Is this this Really Love?

The Super Eagles concluded the first group stage of the World cup qualifying campaign on a high, beating Sierra Leone 4-1 and putting up a display that went a long way to repairing their relationship with the fans.

Goals by Chris Obodo,Victor Obinna and Osaze Odemwingie meant the Eagles went in for the interval with a two goal lead. Chidi Odiah completed the rout in the second half, with left foot shot from the 25 yards, after cutting from right.

Nigeria's coach made a few changes in personnel and tactics,dropping Yakubu while handing Chris Obodo a first start in one and half years, in a 4-3-3 formation that suggested an intention to play attacking football.

The Eagles started brightly and had Leone stars keeper Christian Caulker off his line in the second minute to cut out a Taye Taiwo cross, with Osaze odemwingie lurking. Caulker then dropped Osaze's free-kick, but Joseph Yobo's shot was blocked and Osaze missed the right post by inches from the rebound.

In the nineteenth minute, Caulker again denied Nigeria, getting his hand to a Taye Taiwo free-kick to take it beyond Danny Shittu who was well placed to score from three yards.But the break through came from the resultant corner.

Christian Obodo, re-payed his manager's faith in him by side-footing from six yards after Caulker kept out Kalu Uche's initial effort.

Sierra Leone had a legitimate penalty shout turned by Zambian referee Wellington Kaoma after Dele Aiyenugba brought down Sheriff Suma in the box.But they equalised in the thirty-first minute when Yobo lobbed Aiyenugba,under pressure from Kaiansu Kamara, after a mixup with Shittu.

Parity lasted only three minutes.Kalu Uche did well to create space for himself but his shot came off Caulker's right post, but Victor Obinna was on hand to bury the rebound from six yards.

Odemwigie extended Nigeria's lead just before half-time.Obinna's glorious pass cut through the Sierra Leone defence and Odemwingie had just the keeper to beat from twelve yards.

Just after the break,Ike Uche and Chidi Odiah combined well on the right to set up Ike Uche,but Caulker blocked his shot.A minute later a brilliant move involving Sani Kaita,Osaze Odemwingie,Ike Uche and Victor Obinna, saw Ike Uche miss Caulker left post by a few inches.

Nigeria continued to dominate, as the dynamism and constant positional interchange of forwards Uche,Odemwingie and Obinna gave the Sierra Leone defence a lot of head-ache. Full backs Taiwo and Odiah also pushed forward to provide additional width from deep to the Nigerian attack.

With fifty minutes gone,Chidi Odiah cut in from the right turned Ibrahim Kargbo inside out and unleashed a powerful left foot shot to score his first international goal.After that the Leone stars had to apply damage limitation exercises to avoid conceded more goals.

That did not stop the Eagles, Ike Uche had two goals chaulked off for off-side.The first on seventy-three minutes was a tight call,it saw Uche run on to substitute Chinedu Obasi's pass to score from six yards.The second,three minutes later,should have stood,once again he ran on to a wonderful through ball by Obasi, went round the Caulker to score.The flag stayed down,but the referee ruled otherwise.

In the end it didn't matter as the Eagles were comfortable winners on the day, thus going into the next round with maximum points and thus improving their chances of being one of the seeded teams for the draw. It also saw the fans cheering the Eagles' every move and thus suggesting that the fans are again warming up to the Eagles.Or are they?


Do you know?

That this is the first time, since the group stages were introduced for the world cup qualifiers in Africa, that the Eagles have earned maximum points at any stage.
Also Joseph Yobo became the first Nigerian player to score an own goal at home in a world cup qualifying match,since Godwin Odiye's own goal against Tunisia in 1977 in Lagos.

An Old Wound Reopens!

As the Super Eagles prepare for their next match, the world cup qualifier against Sierra Leone, a problem that we have been lucky to deal with over the years has come up for discussion, a lack of competition for our full backs, especially at left back.


Lucky because,since Celestine Babayaro departed the international scene, we've quite had suitable candidates for that position- Ifeanyi Udeze,Taye Taiwo and even Garba Lawal(whenever he deputised). Before him, we had Ben Iroha who was right footed and converted from midfield by Westerhof and of course Michael Emenalo who was recalled from a nine year international wilderness as back up for Iroha at USA '94.

It was so bad that at Senegal 92 ANC we had no proper left back since Iroha was injured.Emeka Ezeugo,Nduka Ugbade and Augustine Eguavone all right footed took turns to fill that position.


The Solution?

I suggest Amodu takes a cue from Westerhof and Siasia and convert someone to that position.This will mean that he will have to apply all the coaching and man management skills he has acquired over the years to get the job done.

The Candidates?

Obvious one is Chibuzo Okonkwo.We all saw him at the Olympics. I think he not international class yet, but he has potential and will surely improve with good coaching. He can also get a look in at right back.Monday James(to my surprise, I must confess) did quite well too when he played there in China, but he will have to work really hard to join the Eagles set up.

The best(and maybe long-term) candidate could be Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé of RC Rennes.He was called up to Amodu first squad, but hasn't returned since.He also missed the cut for the Olympics.Maybe the fact he's not a regular at Rennes didn't help,but I thought he was solid at the WYC in Canada. I think he might benefit(in terms of his confidence) from being in the national team set up now(Samuel Eto'o made his debut for Cameroun while paying in the Real Madrid academy, see where he is today).

If none these guys will suffice then we have to work really hard to solve the problem.

Do you know?

That Finidi George started his career as a central midfielder for Calabar Rovers?
He was converted to a winger by Clemens Westerhof. He reverted to central midfield in the later part of career.