The Super Eagles delivered a grade “A” performance for about 70 minutes against Tunisia on Saturday, scoring three goals in a display the North African side clearly did not anticipate.
As I watched the match, one question kept recurring: How did Tunisia qualify for the World Cup, while Nigeria with all its quality failed to do so?
Nigeria’s failure to qualify was never about lack of talent. It was simply a consequence of poor coaching and weak administration.
With Eric Chelle in charge, the Super Eagles have shown what they are capable of. Unfortunately, the damage done by former coaches José Peseiro and George Finidi had already placed the team in a difficult position.
Judging by Chelle’s coaching record, Nigeria would almost certainly have qualified for the World Cup under his watch. Saturday’s performance against Tunisia further underlined his tactical quality and ability to set up a competitive team.
However, Chelle has also shown a recurring weakness,his substitutions.
This flaw was evident in the recent game against Tanzania, and it reappeared against Tunisia. Just when Nigeria had total control of the match, Chelle’s substitutions disrupted the team’s balance.
Why remove Frank Onyeka, a defensive midfielder, and introduce Chidera Ejuke, a winger, when Raphael Onyedika, an ideal like-for-like replacement was still on the bench?
The decision made little tactical sense. Equally puzzling was the introduction of Moses Simon at a stage when Nigeria needed defensive solidity, not attacking flair.
These changes dismantled the midfield structure that had dominated Tunisia and opened up space for the North Africans to exploit.
Chelle effectively weakened his own defensive wall, allowing Tunisia to take control of Nigeria’s half and score two goals that significantly reduced the deficit.
These errors also exposed goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who, in my view, remains far from convincing as Nigeria’s number-one shot-stopper.
Nwabali appears unfit, flat-footed and heavy and his reactions raise serious concerns.
His primordial behaviour on the pitch is irritating, and the coaching crew must reassess whether he is truly the best among the three goalkeepers in the squad.
His habitual time-wasting antics are now well known to referees, which explains why he received a yellow card on Saturday without any prior warning.
If the Super Eagles are to fully realize their potential, Chelle must address his substitution decisions, while the technical crew must critically evaluate Nwabali’s suitability as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper.
