Why did we expect any more from Maputo?

Ayo Akinfe

As has become customary now, I, like 140m other Nigerian football fans remained glued to the edge of my sofa watching our Super Eagles sluggishly labour away against Mozambique in Maputo on Sunday, hoping for a miracle. After watching the first 15 minutes of the game, it was clear that we were not going to create a goal and our only hope of scoring remained some last minute good fortune as happened away to Sierra Leone and South Africa in the last round.

In what has become a hallmark of the Amodu regime, our boys huffed and puffed for 90 minutes, showing no creative edge and came away without scoring. Indeed, we were very fortunate to leave Maputo with a point as on another day, the referee might just have awarded at least one of those goals that the Black Mambas scored against us.

I for one was not bitterly disappointed with the draw, as I have resigned myself to the fact that under Amodu Shaibu, our Eagles are never going to be a serious footballing force. Just reading the team sheet before kick-off and seeing how he went for the amateurish 4-2-4 formation confirmed the worst of my fears and true to type, it was a long day.

Given that Tunisia, our main rival in the group won away in Nairobi the previous day, made the Maputo game a must-win one and with our draw, we are now playing catch up. No honest commentator would have watched the Eagles and seriously considered them World Cup contenders after the lacklustre display in Maputo but it is only match day one, so let us not be too pessimistic. It is not over until the fat lady sings.

Our Eagles lacked any urgency, the tempo of the game was pedestrian, we had no cutting edge upfront and our passing was comical to say the least. As soon as I saw that Amodu was surrendering the midfield to the Mozambicans by only fielding Mikel Obi and Sani Kaita in the engine room, I knew we would need a miracle of biblical proportions to win the game.

This is not the first time Amodu’s ignorance of how modern football is played has cost us dear and I doubt it will be the last. Any fourth division or even amateur league coach in Europe could have told him that whatever formation he used, he needed three ball winners in central midfield.

Nigeria is not short of central midfielders as we have a long list including Yusuf Ayila, Seyi Olofinjana, Chris Obodo, Uche Kalu, Sani Kaita, Mikel Obi, Femi Ajilore, Lukman Haruna, etc. Admittedly injuries meant several of them were either not in Maputo or could not be fielded but Amodu should know by now that come what may, three of these players should start come what may.

If you cannot win the ball or keep hold of it when you have it, you simply do not score goals or win matches. Had Amodu been a man who was qualified for this job, he would know that the three central midfielders would be the first names on his team sheet. Playing without them is akin to starting the match without a goalkeeper.

Any amateur follower of the game would have told Amodu that this game was always going to be Mozambique’s World Cup final and as such, they would play out of their skins. They rightly came at the Eagles all guns blazing and did their best to showcase themselves in front of the world’s media who may never visit again for four years.

Mozambique attacked us at 100 miles an hours and we desperately needed more solidity in midfield to control the tempo of the game. We also needed anchorage in the middle of the park to allow our fullbacks get forward and provide us with width.

It appears that Amodu is still stuck in the Clemence Westerhoff or even Father Tiko era, where he is expecting an Odegbami or an Adokie to supply crosses to his strikers. In 2009, it is your fullbacks that provide you with width and deliver crosses, so you structure your team to enable them get forward as much as possible.

Poor Mikel Obi and Sani Kaita were overwhelmed on Sunday due to Amodu’s ignorance, while Chidi Odiah and Taiye Taiwo were prevented from bombing forward due to inadequate cover. To start a game that way was criminal but to leave it unchanged at half time is worthy of immediate dismissal in my opinion.

Blaming the players is just looking for an easy way out. If a player is playing badly, is it not the coaches’ job to substitute him? Is it not the job of the management team to ensure there is adequate competition for places so those on the pitch know that they have to justify their selection for 90 minutes?

We have been here before. In 2006, Christian Chukwu’s ignorance cost us a World Cup place and in 2008, Berti Vogts’ pathological laziness endured we crashed out in the quarter finals of the African Cup of Nations. Why are we such gluttons for punishment?

Our Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) had given Amodu Shaibu a job way above his technical capabilities and we somehow miraculously expect him to deliver. I hope they realise that if Tunisia win in Maputo or we fail to win in Kenya, we are staring down the barrel.

This is how the 2006 crisis started and everyone thought it would go away but alas, we sat out the German carnival. Were I the NFF chairman, I would hold my hand up and acknowledge that we made a mistake in appointing Amodu Shaibu as the head coach of the Super Eagles and commence the immediate search for a replacement.

