Nigeria: Threshold of a Magnificent Decade

Nigeria may be at the threshold of a magnificent decade. But its actualization depends on winning on actual trophies and recording monumental accomplishments. There is little doubt about the development of young players especially from the magnificent group of U-17 teams that captivated the world in 2013 and 2015. They have now come of age! But a magnificent decade will be more likely with the addition of  emerging dual-citizen talent that has multiplied in the last decade. It all seems aligned at the right moment, especially with two World Cups approaching in Qatar 2022 and USA/Canada in 2026. But will the hopes and dream be fulfilled? That is the ultimate question.

For all Nigeria's football fanaticism, its achievements in senior football have always been second-placed behind much smaller African foes. In spire of having Africa's largest population of over 200 million and counting and a populace worshipping football as religion, Nigeria was not even a force in Africa's football until the mid 1970s and its World Cup premier appearance occurred only late in the last century. None of those markers have helped place Nigeria at the leadership of football performance in Africa or beyond it. 

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. . . a magnificent decade will be more likely with the addition of  emerging dual-citizen talent that has multiplied in the last decade. It all seems aligned at the right moment, especially with two World Cups approaching in Qatar 2022 and USA/Canada in 2026. But will the hopes and dream be fulfilled? That is the ultimate question.

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But Nigeria's premier appearance at the World Cup of 1994 did represent somewhat Africa's hope. It started with a bang -- a 3-0 thrashing of Bulgaria, the latter finishing finish third in that same tournament. Nigeria had arrived, at the event, ranked #5 in the world, a position since unmatched by an African team. More than two decades later, that very team remains a marker for Nigeria's teams. Hopefully, that may change with the team currently emerging for Nigeria.

This forecast of the coming of, perhaps, Nigeria's and Africa's greatest team can be realized but it can also end in a dud. In my view, the central factors that will determine greatness or dud-ness lies in Nigeria's ability to (1) harnessing this crop of talent under the best Manager possible, (2) continued growth of this crop of outstanding players, and (3) stability at the administrative echelon of Nigeria's football. All three factors are critical and are simultaneously aligned not just now but in the years to come.

The Manager Issue

In my view, Nigeria's ability to effectively harness emerging talent lies in effective management of that talent. This is by no means a revelation. All the talent can be wasted by having the wrong manager. While Gernot Rohr has never represented an astute manager wherever he has been, it is yet to be seen if can successfully navigate the African competitive terrain to dominate as Westerhoff before him dominated in the early 1990s. In the next two years, Rohr will be tested. The question is if he fails whether Nigeria would have wasted a World Cup opportunity given the talent at Nigeria's disposal. Yet, ditching Rohr at this moment may seem unwise given that he just signed a new contract and he has made promises, yet again. 

Gernot Rohr in heart felt moment with Alex Iwobi

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The big hunt will ultimately belong to the brave. Nigeria will not achieve the bigger dream of surpassing the 1994 memories by cowering in fear of its opponents. Rohr must be willing to shed the fear shackles and think BIG if the dream of a great Nigerian team is to be realized before the emerging talents dissipate.

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Gernot Rohr has often been his own enemy. With the talent at his disposal, one would think that Nigeria will play by stepping on the gas instead of cowering in caution. The big hunt will ultimately belong to the brave. Nigeria will not achieve the bigger dream of surpassing the 1994 memories by cowering in fear of its opponents. Rohr must be willing to shed the fear shackles and think BIG if the dream of a great Nigerian team is to be realized before the emerging talents dissipate.

Individual Growth of Talent

Victor Osimhen (L) and Samuel Chukwueze (R) celebrate gold at the U17 World Cup. Will they do the same at an AFCON?

But realistically, it isn't only Rohr that will determine the growth and performance of these players. There is also individual responsibility that each player must face. Already we have watched two of the great attacking talents embroiled in subpar seasons because of reported poor attitudes -- one in England and the other in France. While Isaac Success in England had mysteriously lost the appetite for top level football going by some inexplicable performances, Samuel Kalu's fall from grace has been somewhat mysterious. If truly the downturns are attributable to poor attitudes then hoping on consistently high productivity from such talents may be similar to walking briskly on a slippery surface.

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While Isaac Success in England had mysteriously lost the appetite for top level football going by some inexplicable performances, Samuel Kalu's fall from grace has been somewhat mysterious. If truly the downturns are attributable to poor attitudes then hoping on consistently high productivity from such talents may be similar to walking briskly on a slippery surface.

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Nonetheless, the stable is still quite full. Victor Osimhen's recent contract at Napoli represents a recognition of his immense talent. Next up, Samuel Chukwueze. The two represent a fearsome group of talented forwards at Nigeria's disposal. Each one of those players bear responsibility to work on their individual games in order for this not to become the greatest waste of a crop of talented players ever.

Administrative Stability

Quite often, what has silently impeded Nigeria's growth is administrative hiccups. I define all such hiccups broadly as Administrative Instability. There are variety of these hiccups and they often can derail the success of the national team and its manager. Thus far, Manager Gernot Rohr has experienced an unimpeded reign managing the team. Hopefully, that situation will continue into the future. No manager can be successful without the support of the Football Federation. This support comes in various forms including non-interference with player selection, support for the manager's programs, and avoidance of other acts designed to create obstacles for the manager. Beyond these direct negative effects of Federation's subversive supervision, there are also unwarranted politicking beyond the Federation that includes the state's direct interference in the managers work and other political wrangling that can also be problematic.

NFF Leaders on whose shoulders the national team's success depends.

There are no guarantees that the current spate of administrative calm shall remain during the period of unusually high talent emergence. Yet, it is required if Nigeria is to achieve success greater than what was experienced in the mid-1990s.

In Conclusion. . .

The challenge is not to merely match Nigeria's best ever World Cup performance nor is it to march Africa's best World Cup performance. The goal and challenge is to surpass those. It is to produce an outcome that becomes the new benchmark for Africa's performances at the World Cup. The blooding of young Nigerian talents from the U17 World Cup wins of 2015 and 2017, coupled with the increasing availability of overseas talent born to Nigerian parents, present an opportunity for Nigeria to meet that challenge.

Yet, while this group of talented players are coming together there remains major challenges that may derail hope. Those challenges lurk around the corner disguised as Manager effectiveness and willingness to adventure. But there also is a needed commitment on the players' part to stay focused in order to reach the zenith that their talent promises and the maintenance of halcyon years of administrative calm and consistency.