Peter Odemwingie Praises Tolu Arokodare’s Smart Pressing in Draw Against Russia
Former Super Eagles forward Peter Odemwingie has praised Tolu Arokodare for his clever pressing that helped Nigeria score in their 1-1 draw with Russia in an international friendly in Moscow.
The match took place at the Luzhniki Stadium, where Nigeria capitalised on a mistake from Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov to find the back of the net.
Speaking to Russian reporter Oleg Lysenko from Championat, Odemwingie applauded Arokodare’s intelligent movement, which created the chance.
“We spent nearly a whole week studying this type of situation in coaching classes,” Odemwingie said.
“I’m a bit old-fashioned — I don’t like it when teams try to build attacks from deep too often. Yes, Safonov made a mistake, but the Nigerian striker made a very smart move too.”
Odemwingie explained how Arokodare’s smart positioning forced the error.
“In English, it’s called a ‘double run’: he first pressed to the right, and when the goalkeeper looked down, he quickly changed direction to the left and intercepted the pass to the defender.”
The former West Brom and Lille forward also spoke about how high pressing has become a key part of modern football tactics.
“Many teams now press high up the pitch, and it worked well for Nigeria,” he said.
Arokodare’s goal helped Nigeria avoid defeat in Moscow and gave the team a confidence boost ahead of future matches. The friendly also offered both sides valuable lessons, especially in keeping up with the tactical demands of today’s football.
