What Bosso Must Do To Succeed In Africa Games
Ladan Bosso has every reason to believe his team can bounce back from the slim and respectable loss to Uganda in their first game of the ongoing Africa Games.
There are glaring areas for improvement which, if addressed, the team can achieve a podium finish in the tournament.
I was left disappointed by the number of crosses the Flying Eagles fullbacks allowed to be delivered. Should Bosso address this then his team will perform better.
The FE goalkeeper is exuberant. He covered himself in glory at times but could have done better for the second goal conceded. He also needs greater protection from the defensive midfield infrastructure.
In front, the FE worked the ball well into offensive areas. They just need to be more incisive. They were rash in taking shots exhibited poor decision making. They also played with inadequate understanding of each other's movements. Greater coordination and communication up front is required.
Also, Bosso's boys tend to me more practical than tactical, nothing too bad with this, they just need to lace it up with higher quality deliveries (in a variety of passes).
Positional undiscipline also harmed the Flying Eagles. Bosso's teams can be organised but they showed inadequate organisation against Uganda. I think they will improve on this against South Sudan.
The strategy to drive to the by-line, cut back with low cross and then shoot at goal was dealt with by Uganda. Again, Bosso brand of football is direct, physical and practical which is predictable but can still work if implemented with a bit more imagination.
Composure let Bosso's boys down. Already their pattern of play lacks eloquence. Nonetheless, if they keep a cool head in key moments they will make headway in future games.
Their passing routines are neat and, when they leverage their speed and physicality, can be harmful to opponents. But again they need a bit of vision, enterprise and inventiveness to really unlock defences.
And this is where the team failed most against Uganda: the big boys in the Flying Eagles failed to impose themselves in that match. Bosso needs to get his marquee players (Daga, Bamayi etc) firing on all cylinders.
In a nutshell, the Flying Eagles should exercise care when defending, inject variety into their midfield play and exhibit greater composure and better decision up front. The players at Bosso's disposal can address obvious shortcomings.
The coach himself, Ladan Bosso, is highly skilled in a physical and at times an unattractive brand of football that combines speed, physicality, attention to positional details and strict adherence to practical rudiments to attain moderate to manageable success in under 20 football.
I see the Flying Eagles improving as the tournament wears on.