Nigeria may be better-placed than ever to go far at the World Cup – if the problems posed by an overbearing football federation stay away.
Nigeria ended a long slump to win the African Cup of Nations last year with a powerful display in South Africa under coach Stephen Keshi, beating Ivory Coast and Mali on the way to their first continental title in nearly 20 years.
But off-the-field issues have followed the team and Keshi, Nigeria’s captain in 1994 when the country previously won the African Cup of Nations and went on to make the second round at the World Cup in the United States as group winner over Argentina.
Keshi quit as coach right after Nigeria won the continental title a year ago, a clear indication of the friction between him and the Nigeria Football Federation. He was convinced to stay, but has sometimes gone months without pay and in the latest of many squabbles has had to fend off demands from the NFF that he name his World Cup players two months before the tournament.
“There is no other country that is going to the World Cup that has released the list, but here in Nigeria I must bring my team list even when the top teams of this world are yet to do so,” Keshi said.
The Nigerian public, boosted by the African Cup triumph, also demand the team’s best-ever performance at a World Cup and a place in the quarter-finals, even if the Super Eagles failed to win a game in their last two World Cup appearances and haven’t made the second round since 1998.
“We still have a lot of work to be done,” Keshi said in response to the now constant question about whether the squad he coaches will do better than the team he captained in 1994. “Our plan is to try and win our games, game by game, until the end of the tournament.”
The 1994 World Cup team is still the benchmark for Nigeria, which will again face Argentina in the group stage in Brazil, along with Bosnia and Iran.
But Lionel Messi and Argentina aside, Nigeria should expect to qualify for the second round ahead of the other two countries in Group F and may have better strength in depth than the team Keshi led two decades ago.
Forwards Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses are powerful and quick, and Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has plenty to prove after falling out of favour at his Premier League club.
Mikel will likely be joined in the centre of midfield by 21-year-old Lazio player Ogenyi Onazi, and Sunday Mba was a huge success at the African Cup playing behind the strikers.
Powered by forwards Emenike and Moses, Nigeria won their first African Cup of Nations title in nearly two decades last year and the next step is to achieve something at the World Cup.
Emenike was one of the African Cup’s top scorers and Moses won the Man of the Match award in the final.
Alongside those two, central midfielder Mikel will likely play a pivotal role in Brazil when the team comes up against Argentina, Bosnia and Iran in Group F.]
Here are five players to watch:
Emmanuel Emenike – The difference between Nigeria with and Nigeria without Emmanuel Emenike is clear.
In the latter stages of last year’s African Cup, the Super Eagles powered past Mali 4-1 in the semi-finals with him, then sorely missed the injured striker in a tense 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in the final.
The 26-year-old Fenerbahce forward continued his good form with crucial goals in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring twice in Ethiopia for a 2-1 win in the play-offs.
Victor Moses – Struggling for game time at Liverpool, he plays a valuable role for Nigeria.
His work out wide or as a second striker was an important factor in the success of Emmanuel Emenike as the pair combined well at the African Cup of Nations.
Moses’ lack of action at Liverpool is a cause for concern for Keshi, who views the powerful and pacey player as one of his best attacking threats.
John Obi Mikel – Like Victor Moses, his time on the bench in the Premier League with Chelsea raises worries for his readiness at the World Cup.
With Mikel, Nigeria has the stability in central midfield that allows forwards Emmanuel Emenike and Moses, and midfielders like Ahmed Musa and Sunday Mba, to create and score goals.
Still only 26, Mikel is one of Nigeria’s most experienced players.
Sunday Mba – Few players had a more successful African Cup than Mba, the attacking midfielder with a hard shot whose stunning long-range goal gave Nigeria a 2-1 win over favoured Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals.
Mba also scored the winner in the final with a goal worthy of winning a title. He controlled a bouncing ball, clipped it over a defender and volleyed into the net.
His breakthrough tournament earned him a European contract.
Efe Ambrose – A right back or central defender, he gives Nigeria an extra attacking outlet on the right flank as well as defensive solidity in times of trouble.
Ambrose was also a regular in the African Cup of Nations-winning team and has Champions League experience with Scottish club Celtic.
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