The combination of Mikel, Iwobi and Iheanacho makes Nigeria deadly

By Nkem Owo

As news of Nigerian Super Eagles 2-1 win over the Chipolopolo of Zambia continues to reverberate due to the performances of John Obi Mikel, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho, Nigerians are beginning to have great expectations for their national football team.

The English Premier League stars led the charge against the Zambians as they put the opponents defence under pressure with quick pass exchanges.

Responding to the team’s dazzling performance, Garba Lawal, a Nigerian Olympian said he was indeed satisfied with the way the Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City stars had exchanged passes in the final third to leave their opponents guessing and gasping for breath.

He said the players’ profile and ability to exhibit their superiority over their opponents sent shivers down the spines of the Zambians. A testimony which Zambian Rainford Kabala confessed to after the match.

Lawal continued, “I am very pleased and satisfied with the way John Mikel Obi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi exchanged passes in the final third. They so mesmerised their opponents that they were most times left searching frantically for the ball. The passes were accurate and difficult to intercept. Once a team is able to keep possession, it becomes difficult for the opponents to get the ball to play. For the most part of the match, that was what the Eagles did, and it was masterminded by the English Premier League players.”
Lawal also said Nigerians should celebrate the victory over Zambia with caution. He explained that the coaching staff must address the obvious problems in the team.

He said “The attack was near perfect but the back four must be adjusted to be able to hold bigger teams. It is an open secret that Algeria and Cameroon will pose a greater challenge to the defences.

“When you are playing against more experienced opponents, you do not leave rooms for any small mistakes. It would prove costly.” He would want the Nigerian team to err on the side of caution by working more on their defence.