Where would the Blame Go: Keshi or the Glass House?

Boss Keshi

Against the Congolese and the South Africans, The Super Eagles of Nigeria were, as usual, predictable, useless at set pieces, opted for kick-and-follow football, and could barely string meaningful passes together. Is it safe to say that Stephen Keshi has reached his peak with the national team and that it’s time for fresh ideas in the dressing room?. The Super Eagles managed a well-deserved 3-2 loss in Calabar and an undeserved point gained against Bafana Bafana of South Africa, who can only blame their poor finishing and inexperience for failing to take all three. While the South Africans lacked composure and clinical finishing, Claude Le Roy's Congo had Thievy Bifouma to rely on, although Ogenyi Onazi, Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Oboabona were all complicit in making the former West Bromwich Albion loanee look like Thierry Henry. It look like "We had a good team on paper; unfortunately, the game was played on grass."

Or is it the administrative disaster at the Glass house that is impacting performances on the pitch?

There's no perfect answer to either question, but two things are clear.

1. Keshi’s team has not improved since their Afcon triumph.

2. You cannot expert cohesion in a football house that is in disarry

3. Aminu Maigari and Chris Giwa are not in charge of the Super Eagles’ dressing room.

Maigari

Keshi said, after the South Africa game, that the team has not been together for long and that it is taking time for its various components to gel which is a fair comment to a certain degree. Taking a closer look, however, it’s hard to give too much weight to the manager’s observations.

Not many can explain the role of John Obi Mikel in the team, for example, while Ogenyi Onazi is a decent player who could run all day but his weight seems to be developing faster than his technique. It is hard to understand if Nnamdi Oduamadi is a midfielder or a striker, and only the Big Boss has a clue as to why Ramon Azeez is a better playmaker than Nosa Igiebor.

Gbolahan Salami ahead of Sone Aluko for the South Africa game was another odd decision; the latter is a pure winger and the former, an out-and-out striker. Emmanuel Emenike remains a powerful presence in the penalty box but often shunted wide to accommodate strikers of lesser ability and reputation. Nigeria seems to be the only team suited to a back three but persisting with a back four.

If the Super Eagles are to make it to Morocco and defend their title in 2015, the obvious cracks at the Glass House in Abuja need to be fixed and not papered-over. Important personnel decisions have to be made regarding the technical crew. The first assignment for whoever resumes office now is to decide if Keshi ought to be the man to take the team forward.

Keshi certainly must take the blame for the team’s current malaise, but moving forward the team can only prosper if the Glass House becomes a stable environment and Nigerian government have to note this. Federation officials must also begin to take responsibility; success will only be achieved if the NFF, the coaching staff and the players are on the same page of putting head together for team works that leads to sources especially in this kind of international competition.

What worries me more in Nigeria this dayz is that every body want to be heard and thank God Maigari name is being heard now. i will like them to start putting their ass in one boot before Nigeria fan begin to lambast them as key failure in Nigeria football.