Nigerians have got to stop deluding themselves into thinking that because we have produced world class players, we can easily just wish a similar calibre of coach out of thin air. Apart from the late Yemi Tella, no Nigerian coach has the pedigree to manage the Super Eagles in my opinion.

None of them have the necessary orientation, none of them have coached players of this calibre in the high-profile clubs they play for, I am yet to see anyone with the tactical know-how required at this level and no Nigerian coach has convinced me he knows how to motivate players. I am still waiting for a Nigerian of the calibre of say Luis Van Gaal, Jose Peckermann, Fabio Capello, Otmar Hitveld, Gus Hiddink, Klaus Topemoller before I support a local coach handling the Eagles.

We cannot afford to play kalo kalo with South Africa 2010, so we have to go for broke. If we leave Amodu Shaibu at the helm, we will almost certainly go through the same agony we went through in 2006.

Ayo Akinfe

aakinfe@aol.com

Robot  # 1 | 30.03.2009 11:48

Nigerians have got to stop deluding themselves into thinking that because we have produced world class players, we can easily just wish a similar calibre of coach out of thin air. Apart from the late Yemi Tella, no Nigerian coach has the pedigree to manage the Super Eagles in my opinion. ...Read the full article.

Danmeka  # 2 | 30.03.2009 12:08

Ayo, I feel your pain but Samson Siasia has proved to us he understand the game and has the pedigree to manage the Super Eagles in my opinion. We got silver in the Olympics and the some of the players Argentina(including Messi) used played in the World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela. It is about time the NFA bring in Siasia and some of the Dream Team III players into fold before our road to South Africa becomes a basketcase.Nigeria not in South Africa would not only be a disaster but shows our nation is in crisis.

agbajo owo  # 3 | 30.03.2009 12:39

You are just busy reeling out names. If you want to be honest how many of these coaches you mentioned have had the kind of consistent success despite the quality of players at their disposal. How successful was van Gaal in the national assignment? Aragones won the European championship because the Spanish football authority kept faith with him despite their failure in the World cup and media pressure. I think Amodu has proven that he has the potential of turning out to be a good coach. He is arguably one of the most successful Nigerian coaches. We need to support him. The incessant interruption in his tenure has not helped him to develop to his full potential.

Anioma777  # 4 | 30.03.2009 13:43

@Ayo Akinfe You epitomise what is wrong with Nigerians' way of thinking. So just because we drew a match all of a sudden its a crisis. We have about 4-5 coaches given the right "SUPPORT" can deliver and not every 140 million Nigerians thinking they can do better. Knee jerk reactions of chopping and changing has never been wise at international level. You obviously have a short or selective memory, whilst in football there is a saying a team is only as good as your last game, it is the same Amodu that qualified Nigeria for WC2002 only to suddenly be sacked by the now defunct NFA ( NO FUTURE AMBITION ) now masquurading as NFF or whatever stupid names the backward and visionless football bigwigs in their subhuman reasoning thought up next. Festus Onigbinde ( spelling ) was thrust into the hotseat and and we all know what happened next.:rant: I was angry at our performance but it could have been worst if we lost. I suppose you are one of those that will be calling for a European coach just like the disaster Herr Berti Vogts. We still have 5 games to play and will qualify without a doubt. NIGERIA DOES NOT NEED A FOREIGN COACH. WE HAVE MANY COACHES THAT CAN DO A GOOD JOB AND AMODU IS ONE OF THEM. Also if you look at WC history and it seems too much of a coincidence :- ALL THE NATIONS THAT HAVE LIFTED THE WORLD CUP HAVE DONE SO WITH AN INDIGENOUS COACH!!!! I suppose next you will say "er....but England has a foreign manager". What is good for England is not neccessary good for Nigeria. GIVE AMODU YOUR SUPPORT NOTHING LESS IS EXPECTED OF YOU!!!:cry:

Anioma777  # 5 | 30.03.2009 13:56

@Ayo Akinfe Luis Van Gaal, Jose Peckermann, Fabio Capello, Otmar Hitveld, Gus Hiddink, Klaus Topemoller These so called great coaches above, when last did they win a world cup or continental cup. You should know that football like all professions in life you can only get better through experience in life. Once again Nigeria has good coaches but like most things we do in life Nigerians are always in hurry. I suppose when we qualify you will still be lobbying for one of those Oyinbo coaches to come and coach Nigerian monkeys. Temi was a good coach but that was at U-17 the senior level is a different ball game.

