By 6pm this evening, Nigerians are fully expecting to be celebrating Nigeria’s return to the World Cup tournament.
Well, our faith is not unshaken. Firstly, we hold a 2-1 advantage from the first leg and of course, we will be playing at home. Added to the fact that we have a strong squad available for the match, our worry is if we will be grouped alongside Robin van Persie and his Holland gang or even Lionel Messi.
However, here are five quick tips for Stephen Keshi, as he prepare his army for the last leg of the war:
1. Start with the Ideye-Emenike-Moses axis in attack
Oduamadi has struggled with illness all week, although he is expected to be fit, while Ahmed Musa is not reliable. I think Keshi should bring in Brown Ideye in attack. He has a good understanding with Emmanuel Emenike and can also interchange positions with the other attackers easily.
2. Stick with Oboabona and Egweukwe in the centre of defence
Kenneth Omeruo is back and there have been hints here and there, that the Chelsea defender might be reunited with Godfrey Oboabona in defence. While this partnership has been very impressive in the past, I would suggest Keshi sticks to the Oboabona-Egweukwe pairing that performed well in Addis Ababa and in other games, where Omeruo missed because of injury.
3. Warn his players
“In fact, they should play as if they don’t know them. All they need is to win and they must win well,” Keshi said earlier this week. This is the rallying cry he should ensure resounds in the players ears, as they file out at the U. J Esuene Stadium. Play as if their lives – and careers – depend on the 90 minutes.
4. Make early substitutions
Keshi can borrow a leaf from Jose Mourinho (not Arsene Wenger) and pull out players that are not up to par on the day early enough. There is the danger of keeping a player longer than he should be on the pitch and making last-minute substitutions, when the replacement can really not impact the game.
5. Tweak his tactics if necessary
This is also very Mourinho-esque. If it happens that Keshi’s preferred 4-3-3 formation is not yielding the desired effects, he can tweak it to a 4-4-2, a 4-2-4 or even a 3-5-2, which we see a lot these days. One thing is certain: Nigeria must make it through, by hook or crook!
‘Ifreke Inyang tweets via @Ifreke
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