Rohr’s formation, Ighalo’s omission… 5 talking points from Nigeria-Liberia clash

The Super Eagles of Nigeria went to Tangier, Morroco, for one job only: do whatever it takes to get a victory. And the Gernot Rohr-led boys steeled their resolve and ferreted out a 2-0 victory against the Lone Stars at the Stade Grande de Tangier.

Two well-converted penalty kicks from Victor Osimhen and Ahmed Musa were enough to ensure that Nigeria remains two points above Cape Verde in Group C ahead of the all-important final group game between the two teams in Lagos on Tuesday.

Here are the five talking points from the Super Eagles victory over Liberia:

Ighalo’s omission

Gernot Rohr, despite criticism, called Odion Ighalo out of retirement for the round of matches, yet the 32-year-old wasn’t named in the match squad on Saturday.

The Franco-German’s decision to leave Ighalo out of the team plays directly in the books of some of his critics who have described the recall as unnecessary given the pool of young attacking talents in the team.

The late arrival of the Al-Sadd striker to the Eagles camp might be an excuse for his omission from the game, and those who celebrate his return will be hoping to see him take the field against Cape Verde.

Limitations of Rohr’s formation

Rohr opted to head into the game with a 3-5-2 formation, with Moses Simon and Jamilu Collin as wingbacks. The tactic limited the effectiveness of the Super Eagles on the flank. The line-up reined in the explosiveness of Simon, which was sorely missed in the third half of the Nigerian attack, and Collins lacked the attacking prowess to offer any threat up front.

It locked the Eagles in a straightjacket all through the game as they relied solely on the inconsistent pass and surge runs from Joe Aribo and Alex Iwobi down the middle.

The effect of the limitation is underlined by the paltry number of goalscoring opportunities created by Nigeria in the game.

Cracks on the Oyinbo wall

The partnership between Leon Balogun and William Troost Ekong, adorably dubbed the Oyinbo wall during the Super Eagle’s unbeaten run through the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, has begun to show cracks in need of some patching.

There’s the argument that Chidozie Awaziem was part of the back three tonight, but the Alanyaspor defender stood almost flawless as his defensive partners had a handful of miscommunication and sloppy errors that could have been detrimental against a better side.

Ejuke, the right cog needed

Chidera Ejuke has been proving himself capable of being the Eagle’s newly-fangled creative cog. The CSKA Moscow forward has continued to impress for the Super Eagles, using his quick feet and guile to craft half chances.

His introduction in the second half changed the complexion of the encounter for Nigeria a bit. Suddenly, the Eagles had a player who could carry the ball from midfield and connect with the attacking duo much more comfortably.

Although he still has to sharpen his decision making in the final third, the 23-year-old has shown he has the right skill set to be a creative outlet.

Aribo’s worrisome form for Eagles

Aribo played the entire 90 minutes and contributed little to the game. His forgettable performance is reminiscent of those he’s been rendering in the green and white shirt in recent times.

The Super Eagles have sorely missed his gliding runs that easily beat opponents with his long strides to create chances, and hopefully, it won’t be long before we get those back.