Respected South African coach Gavin Hunt has a different idea to CAF on who is Super Eagles best player at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations, where the team were beaten 1-2 by Cote d’Ivoire in the final.
After the tournament, PAOK defender William Troost-Ekong was voted the most valuable player of the tournament for his performance for the Super Eagles where he scored three goals including their lone goal in the final.
Ekong was also named in the official team of the tournament by CAF , but Hunt feels the Super Eagles went all the way to the final due to the workaholic attitude of Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka who played all of the games for Nigeria at the tournament.
Onyeka anchored the midfield with Alex Iwobi with Peseiro maintaining a 3-4-3 formation for large spells of the tournament, Hunt said the fact that the system worked for Nigeria has a lot to do with the 24 year old.
” I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this but it is my opinion and I can defend it. Onyeka to me has been their key player in the run up to the final. He sweeps everything in front of him and drives the team higher up the pitch as well. To me he was their best player and key to their two midfielder system, which worked at the tournament”, he said.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
