World Cup preview: Nigeria
Coach: Lars Lagerbäck
Key player: Yakubu Aiyegbeni
Previous best: Second round 1994 & 1998
Over the past two decades, the Super Eagles have produced some wonderfully gifted players who’ve helped to light up various World Cups, along with their colourful, vocal supporters.
But for all the excitement that Nigeria have brought to the tournament, they’ve rarely threatened to reach the latter stages.
With the 2010 World Cup finals being contested on African soil for the first time, the Nigerians may feel that this is their ideal time to push on and reach the quarter-finals. Equipped with a relatively strong squad of players and managed by an experienced tactician in the form of Lars Lagerbäck, Nigeria have every reason to believe they can at least escape the clutches of Group B.
The African nation has come on leaps and bounds over the past 20 years. Before 1994, the Super Eagles had never even reached international football’s most prestigious tournament. Since then, though, Nigerian football has continued to improve at a steady rate.
Several of Nigeria’s most iconic players including Jay-Jay Okocha and Rashidi Yekini may now have ended their international playing days; but the current generation are now poised to make their own mark on the world stage – including the man who could give Peter Pan a run for his money in the ageing stakes, Nwankwo Kanu.
Many of their players now ply their trade in Europe; and as a result, Nigeria are far from an unknown quantity. Gone are the days when the majority of people knew little about the strengths and weaknesses of African nations.
Everton’s Yakubu and Wolfsburg’s Obafemi Martins are perhaps the standout forwards, but they are backed up by Victor Obinna of Malaga and Portsmouth’s John Utaka.
All of them know how to hit the back of the net. It’s just defensively where Nigeria may find themselves particularly vulnerable.
Fortunately for the African side, they have an adept coach who’ll ensure Nigeria head to South Africa fully prepared and as organised as possible at the back.
Lagerbäck, the former Sweden coach, was appointed manager of the national team at the end of February on a short-term five-month contract, fending off competition from Sven-Göran Eriksson and Glenn Hoddle.
After seeing their nation finish in a reasonable third place at the 2010 African Cup of Nations, the Nigerian Football Federation were still suitably unimpressed, and acted quickly to sack Shaibu Amodu.
Amodu’s sacking seemed particularly harsh and smacked of the football federation seeking any old excuse to bring in a new manager in time for the World Cup finals. Only time will tell whether the short-term appointment of Lagerbäck will work in Nigeria’s favour. After all, most successful nations in the World Cup allow their players and managers to develop a bond over the course of an entire qualification campaign.
The two-time African Cup of Nations winners will need to gel immediately with their new coach in order to embark on a battle with Greece and South Korea for a place in the last 16. But with Group B rivals Argentina faltering badly in qualifications, perhaps they’ll even dare to dream of winning the group?
Regardless, Nigeria’s decision to appoint Lagerbäck is a real statement of intent; and they’ll be desperate to show why they regard themselves as the best African side this summer with the eyes of the world watching on.
The Super Eagles will undoubtedly have their work cut out to equal their previous best; but with more experience than ever before and with a touch of good fortune, they could well find themselves soaring into the latter stages in South Africa.
Nigeria squad
1 Vincent ENYEAMA (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
2 Joseph YOBO (Everton)
3 Taye TAIWO (Marseille)
4 Nwankwo KANU (Portsmouth)
5 Rabiu AFOLABI (SV Salzburg)
6 Daniel SHITTU (Bolton Wanderers)
7 John UTAKA (Portsmouth)
8 Aiyegbeni YAKUBU (Everton)
9 Obafemi MARTINS (Wolfsburg)
10 Ideye BROWN (Sochaux)
11 Peter ODEMWINGIE (Lokomotiv Moscow)
12 Kalu UCHE (Almeria)
13 Ayila YUSSUF (Dynamo Kiev)
14 Sani KAITA (Alaniya)
15 Lukman HARUNA (AS Monaco)
16 Austin EJIDE (Hapoel Petah Tikva)
17 Chidi ODIAH (CSKA Moscow)
18 Victor OBINNA (Malaga)
19 Chinedu Ogbuke OBASI (TSG Hoffenheim)
20 Dickson ETUHU (Fulham)
21 Elderson ECHIÉJILÉ (Rennes)
22 Dele ADELEYE (Sparta Rotterdam)
23 Dele AIYENUGBA (Bnei Yehuda)
For previews of Nigeria's Group B opponents click here:
http://www.senore.com/Word-Cup-2010-preview-Argentina-a12334
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Greece-a12337
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-South-Korea-a12339
Tags: