As the Nigeria/Ghana World Cup playoffs draw close, the list of players recently released by Eagles Manager Austin Eguavoen is causing ripples in the football scene. We acknowledge that it is normal for people to have different opinions but in the list compiled by Austin Eguavoen, there were obvious cases of anomalies over the invitation of three players – Oghenekaro Etebo, Akinwunmi Amao on the main list and the invitation of Ogueyi Onazi.

Etebo was yet to have played a match in the past seven months as at the time he got an invitation into the main squad of 25 players. We believe it was wrong because the encounter is crucial with no room for errors. Onazi left the national team in 2018 and he is coming back as a second division player in Saudi Arabia. This is not good for the senior national team. Also, Amao, who has not been in the team before, is in the main team while Taiwo Awoniyi and Paul Onuachu were dropped to the standby list.

Awoniyi and Onuachu are consistent scorers in the German and Belgium’s top flight respectively yet Eguavoen insisted that was the best he could come out with just as he also failed to pick any domestic league player for the encounter on March 25. It is important for Eguavoen to know that the forthcoming encounter is a make-or-break one not only for him but for all Nigerian coaches. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the years has shown little or no respect for Nigerian coaches and now that the opportunity is here, it should be taken with both hands.

We believe the invitation of Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman and Emmanuel Dennis will boost the competition for starting lineup shirts but it is important for Eguavoen and his crew to ensure a balance in the team. The defence and goalkeeping departments have also not been too impressive and the set-up for the first leg tie in Kumasi is crucial. The ticket could be won in Ghana if the defenders show guts and mental alertness.

The coaches should also be ready to be flexible with the pattern of play while creativity is required in the middle to make the job of the strikers easier. The final playoffs for the Qatar 2022 World Cup is fast approaching with a lot of frenzy in the air across all the 10 African countries still in the race for five tickets to be at the Mundial.

There are no easy games in the playoffs as newly crowned African champions Senegal square up with Egypt in a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations Cup final which took place in Yaoundé last month. It is a big one just like other games. AFCON 2021 host, Cameroon, square up against Algeria, while DR Congo will take on Morocco. Tunisia and Mali will also fight for a single ticket just as the Super Eagles will engage the Black Stars. All the games will take place between March 24 and 29. Let us stress that the Nigeria/ Ghana encounter is a standout clash anytime because of the rivalry between the two West African nations over the years. Always, this is one fixture in which form might not be enough to determine the outcome as doggedness and determination of the players will play a big part on the day.

In the past few weeks and throughout this month, there are various talking points in the build-up to the big clash of the two subregional neighbours. However, when the 32- man list of Super Eagles players for the encounter was released by the NFF, the anxiety doubled among fans and stakeholders generally. But as to be expected, Eagles’ manager, Eguavoen, however, defended his list, insisting that all players cannot be invited. “I am in charge and I discussed with all the players in our plans but not invited.

I have noted seven home-based players that will come in later in future not now. Onazi came in for us to pacify some people so that we are all in harmony. I am not sure he can play at the very top level, so he is on standby,” Eguavoen said. But who are those the coach is trying to pacify? We make bold to say this is absurd because it means players are still being imposed on coaches which should not be the case especially with so much riding on a match like this.

There was no justification in the position of Eguavoen apart from the fact that he is in charge to take the best decision for the team. On the standby list, Onazi is the only midfielder and so any issue with others invited means Onazi will be in the main team. The utterances of the coach suggest that some influential people forced players on him. It is sad that the NFF has failed to respond to the public outcry on the issue of the Eagles’ manager trying to pacify some people. We frown at this development just as the federation is folding its arms on some other anomalies. We charge the federation to provide the proper enabling environment for the team to excel in the two matches in Kumasi and Abuja – for failure to qualify for the World Cup would be calamitous.

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