Goal Friendly Super Eagles Setup Plus Two Other Lessons From The 10-0 Annihilation Of Sao Tome & Principe
The obvious gulf in quality and pedigree aside, Nigeria’s Super Eagles were Goal friendly in today’s record setting 0-10 annihilation of Sao Tome & Principe .
From the first goal , it was clear the Jose Paseiro tutored Eagles did not just come for the win but a goal party. Victor Osihmen scored the first goal in the 9th minute and unusually abandoned Celebration to pick the ball from the net for a restart.
New Super Eagles Head Coach Jose Paseiro has been vocal with what he is obsessed about and today the players delivered a near flawless performance to test the first of three lessons we had from today’s match.
GOAL FRIENDLY SUPER EAGLES SETUP.
The new Manager arrives with a 4-4-2 formation which allows for more attackers. Against Sao Tome and Principe, Victor Osihmen and Terem Moffi were constantly running in behind the opposition defence.
A departure from the old system where the single forward was left static and waiting for crosses and rebounds to score . Everyone is involved, Calvin Bassey operating from the center back position today enjoyed the freedom of pushing forward with the ball.
It’s clear the Super Eagles under the new manager will always have a eye on goal unlike the days of passing the ball from Ekong to Balogun or Omeruo and back to whoever is in goal. They will not always score ten like today, but they will be friendly with the art of creating and scoring goals.
Victor Osihmen is perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the new attacking system. The forward has scored five goals in the first two matches under Jose Paseiro. If the goal rain continues, then Osihmen will have a good chance of reaching Rashidi Yekini’s all time Super Eagles 37 goals record.
ALEX IWOBI IS BACK
Credit to the confidence from playing regularly under the tutelage of legendary Chelsea Midfielder Frank Lampard at Everton. Alex Iwobi has been everything Nigerians knew him for in his early days in the Super Eagles team.
The Everton man scored a beauty to pull the Eagles level vs Sierra Leone in Abuja on thursday and continued with another excellent performance alongside Joe Aribo in Midfield. Iwobi was intelligently swift in thought and movement on and off the ball and his penetrating passes caused Sao Tome & Principe problems throughout his stay on the turf.
He’s Back from the slow and mistake ridden Iwobi that was sent off vs Tunisia at the 2021 AFCON in Tunisia.
AHMED MUSA IS NOT DONE YET
There has been questions over when the Super Eagles skipper will call time on his international career but Ahmed Musa delivered a performance to show he is not done yet.
Ahmed Musa came on as a substitute and was directly involved in three goals scored by Terem Moffi, Ademola Lookman and Victor Osihmen. The forward is known to enjoy the respect of his teammates and his on field display today will tame calls for his retirement.
The Super Eagles under Jose Paseiro have scored 12 goals in the opening two 2023 AFCON Qualifiers to lead a group that also has Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau and today’s defeated hosts Sao Tome and Principe.
