Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Soccernet.ng
  • Home
  • AFCON 2025
  • Leagues
    • EPL
    • NPFL
    • La Liga
    • Seria A
    • Ligue 1
  • Live Scores
  • Soccernet TV
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Soccernet.ng
  • Home
  • AFCON 2025
  • Leagues
    • EPL
    • NPFL
    • La Liga
    • Seria A
    • Ligue 1
  • Live Scores
  • Soccernet TV
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Soccernet.ng
No Result
View All Result

Augustine Eguavoen’s three biggest concerns ahead of Super Eagles’ World Cup decider versus Black Stars

by Imhons Erons
March 29, 2022
in News, AFCON, NewsNow, Nigeria, World Cup
1

The 2013 Afcon winners were far from their best against the Ghanaians on Friday, and they need to raise their game to secure victory in the return leg

The Super Eagles were outfought and out-thought in a jam-packed Baba Yara Stadium but did well to leave Kumasi without losing the game.

The scenario will be different at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja today, where 60,000 fans will be cheering the Eagles to victory over the Black Stars.

Still, the game will be won and lost on the pitch, and head coach Augustine Eguavoen must find a way to address three of the team’s most visible flaws to boost their winning chances.

Improving Nigeria’s weak centre

In midfield, Eguavoen played Lorient star Innocent Bonke alongside Rangers’ Joe Aribo in Kumasi. And for the first hour or so, the Eagles looked disjointed and were totally dominated in that department.

While Bonke and Aribo were a nuisance for Thomas Partey and Mohammed Kudus, the Lorient midfielder did very little when on the ball and rarely got the attack moving with progressive passes.
Bonke got injured and was replaced in that encounter, and he remains a doubt for the Abuja clash.

But the Super Eagles improved significantly with the second-half introduction of Frank Onyeka and Oghenekaro Etebo, and it appears there is already a ready-made solution to that problem.

Get well soon, Wilfred Ndidi.

Unshackling Osimhen, the defender’s nightmare

To say Victor Osimhen was pocketed in Kumasi is an understatement. The Napoli striker was double-marked, rough-handled at every turn, and barely had a sniff at goal.

Usually, those are the kinds of battles he lives for and thrives in, but when the wingers and midfielders fail to provide him adequate service, they set him up to fail.

Eguavoen needs to set the team up to get the best out of Osimhen. Kelechi Iheanacho looked too pedestrian. Samuel Chukwueze did not link up with the Napoli man once all night.

Almeria’s Umar Sadiq will be a better foil for Osimhen than Iheanacho. And you can trust Ademola Lookman to aim more crosses and passes at the former Lille lad.

May God show mercy to the Ghanaian defenders after that because Osimhen will not.

Sticking with Moses Simon or not

The Nantes forward was by some distance Nigeria’s best player during the group stages of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, providing goals, assists, and loads of dribbling highlights.

But Simon has had two indifferent games since – in the 1-0 loss to Tunisia in the Afcon’s round of 16 and Friday’s meeting with Ghana.

There are fascinating options available for Eguavoen as a direct replacement for the former Levante ace, including Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis, Leicester City’s Lookman, and FC Copenhagen’s Akinkunmi Amoo.

But a firing Simon trumps them all. And judging by his words at the pre-match conference yesterday, Ghana may be about to feel the wrath of the petite attacker.

The 26-year-old said, “Of course, you’ll see me in form in tomorrow’s (Tuesday’s) game.

“It’s not all about me; it’s all about the team and team spirit. We know what it takes for this game, and we’ll give everything.

“The game against Tunisia, I was not caged, if you say I was caged, I didn’t observe it, and you talk about the game against Ghana, it is tactics because we all know it can be difficult.

“We know how Ghana play, so we decided to play for a draw because we know when they come here, they will lose.”

What better time to prove his critics wrong than in a World Cup decider against Nigeria’s most prominent football foe?

If only Eguavoen will retain Simon in the starting lineup.

Imhons Erons

Imhons Erons

RelatedPosts

Augustine Eguavoen’s three biggest concerns ahead of Super Eagles’ World Cup decider versus Black Stars
La Liga

Umar Sadiq: Nigeria and Valencia star blames two factors for Real Sociedad struggles

1 hour ago
Augustine Eguavoen’s three biggest concerns ahead of Super Eagles’ World Cup decider versus Black Stars
News

Juventus identify Ademola Lookman’s teammate as attacking option if Victor Osimhen heist fails

3 hours ago
Augustine Eguavoen’s three biggest concerns ahead of Super Eagles’ World Cup decider versus Black Stars
News

Super Eagles: Transfer battle looms as two clubs eye Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye

3 hours ago
Augustine Eguavoen’s three biggest concerns ahead of Super Eagles’ World Cup decider versus Black Stars
EPL

Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo makes stunning admission about Nigerian food

3 hours ago

See other News

Comments 1

  1. Maxwell says:
    3 years ago

    Technically Ghana might win the game but Nigeria physically might win. Ghana had 4 top coaches as technical team .including Chris Houghton also on board.
    A lot went wrong with Milovan during AFCON we turned a new leave where everyone in the team is a Ghanaian

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Umar Sadiq: Nigeria and Valencia star blames two factors for Real Sociedad struggles

Juventus identify Ademola Lookman’s teammate as attacking option if Victor Osimhen heist fails

Super Eagles: Transfer battle looms as two clubs eye Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye

Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo makes stunning admission about Nigerian food

Ex-Dortmund star stunned by Finidi George’s iconic goal as FIFA, Ajax, Betis honour Super Eagles legend

Soccernet.ng

Copyright © 2024 Soccernet Media Limited.

Navigate Site

  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Journalist Charter
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • AFCON 2025
  • Leagues
    • EPL
    • NPFL
    • La Liga
    • Seria A
    • Ligue 1
  • Live Scores
  • Soccernet TV
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2024 Soccernet Media Limited.