Nigeria sets to take on Sudan

A look ahead to the Super Eagles' crunch Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash with the Falcons of Jediane as they hope to reach Morocco 2015

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By Solace Chukwu

This weekend, the Super Eagles travel to Sudan with their qualification campaign hanging by a thread.Nigeria find themselves adrift of surprise group leaders Congo, and need to win. 

If something sounds familiar about this plot, that’s because history does tend to repeat itself, especially with a nation and culture that has made a habit out of not learning from their own mistakes. On the 1st of July, 2001, the Super Eagles travelled to Omdurman to face the Falcons of Jediane in their penultimate qualifier for the 2002 Fifa World Cup. 

A meagre return of seven points from their first five games had put Nigeria five points behind runaway group leaders Liberia, with three games to play. The times were desperate, and the corrective measures were just as drastic. Dutchman Jo Bonfrere, hero of Africa’s first Olympic gold medal in football and Africa Cup of Nations runner-up just a year prior, was relieved of his duties.  

Clemens Westerhof, under whom he had served as assistant for five years, described his long-time acquaintance in less than charitable terms in an interview with Kayode Tijani, hinting at a lack of character. While Bonfrere never replied, his reign at the helm of the Super Eagles seemed to lend credence to the view: there was a general laxity and indiscipline in the player ranks. 

In came Amodu Shuaibu for his second stint in charge, and his first hurdle was the return fixture against the George Weah-inspired group leaders, who had defeated the Super Eagles in Monrovia earlier in the series. A header in either half from Kanu and Victor Agali in Port Harcourt steadied a tottering ship. 

Then came the crunch tie away to Sudan, until that point perfect in front of the Omdurman crowd. 

Frayed nerves were greatly soothed with the news that hours earlier, the Lone Stars had suffered a home reverse against Ghana. This meant that a win over Sudan would take Nigeria top by a point. Buoyed by this, the Super Eagles let their hair down and played the best football of the series, blowing away a hapless Sudanese side. 

The ticket for the World Cup would be secured four weeks later with victory over arch-rivals Ghana, an ultimate testament to a country’s ability to put out fires rather than prevent them. 

Will history repeat itself? 

Can the Eagles delight their fans against Sudan?

Well, already the finer details are starting to change. An administrative decision has seen the game moved from Omdurman to capital Khartoum, which means Stephen Keshi’s lads will play on an artificial surface. Needless to say, this comes with numerous health and safety challenges, as the surface carries an increased risk of burns and turf toe, as well susceptibility to knee sprains. For a player as influential as John Obi Mikel who has a history of knee surgery, a detail such as this can make a major difference. 

It is not a stretch to expect some sort of butterfly effect amid the administrative chaos that has plagued Nigerian football over the last three months. Already, there are signs of the foot-dragging for which the NFF is known: the team has continued to train on the Abuja National Stadium turf, which is grass, rather than moving to one of the synthetic Goal Project pitches close by. 

Could this late change be the flapping of the butterfly’s wings that is the harbinger of a hurricane at the confluence? 

Keshi is having to deal with enforced absences. In-form winger Victor Moses has since been replaced by Dolphins’ Emem Eduok, while World Cup revelation Michael Babatunde will only be fit for the home leg on the 15th. These developments might already have made the Big Boss’s mind up for him as to the composition of the midfield: the double-pivot of Mikel and Ogenyi Onazi is inviolable, and Nosa Igiebor will likely play slightly ahead. 

In attack, the only certainty is Ahmed Musa. Emmanuel Emenike’s recent mouthing off at Keshi has put his position in attack in doubt; not that his recent form has been sparkling anyway. It would not be a stretch to imagine Keshi giving a first start to Enugu Rangers’ forward Osaguona Ighodaro upfront, he has called up a whole raft of rookies for this must-win tie after all. 

This leaves one position unspoken for in attack. The most likely candidate would be Sone Aluko, but there is a sense that Keshi does not entirely trust him, seeing as he opted to play Gbolahan Salami on the flank against South Africa ahead of the versatile Hull man. His cameo offered flashes of ability, and surely he will get the nod this time. It is up to him to take the chance with both hands. 

Does Aluko have the faith of the Big Boss?

Sudan have yet to score a goal so far in the qualifying series, but caused South Africa problems in the first half of their game in Omdurman. Main striker Mudathir Kareka of Al-Hilal Omdurman is ruled out due to an administrative misstep that has prevented him from returning from Hajj to Saudi Arabia, per Abdul Musa, so they will rely on forward Abdi Babeker Bakri to break this duck; the forward impressed in the CAF Champions League this term for the Sudanese side. 

Events elsewhere are also worth keeping an eye on. The top two teams in the group: Congo and South Africa lock horns in Pointe-Noire, and a home win would be the best case scenario for Nigeria, tying them for second with a win over the Falcons later in the day. 

Sudan away was a watershed moment 13 years ago, the point where a bleak prognosis started to look promising again. Will we see the Super Eagles really cut loose and dazzle? The result is tough to call, as the playing surface may have an undue influence, but in terms of pure quality it is an absolute mismatch. 

Then again, that’s what we said about the Congolese