In order to undertake this post mortem of Nigeria’s first defeat at home in a World Cup qualifier for 40 years, it is necessary to deploy a germ of wisdom that, while obvious, seems lost on Gernot Rohr.
It is this: it is impossible to play good football without midfielders.
Sure, it is the attackers who, at least principally, score goals; yes, it is the defenders who are primarily tasked with keeping them out.
If you think of football in 1s and 0s, then that is all the information you need. However, if life is more about the journey than the destination, then the vehicle – and the road in between – holds the greatest profundity.
Without the services of Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Alex Iwobi on the day and for the window (at least), it would be tempting to give Rohr a pass.
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Those three have, after all, tended to play together whenever available and possible, and while they leave something to be desired in terms of their mix of attributes, they at least had chemistry together. However, to let the German off the hook that easy would be short-sighted. The desolation that ensued in their absence(s) was entirely self-inflicted.
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There has been a curious quirk of squads under the watch of the former Bordeaux and Gabon boss.
Over the course of his time in charge of the Super Eagles, the number of midfielders has markedly shrunk, while the list of defenders and strikers has grown.
The result has been a sandwich that is more bread than filling – there have been results, but the dry manner of them has left little imprint on the taste buds.
It is difficult to remember the last truly great Nigerian international performance. Some of that can be attributed to Covid-19 screwing with the perception of time by eating up an entire year, but in all honesty that is only a small part of the problem.
The major malaise has been the 68-year-old’s total unwillingness to pay any sort of attention to the bolstering of his midfield options.
The popular refrain – that there are no options to choose from – really do not pass muster.
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The likes of Tom Dele-Bashiru, Afeez Aremu, Raphael Onyedika and Ifeanyi Matthew (to name a few) are playing regularly at strong levels in Europe, and surely would offer something different to the national team.
The dissenting argument, which would be that they are unproven at the very highest level, is surely squashed by Rohr’s approach to another department of need: the goalkeepers.
In light of a paucity of established quality, there was an acceptance and a willingness to invest in promising options for the future while mitigating present shortcomings. That approach has now spawned Francis Uzoho and Maduka Okoye. Could the same thinking not have been deployed in midfield?
The alternative to that was in effect on Thursday evening.
Joe Aribo is more an attacking midfielder than a central midfielder, and is of no effect on surfaces that are any less than premium carpet.
So, with Frank Onyeka needed to drop between the centre-backs against Central African Republic’s two-man attacking press, there was a yawning gap in the middle of the pitch.
Brentford.
While Chidera Ejuke, Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho sporadically took turns dropping into it to (try to) receive, controlling crisp passes on a bumpy, uneven surface while arriving at pace and with pressure on their backs is hardly their bag.
The predictable result was an inordinate amount of direct play in the general direction of attacking talisman Victor Osimhen, especially once Iheanacho departed at the break with a possible niggle.
Ironically, this served only to further lengthen the space between the line of defence and the increasing number of forwards on the pitch, leading to the stretched game that ultimately proved the Super Eagles’ undoing.
As if to make a point to Rohr about the folly of his squad composition, Nigeria finished the game with Chidera Ejuke, Ahmed Musa, Samuel Kalu, Taiwo Awoniyi and Victor Osimhen on the pitch in a haphazard 4-1-5 formation, yet remarkably managed no shots on target in the entire duration.
That’s what you get without a midfield.
It was a result that had been coming too, both over the course of a number of lacklustre recent performances and in light of events on the pitch. For all their defensive discipline, it was after all the visitors who fashioned the game’s two clearest chances, and they who manifestly deserved the victory.
