Flying Eagles: What is The Way Forward Ahead of World Cup!

When emotions were still raw following the needless loss to South Africa in the semis of the U-20 Afcon, I was among the chair leaders calling for a massive overhaul of this Flying Eagles team (I didn’t bother to watch the 3rd place playoff because I knew what to expect – flat football with zero or minimal goals in open play only for the god of penalties to come to the rescue).

The dust has now settled.

The problem, as I now see it, is not in the squad but it lies in the inadequacy of their routines and methods.

Yes, higher quality players produce eloquent routines but decent well coached average players have also been known to punch well above their weight in international football.

Coach Aliyu Zubairu should employ professionals to teach his boys how to deliver effective crosses and the connect with these crosses compellingly. Timing of runs into dangerous areas was a major problem.

The team was claustrophobic upfront, always seeking to bulldoze their way past crowdy opposition defences: even a casual observer like myself knows it’s not done that way.

They struggled to create clear pockets of space in which to do damage.

Their passing routines were ponderous, pedestrian and ultimately harmless. They come across as average players poorly coached!

If these same boys, with injection of few fresh legs here and there and a competent back up goalkeeper, can be brought up-to-scratch with up-to-date movements, connections, runs, timings and compact and incisive all round play, then even “something good can still come out of this Nazareth”.