

As for Cameroon, they are in similar underwhelming circumstances like Nigeria. A former African Super power with 4 AFCON titles and 7 World Cup appearances but has been mediocre for close to a decade despite having world class players like Samuel Eto'o, Rigobert Song and Alex Song. There are signs though that they are on the brink of a resurgence and a clash with the old enemy Nigeria might trigger another rivalry similar to the glory days of both nations.

In the last couple of years, Nigeria has emerged victorious or come out with a credible draw when they met each of the teams in their Russia 2018 World Cup qualifiers group in friendlies or in a major tournament like the AFCON. Will these positive outcomes continue to be the trend or will the harsh reality of the curent state of the Super Eagles reveal how far we are behind our rivals?

Ighalo Grabs Brace As Watford Humbles Liverpool

Watford Nigerian forward, Odion Ighalo grabbed a brace for Watford as they defeated shambolic Liverpool 3-0 at Vicarage Road to emerge one point away from the Champions League places.

Nathan Ake, on loan from Chelsea, put Watford in the driving seat as he pounced on Adam Bogdan's howler to poke home in the 3rd minute. Bogdan failed to catch a routine cross at the first attempt and it led to the opening goal.

Ighalo made it 2-0 after fellow striker, Troy Deeney ball over the top was chased down by Ighalo. After out muscling Martin Skrtel to the ball, he struck home from a tight angle.

Ighalo put the game beyond any doubt in the 85th minute with his second and Watford's third of the day as he nodded into the back of the net substitute, Valon Behrami's cross to seal miserable afternoon for Liverpool.

Ancelotti To Replace Pep Guardiola At Bayern

Former PSG and Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelloti will replace Pep Guardiola as Bayern Munich manager at the end of the season after Pep Guardiola decided not to extend his contract with the German giants.

Ancelloti, 56, has signed a 3 year contract which will run till 2019.

Karl Heinz Rummenigge spoke about Guardiola's desire to leave the club: "We are thankful to Guardiola for all he gave our club and hope to celebrate more success in the current season."

"With Ancelloti we have another very successful coach coming to Bayern. We are looking forward to working together."

Barca Win World Club Cup

La Liga and European Champions, Barcelona earlier today retained the World Club Cup trophy as they trounced Argentine side River Plate 3-0 in the final.

Lionel Messi opened scoring in the 36th minute as hooked home after controlling Neymar's flicked header.

Luis Suarez made it 2-0 after he latched on to Sergio Busquet's through pass and fired home in the 49 th minute.

Suarez grabbed his second of the game and sealed River Plate's hopes of any fight back in the 68th minute when he nodded into the back of the net Neymar's superb cross. It was his 18th goal in all competitions this season.

With this result, Messi has now scored in a record seven different competitions in 2015. They include: La Liga, Copa Del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Champions League, Copa America and the World Club Cup.

Where Do Chelsea Go From Here?

After Monday night's loss to Leicester City, Chelsea's flirtation with relegation and the troubles of Jose Mourinho in the Premier League has been given a lot of media attention.

What is wrong with Chelsea? This is a question many have grappled with. But the answer to this question is not as straight forward as Chelsea supporters would like.

Many pundits in the British media have had their say as to what needs to be done for things to improve at Stamford Bridge. Some are of the opinion that certain players need to be shown the exit door while others like Jamie Carragher feel Mourinho's time is up.

Others such as Frank Lampard feel that Mourinho, although, needs time to turn things around, appears not to know what to do since this is the first time in his career he has had to deal with what seems to be a relegation dogfight.

In his post match interview after the defeat to Leicester, Mourinho appealed to the Chelsea board and Roman Abramovich to stand by him because he intends to remain as manager and fix the problems with the squad's performances.

But how long Abramovich will heed this call is anybody's guess. He is not one to be too patient with failure as Roberto Di Matteo and Luis Felipe Scolari can attest. They were kicked out in situations that would be considered bliss now. Apparently, Mourinho's popularity, track record and reputation is what's keeping the "Special One" in a job.

