2dramasports.com: Nigeria Meets Ireland In Final Preparations For World Cup Qualifiers

Nigeria Meets Ireland In Final Preparations For World Cup Qualifiers

By Tony Onugu

Published May 27, 2009

Any top coach will tell you that building a team is a process; a process of elimination around an identified core. The elimination itself, the players used and the manner in which they are deployed often reflect a search for flexibility and dynamic tactics.

When the Republic of Ireland lines up against Nigeria at Fulham's Craven Cottage, one word will differentiate both teams- humility. In the few years since Trapattoni took over, a team limited in talent, and the pool of players available to national team selectors, has striven hard to play within its strengths.

The Nigeria game will afford an opportunity to assess new options in Liam Lawrence, the Preston duo of Eddie Nolan and Sean St Ledger, and Coventry striker Leon Best. These will be asessed around the team's core players- Shay Givens, John O'Shea, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Robbie Keane, etc, and emerging young influences in midfield like Celtic's Aiden McGeady, Man. United's Darron Gibson, and Man. City's Steven Ireland.

Having inherited a team with an identified core of Enyeama, Yobo, Kanu, Shittu, Yakubu, Odiah, Taiwo, Martins, Yusuf and Mikel, the challenge for coach Amodu was to identify a tactical direction and build around the core players with smart selections and dynamic tactics. So far while the results have been very positive, the team has not grown in the process, with the introduction of new players handled in a hapharzard manner, with little impact on team development.

The Irish will start fast against Nigeria, with energy and enthusiasm against a Super Eagles that will attempt the controlled possession game. In the build-up to critical world cup qualifying games against Kenya and especially Tunisia, Nigeria would look again to build team chemistry along with industry in midfield. With key absences in defence and midfield, the match affords an opportunity to explore new options, especially the young Esperance striker, Michael Eneramo and the Aberdeen midfielder Sone Aluko, who could address gaps in left midfield.

So far the indifferent performance of Nigeria in recent matches ensures that there will be pressure to on the team and coach to do well. A poor performance will further ratchet up the pressure in next week's match against France.