The table is set for what is sure to be a delicious meal of the finest of football display and its enthralling add-ons served a la carte from Russia. For the next one month it will be a buffet of the best of hard and soft tackles, mesmerising dribbling runs, near misses, unpardonable errors, blistering shots, textbook goals and hair raising moments incorporating the agony of defeat, the joy of victory and uncommon human drama enacted on and off the field of play as players from 32 of the world best playing nations and their vociferous supporters converge on Russia to get the 2018 World Cup under way.
Russia is ready for the feast of football with gleaming stadiums and officials of the Federation of International Football Associations, who have managed, in spite of scandals, to maintain the preeminent position of the Championship. They are also set to direct proceedings in the land of the enigmatic Vladimir Putin.
Africa, represented by Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt is expected to put up a respectable appearance. However, nobody is sure that Africa will cross the quarter final mark, its best so far. All the five teams cannot be compared with the Cameroonian, Senegalese and Ghanaian teams that reached the quarter final mark in past competitions.
The contest, like the ones in the past, will still be a stiff contest between the European and South American countries who have won all the past editions, leaving the other continents in the lurch. Germany, winner of the last edition in Brazil, is top on the list of expected winners by the ranking of bookmakers. And for good reasons too. The German squad combines the athleticism of youth with the experience and stoicism of tested football jugglers. Spain, which won the trophy in Nelson Mandela country in 2010, and Portugal, are also tipped to lead the challenge from the European Nations with Denmark and France given outside chance to battle for gold. Of course, the grittiest of them all, the Azuris, will be missing in action as Italy failed to qualify for the Mundial.
Brazil, yes Brazil, the country which gave Pele to the World of football, will lead the South American challenge. The Samba boys are in Russia on a revenge mission. Expectations were that the samba playing country would host and win the World Cup in 2014. That was not to be as they suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat in the hands of the Germans in the Semi-final. It was heart rending. The team has been rebuilt and there is the belief among their numerous admirers and even their traducers, that Brazil may go all the way to win its sixth World Cup, in Russia. And with Argentina hungry for another World Cup lap of honour, this may be another victory for a South American country in Europe.
Africa, represented by Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt is expected to put up a respectable appearance. However, nobody is sure that Africa will cross the quarter final mark, its best so far. All the five teams cannot be compared with the Cameroonian, Senegalese and Ghanaian teams that reached the quarter final mark in past competitions. Nigeria is actually seen as the weakest of the African representatives. They carry the underdog toga into the competition. This, to some extent, is a fair assessment. Not just because it suffered three defeats in warm-up matches. The fact is that the Super Eagles Class of 2018 does not have the flair, experience and stars of the classes of 1994 and 1998 when the like of Stephen Keshi, Austin Okocha, Mutiu Adepoju, Rasheed Yekini, George Finidi, Daniel Amokachie, Ben Iroha, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amuneke, Samson Siasia, Nwankwo Kanu and their co-travellers, who commanded regular shirts in first-rate world clubs, went to USA and France respectively, to show the rest of the world the stuff Nigeria was made of and formally announced the arrival of Team Nigeria in the scheme of things in world football.
The Super Eagles class of 2018 do not have remarkable and solid players in the mould of their predecessors. The experienced ones, like John Mikel Obi, are almost nearing the end of their career and Ahmed Musa has been average all year long. Kelechi Iheanacho, in spite of great expectations, has not fully come into his on with tentative performance for club and country. Victor Moses and Alex Iwobi are perhaps the two players that some flashes of brilliance are expected from. Others are simply unpredictable and when they are expected to give their best, they may disappoint with shambolic outing.
There is a disconnect between the midfield and the attack and the glaring shortcomings in the defence is making even incurable optimists tone down their expectations from the team. For former Super Eagles Dean of Defence, Yisa Sofoluwe, there is nothing super about this team. Hear his assessment, “The midfield lacks a playmaker who can hold the ball and make accurate passes, the defenders make costly mistakes that can ruin a team. The world Cup is not a tea party.” It is not only Sofoluwe who is predicting a hazy flight for the Super Eagles in Russia. Bitrus Bewarang, the Technical Director of the Nigerian Football Federation, also concurred that all is not well with the Nigerian squad. “I feel that we need to get the right combination in our midfield. We need speed and more mobility in the midfield, so that the attack could function better,” Bewarang said, shortly after Nigeria lost its last warm-up match to the Czech Republic.
Adebanjo, former TELL Magazine Sport Editor, sent this piece via obanijesu@gmail.
