It appears coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr is spoilt for choice on the best combination to use in attack when Nigeria take on South Africa in tomorrow’s AFCON 2019 Qualifiers.
Owngoalnigeria.com details on their close door session yesterday morning points to that fact but our correspondent has picked five things he observed from what we gathered about the session.
Daniel Akpeyi Is Favourite To Start In Goal– It might not be a popular decision but barring any late minute change of mind, Akpeyi will likely be in goal for Nigeria tomorrow. The coaches have some reservations about Ikechukwu Ezenwa but he could yet start as he still has the trust of the technical crew.
Moses Simon Back In Favour – The emergence of Samuel Chukwueze and Samuel Kalu means the coaches now have more options on the flanks and that has likely pushed Levante ace Moses Simon to the limit as he has been very enterprising in training. His ability to help out in defence when he has to will surely come in handy in Johannesburg.
Isaac Success Yet To Earn Rohr’s Trust – No doubt about how high he is rated by coach Gernot Rohr but the coach still has reservations about trusting him with the top striker role. Ahmed Musa who is traditionally a winger for the Super Eagles is favorite to start as top striker in a two man attack.
Fast Paced Football – Bar the trio of John Ogu, Leon Balogun and Kelechi Iheanacho, every other player in the Super Eagles squad gearing up for tomorrow’s game can be said to be very quick. That has also helped for an entertaining training session so far. The above mentioned players are not quickest with their legs but their speed of thought has helped them fit into the system.
Strong Winning Mentality – The back to back wins over Libya coupled with the win over Seychelles has sparked a winning mentality among players of the Nigerian team. They don’t look complacent but their confidence level is reasonably high and it will be vital tomorrow.
