On Saturday, Nigeria played their penultimate friendly before the 2018 World Cup, against the Three Lions of England.
But what four things did we learn from the match?
1. A game of two halves: If Raheem Sterling had his shooting boots on, England should have been 4-0 up at the break. The home side started the game strongly, with the Nigerian players looking out of sorts. Gary Cahill headed the Three Lions in front, before Harry Kane doubled their lead before the interval. It was a different story entirely, as the Super Eagles came back with purpose in the second half and pulled one back through Alex Iwobi.
2. Rohr, a second-half coach? Very possible. Rohr looked on, as his men struggled to impose themselves in the half. And it is not as if England were at their dazzling best. The Eagles couldn’t figure out how to deal with Gareth Southgate’s 3-4-3. During the break, Rohr moved swiftly, introduced Tryonne Ebuehi, John Ogu, Kenneth Omeruo and Oghenekaro Etebo. His change of personnel and system yielded immediate dividends, as they scored.
3. Case for a midfield: With John Mikel Obi looking rusty, the onus fell on Onazi Ogenyi and Joel Obi to get a stranglehold on the midfield. The obvious truth is that they failed. Ogu and Etebo came in and brought stability in the middle, with Iwobi drifting central to orchestrate. It gives Rohr something to think about, considering he will be up against Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Marcelo Brozovic in his first game in Russia.
4. Reality Czech: Nigeria’s final friendly is next Wednesday against Czech Republic. Rohr is expected to have possibly named his 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup by then and will send out the team that will likely face Croatia on June 16. Fans and pundits will be able to see for themselves how ready Nigeria is for the tournament.
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