Between now and the opening ceremony, I'll be taking a look at the nations participating in this year's World Cup, an event which is slowly consuming me with excitement. Share my pain! We continue Group B today with Nigeria, one of a number of African nations to opt for a European manager this year. Although they didn't reach the World Cup for the first time until 1994, Nigeria gave me my first abiding memory of African football, when they defeated Spain 3-2 in the 1998 World Cup. This victory, despite the fact that it was followed by an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Denmark in the round of 16, confirmed their position as the pre-eminent African team of the 1990's, and with players like Kanu and Okocha, they were one of the more exciting sides around. Much has changed since then, and the rise of the Ivory Coast has seen Nigeria's stock decline somewhat, but they'll always have my goodwill.
How did they get there?
Although they topped their group in the final qualifying round, Nigeria certainly left it late. Having failed to beat Mozambique in their opening game, and then only drawn at home with Tunisia, it looked as if the Super Eagles would miss out on their second consecutive World Cup. However, Tunisia did them a favour by losing to Mozambique, and Nigeria scraped an away win against Kenya, with the help of a late goal from Obafemi Martins. All in all it was a fairly unconvincing campaign, punctuated by a painful Nations Cup exit at the hands of their West African rivals Ghana. Having secured qualification, the Nigerian FA clearly decided that changes were needed, more of which below...
Who's the coach?
Without wishing to get too philosophical, one of the meta-narratives of African football is the relationship between the old colonial powers and their former subjects, in tactical and organisational terms. Witness the actions of the Nigerian FA upon qualification for the World Cup- they fired Shaibu Amodu and interviewed a number of European candidates, which reportedly included Glenn Hoddle, Philippe Troussier, and their eventual choice, Lars Lagerback.
Personally, I'd prefer to see nations develop their own distinct footballing culture, rather than aping those of the more established powers, but that's just the freedom fighter in me I guess. Tactically, Lagerback is a solid if unadventurous choice. Whilst manager of Sweden, he led them to five consecutive major tournaments, and developed a reputation for blending dependable defensive players with more flamboyant forwards. In theory this sounds like it could be exactly what Nigeria need- Amodu's reign was blighted by stories of indiscipline, particularly towards the end. In practice, it might be a case of too much too soon.
Amodu was a committed 4-3-3 man, whilst Lagerback has built his reputation on 4-4-2, with particular emphasis on wingers. Naturally players will have had experience of playing under different systems at club level, but Lagerback has a difficult task on his hands, having only taken the job at the end of February.
Ones to watch:
Despite being less fancied than the 1998 vintage, this Nigeria squad will undoubtedly be more familiar to casual viewers, containing household names such as Joseph Yobo, John Obi Mikel, Yakubu and the evergreen Kanu. It's a solid but fairly workmanlike team, with a distinct lack of flair players in the vein of Okocha, who was rumoured to be contemplating a return to football last year. They sure could do with with his close control and invention, because although Yakubu and Martins are adept at converting opportunities, it's difficult to see where the creativity is going to come from in this squad.
If Lagerback uses 4-4-2, a lot of responsibility will fall upon the shoulders of the wingers selected to start, particularly Peter Odemwingie, who is talented but has generally flattered to deceive in recent years. Under Amodu, he was somewhat marginalised tactically, but perhaps the added responsibility will galvanise him into action.
The same can be said for John Obi Mikel, who has emerged as the great white hope of Nigerian football. His conversion from an attacking midfielder to a functional holding player by Jose Mourinho may have served the interests of Chelsea, but it does nothing for a Nigerian side which, whatever formation they line up with, has a seriously problematic distance between the midfield and the strikers. It's unreasonable to expect a young player to shoulder the hopes of a nation, especially an introverted and unexpressive figure like Mikel, but he needs to find another dimension to his game if Nigeria are to utilise the talents of their forward line.
How will they do?
Expectations have been lowered significantly since the glory days of the 1990's, and that is all to the good for Nigeria. The appointment of Lagerback is understandable but somewhat disappointing, as his contract is up at the end of June, and one would have to assume that an unsuccessful tournament will ensure that it isn't renewed. Such short-term thinking is a depressing reality in modern football, but remains disappointing, coming as it does from a country with the recent tradition and talent pool (if not the infrastructure) to be players in the world game.
Of course, if Nigeria surpass expectations and progress beyond the group stage, then it will be hailed as a shrewd appointment by the Nigerian FA, and the practice of parachuting 'name' managers in will continue. Me? I sort of hope they flop, and domestic coaches are given more faith by associations who are all too often less concerned about football and more about finance. But that's cruel, and joyous players like Kanu and Odemwingie deserve better. They won't get it mind.
My prediction: Eliminated at the group stage.
Previous previews:
South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France (Group A).
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