An Objective View Of Nigeria's Chances Of Succeeding In Next Year's World Cup

So far, Nigeria has qualified for the World Cup, it is time to remind the world that even if we could be seen as a third world country, at ...

So far, Nigeria has qualified for the World Cup, it is time to remind the world that even if we could be seen as a third world country, at least we are world powers on pitch.

Yes, Keshi has handed us a world cup ticket, a die is thus set rolling, so far we can’t say whether it is going to be a six or one for Nigeria. Yet Keshi has successfully proven to NFA that we need no more guerillas like Berti Vogts to help fight our sporting war!

For now, the Super Eagles are drowned in pools of joy, Mikel relishing the fact he may finally contest midfield with Ramires and tell Joseph Mourinho he was just a dreamer if he intends rusting him on bench. Yet, we have just started the journey, in this expedition we wish our world cup matriculation (entry) would not far more glorious than our convocation (exit). Yes, we have a Brazil 2014 ticket, but can we exhaust the duration of the ticket or come back hurriedly?

That is the question, what are our chances in Brazil? Speaking more from the love of football and less of patriotic sentiments, the Super Eagles lack can barely boast of intelligence wings with which they could fly through the knock-outs! I am no prophet of doom; I didn’t get my visions from a drunken trance, I got my visions sitting in stadia and in front of TV sets watching my compatriots fulfill the pledge poorly on pitch!

To the Ethiopian coach, Nigeria robbed him of his world cup ticket and hopes we get prosecuted in Brazil, to him we played him short one- with the referee for our twelfth man! Anyway, we truly had some tactical wounds that Keshi needs to bandage before getting us to Brazilleast our national pride gets bleeding!

Ethiopia's coach felt his side was robbed of two clear penalties

Firstly, the Nigerian team showed tactical infancy in their last encounters. Like they wore pampers, they were more of kids yet to be weaned when it comes to technical football. Keshi needs a more delicious reincarnation of our AFCON prowess. Can we say we need more technical ‘maggi cubes’ more tasty technicalities Nigerians would savour. Our game plan (in the Ethiopian encounters) was more hazardous than the relationship between Goodluck Jonathan and Rotimi Amaechi, we could see Musa throwing wild crosses across that were more for the fans than Emenike; yes he was making the ball boy’s day more successful than Emenike’s.

 You could see the dumb communication between the Mikel and Ideye. We need that Nigerian Iniesta who would wield the midfield to the attack, that “8” with a football brain who can make things work better and quicker in the third half.

We ended up more generous than Bill Gates, giving the ball away too cheaply. Surely, it this was an Abacha administration, most of them would have suffered charges of felony!

We also need to be more professional when on pitch, starting from Moses who scored a penalty and took his shirt off showing the Calabar ladies his six or eight packs that he plays better on bed than on pitch.

Moses' unnecessary goal celebration

This is largely unprofessional and it cost him a yellow card, a price that would be too costly to pay in Brazil. Also, our players were found to hold on to the ball too comfortably and too dangerously like some inherited property.

Keshi needs some tactical ‘spatulas’. Yes, he needs to stir his team a little bit. In the last game, Musa seems to be more comfortable handlings cows than on pitch, Ideye on the other hand seemed to be more comfortable being one Aba apprentice than a professional footballer. How come the sporting metamorphosis in Nigeria ends up in defect? We have won several international youth competitions, yet our national team never reflects such? What is Isco, Gotze doing in their national teams and where are Chrisantus and Rabio Ibrahim? Keshi needs to continuity to survive consequently.

Keshi also needs such mental masculinity he showed in rinsing Yobo off the team, and make strong decisions. Yes, he should learn to put personal differences outside else he would bear too many differences from the ideal coach Nigerians demand. Yes, I don’t see why he shouldn’t sacrifice his pride and bring in Odewinge after all that guy is truly less friendly to defenders than Musa and Ideye are. Even the Mba he brought in was more of an “umba” (an Ibo word for God forbid) than the Mba we knew him to be; maybe Sunday Mba plays better on Sundays as his name suggests...lol.

Should Osaze be giving another chance?

We should also bear in mind that the world cup is a den of intimidating carnivorous football predators like Spain, Braziland Germanywho are ready to tear opponents to shreds. Watch the Spanish team for example, there is not one single Basketmouth in their squad, there- no comedian who jokes with the ball like we do. Vincent Del Bosque’s side are ‘football gluttons” who never get satisfied of success. They wouldn’t even mind  destroying a goalkeeper’s career as they are so business minded; take the Tahiti confederation demolition for instance.

We must also recognize that our game was structurally malnourished. We were playing a 3-man defense in the last game. That is too costly a joke to cast in Brazilwhen with opponents like Uraguay, Germany and England who deserve a royal suite in hell for their attacking wickedness. They would counter Keshi into insanity that he wouldn’t know when he would change Eyeama for Nsofor!

Keshi should be conscious of the fact that the tears of Nigerians from a fateful world cup disappointment could drown all his heroics and consequently dumped in the refuse bins of history where Siasia and John Obuh are presently kept.

Yet, we must commend the Nigerian defence, it is our best strength. Omeruo, Ambrose and Echiejile are doing nice jobs as well as the unyielding Onazi. Also we should be happy that our confederation cups nightmare is over as Emenike is back a boot laced with thunder and lightening! These are our most noticeable strengths.

In conclusion, we hope our 2014 Brazilian adventure would be more celebrated than Brazilian hair. At least, if we can’t win the cup, let us win some international respect. I also sincerely hope doctors don’t end with the last laugh as 2014 could boom hospitals with high BP patriotic patients from our football matches. SURELY AS SUPER EAGLES, I WISH WE WOULD FLY AND HUNT NUTRIOUSLY IN BRAZIL 2014.    

Do you think we stand a chance of doing well in Brazil?? Comment below!