mathelize  # 6 | 30.03.2009 16:01

My own analysis of the Game. Eagles were rubbish from start to finish. Martins wasted 2 glorious chances. If we must progress, Amodu needs to be replaced immediately. Why should he be using quota system in selecting players. Sani Kaita has no business in the team. That's not how a defensive midfieder plays. Why should Amodu leave Kalu Uche/Femi Ajilore on the bench and play Sani Kaina in order to please Northern Nigeria(mallams). We need our best players. Another player who shouldn't be in the team is Danny Shittu - no football sense at all, ball control - 0%. He was bailed out a number of times by Obinna Nwaneri. Amodu should summon couragae and play Adeleye and Apam in central defence. You mentioned Seyi Olofinjana as one of our central midfielders, has he been playing for Stoke? An holding role midfielder who can neither win the ball nor make killer passes. For now, we don't have good holding role midfielders like Oliseh and Keshi who can do the dirty job, link up with the attack, supply killer passes and fall back to help their back four.What we can do now is just manage Femi Ajilore and push Mikel upfront to support our forwards. Can u shop around the world for players? Stephen Worgu who was the highest goal scorer in last year african champions league should be in the team, so should Dennis Aogo. Siasia, if u get the job, pls don't invite Isaac Promise bcos he's another useless player.

Gongo-aso  # 7 | 30.03.2009 16:53

Tunisia carry go... You people are not serious. Let's REBRAND the Super Chickens O jare!

omaks  # 8 | 30.03.2009 17:36

=Ayo Akinfe>Nigerians have got to stop deluding themselves into thinking that because we have produced world class players, we can easily just wish a similar calibre of coach out of thin air. Apart from the late Yemi Tella, no Nigerian coach has the pedigree to manage the Super Eagles in my opinion. Brodaman Ayo, i have a contrary opinion to what your quote above represents, but i acknowledge your passion for the gameas well as your desire for our footballers and coaches to do well and qualify for South Africa 2010. IMHO we need to give the present group and their Manager the chance to do their job. It is a tad early to start getting on their backs on the basis of one drawn game. Afterall, its the same group that went six games unbeaten to qualify for this next qualifying stage. Our problem is a perennial one, in which we have failed to invest properly, and lay down good foundations. To resort to employing foreign managers will be like taking one step foward and 100 steps backwards. It will only amount toa quick fix job, and in the end we will not appreciate the real work that needs to be done to unearth budding local coaching talents. If our coaches are given a quarter of the renumerations and cooperations given to foreing coaches, and the remaing 3/4 of the monetary resources channeled towards traing courses for our coaches, there is no reason why they should not reach their full potentials eventually. Given the limitations in development and emoluments available, i believe Shuaib Amodu has done well within his capabilities. Our desires for successshould not becloud our judgements with regards to the real nitty gritty of the matter affecting our football development in nigeria. We need to invest in our local coaches and pay them well for them to reach their full potential. Siasia is a special case altogether, in that he has reaped the benefits of playing at the highest level, and was wise enough to get proper professional training while he domiciled in Europe.

blondie  # 9 | 30.03.2009 19:35

Abeg why Obasi no play?

Anioma777  # 10 | 30.03.2009 23:56

@Omaks If our coaches are given a quarter of the renumerations and cooperations given to foreing coaches, and the remaing 3/4 of the monetary resources channeled towards traing courses for our coaches, there is no reason why they should not reach their full potentials eventually. Given the limitations in development and emoluments available, i believe Shuaib Amodu has done well within his capabilities. Our desires for successshould not becloud our judgements with regards to the real nitty gritty of the matter affecting our football development in nigeria. We need to invest in our local coaches and pay them well for them to reach their full potential. Siasia is a special case altogether, in that he has reaped the benefits of playing at the highest level, and was wise enough to get proper professional training while he domiciled in Europe. Fantastic well said my brother. If only the NFF had 1% of your mindset Nigeria's senior level football will go far. I must have many lives from God because situations like this about Nigeria has got me so angry:mad: that I wonder why I am still living. In fairness to Amodu he just seems the calm type and puts up with all the nonsense from NFF officials. Nigeria will qualify I have no doubt, but the players too have to show real passion and commitment. The only foreigner ( sorry Nigerian ) is Clemens Westerhoff. That guy is awesome, he said last week in one of the newspapers that local players should be looked at too and in the squad. Not all but sometimes I am not sure if money has made most foreign based players to big to bother turning out for their country, its as if some of these players have no passion for the green-white-green jerseys. :cry:

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