With Chelsea lying 16th on the league table after 9 defeats, should Chelsea allow Mourinho to remain as manager so that he can oversee a change in the club's fortunes? Does he deserve it? If Roman Abramovich decides to pull the trigger on Mourinho's time at the club, who is out there that could galvanise the team? Is Chelsea's predicament solely down to the actions or lack thereof of Mourinho?

Some analysts are of the opinion that Chelsea's problems is more than just Mourinho not doing his job properly and the players under performing. It stretches up to the very top as far as Technical Director, Michael Emenalo.

Looking at Chelsea's transfer policy since Mourinho's second coming, it is clear that there is some sort of disconnect between Mourinho and Emenalo. Players like Felipe Luis, Mohammed Salah, Juan Cuadrado, Papy, and others seem not to be the type of players Mourinho likes to deploy. And as a consequence, Mourinho hardly gives them much playing time.

This has led to the sales of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku to other clubs. Then the policy of loaning out bit part players have also played a role in Chelsea's struggles as there seems to be no back up for injured and fatigued players. Players like Victor Moses who are in good form would have offered an alternative to Mourinho as Hazard struggles to reenact last season's form. Chelsea surely, could do with the attacking threat of the likes of Moses.

And speaking of players, Chelsea have serious issues with their current playing staff. Whether it is a coincidence that all Mourinho's trusted 'Generals' in the likes of John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill,Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are out of form at the same time will only be confirmed in the coming weeks if their form improves dramatically or Mourinho is fired (it is inconceivable to think that Roman Abramovich will not act decisively if the current meltdown continues).

But many critics are of the opinion that the under performing stars plight might be a combination of age catching up with some of them like John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic and/or a mutiny is well and truly in progress in the dressing room. This is not out of the realms of possibility but what could cause a team to turn against their manager?

Some have spuriously suggested that Mourinho lost the players support the moment he fell out with Dr Eva Carneiro. But this seems a bit too simplistic. Yes, some players might have been upset at how Dr Eva was treated but this happened in August. Come on, who holds a grudge that long because of a third party who was being made a scapegoat?

A more credible explanation for the poor form of key Chelsea players is that which has been alluded to Mourinho's methods which is physically draining to the players. The problems of Chelsea can be traced to last season when they managed to crawl over the line to win the league as they laboured to win games or held on for draws in their last 8 or 9 matches.

The warning signs were there, nobody heeded them. Now, it has led to a crisis and a fall that is more than anyone anywhere could have envisaged. Perhaps this is the reason why Mourinho after the Leicester City game made a damning statement that his players betrayed him because he brought them to the level where they could compete and win trophies but were unable to repeat same this season.

How would Mourinho's men react to his criticism? Would they continue to struggle for form or will they raise their game to the levels we know they can? Whatever it is their response turns out to be, Mourinho has to act fast and tweak his squad so that they can claim maximum points in their next two home games against Sunderland and Watford.

But where does he need to make changes? John Terry may have to accept the fact that he is past his sell by date. He can't play games anymore at the level we know he used to. He needs to be dropped. Matic has to be motivated to regain his form of last season or anything close to it. John Obi Mikel does not look like a solution. Fabregas is no longer assisting unlike last season that he racked up assists such that he threatened to set a record. He has since faded as usual but has failed to come back this season. Mourinho may need to look at options on the bench to bring energy and creativity in midfield.

Diego Costa and Eden Hazard between them last season contributed 40 goals as Chelsea marched all the way to the title. But this season, only 4 goals have been scored between both forwards. A stat which shows the extent at which Chelsea has fallen this season. Diego needs competition which he at the moment isn't getting because Falcao and Remy have been out of their

depth. Costa has been all aggression this season but no substance and has even drawn criticism from Mourinho himself. Had his form been okay, things might have been better.

Eden Hazard on the other hand needs to rediscover his form quickly or Mourinho may need to give Kennedy a run in the team. But with reports suggesting Hazard and Mourinho already have a fractious relationship then someone has to eat humble pie for the benefit of the team.

The verdict though is that Chelsea's fortunes can be turned around by Jose himself if given time. Any other manager can as well because the Chelsea squad is a good one. This is based on the premise that the players are under performing not out of a desire to frustrate the manager but because of other variables already discussed. But will things get worse before they get better? Time will tell.