‘No matter what ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of people, it’s important to raise the bar even higher and if you make honest and ethical behaviour a key value, your team will follow suit.’ – Tanya Prive, Co-Founder, Onevest.
The Nigerian Super Eagles have experienced some success in the last two years, such as winning the AFCON Championship and reaching the second round of the World Cup. These achievements have brought fans some ‘feel good’ moments, which may have resulted in clouded judgement concerning the current Super Eagles side.
Currently the Super Eagles sit 37th in the world football ranking, and 6th in Africa. That tells a whole lot about the state of our team right now and only a leader can drive the team higher.
The Nigerian team of the past usually possesses on and off field leaders like Mutiu Adepoju, Sunday Oliseh, Jay Jay Okocha among others but now, it is sad to note that the Super Eagles team lacks a leader on the pitch. Vincent Enyeama would have easily laid claim to that position if he were a midfielder, defender, striker or even younger. Given his current age, there is little he can do besides saving us from disgraceful score lines.
Here are three players who can reshape themselves and their attitudes and become the leader the Eagles crave for.
Emmanuel Emenike
Call him the destroyer of the elephant and you would not be far from his personality. The striker who stands 5ft 11 inches tall was at his best during the last Nations Cup, scoring 4 goals en route victory at the championship.
He is currently the main striker for his Fenerbahce of Turkey club side scoring a total of 13 goals in 31 appearances for them. He possesses the physique to bully any defence and has the shot power to score great goals, making him the number one contender for the position in the Nigerian team.
Victor Moses
Born 12 December 1990, Victor Moses is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Stoke City on loan from Chelsea. He can play in a variety of positions, primarily as a winger, but also as a forward. Many may say he is the saviour the Nigerian team has been waiting for, as his name is a direct replica of the one in the Bible. Some might even argue that he brought good fortune to the Eagles as his first major tournament for Nigeria resulted in a victory. Moses possesses the talent to lead the Eagles but is he ready for the job?
Mikel Obi
Many have tipped him to become the direct successor to Austin Jay Jay Okocha, but he has not been able to transport the football he displayed in his junior team days to the national team. Nevertheless, he still arguably remains Nigeria’s best international footballer. It might be asking a lot from him, but we all know that the ability to lead the midfield is in him and he has to up his game to fulfill those potentials.
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This article was first published on 25th September 2014
obimartins
Martins Okafor is a Sports Writer for Connect Nigeria. He has been a sport buff for years, following stories and development in leagues and international competitions. His interest led him to writing stories – reporting on sporting events. He has superior interest in soccer, but knows much about other sports. He plans to have a blog and to advance in sport journalism. You can email him at: obimartins85 [at] gmail.com
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‘No matter what ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of people, it’s important to raise the bar even higher and if you make honest and ethical behaviour a key value, your team will follow suit.’ – Tanya Prive, Co-Founder, Onevest.
The Nigerian Super Eagles have experienced some success in the last two years, such as winning the AFCON Championship and reaching the second round of the World Cup. These achievements have brought fans some ‘feel good’ moments, which may have resulted in clouded judgement concerning the current Super Eagles side.
Currently the Super Eagles sit 37th in the world football ranking, and 6th in Africa. That tells a whole lot about the state of our team right now and only a leader can drive the team higher.
The Nigerian team of the past usually possesses on and off field leaders like Mutiu Adepoju, Sunday Oliseh, Jay Jay Okocha among others but now, it is sad to note that the Super Eagles team lacks a leader on the pitch. Vincent Enyeama would have easily laid claim to that position if he were a midfielder, defender, striker or even younger. Given his current age, there is little he can do besides saving us from disgraceful score lines.
Here are three players who can reshape themselves and their attitudes and become the leader the Eagles crave for.
Emmanuel Emenike
Call him the destroyer of the elephant and you would not be far from his personality. The striker who stands 5ft 11 inches tall was at his best during the last Nations Cup, scoring 4 goals en route victory at the championship.
He is currently the main striker for his Fenerbahce of Turkey club side scoring a total of 13 goals in 31 appearances for them. He possesses the physique to bully any defence and has the shot power to score great goals, making him the number one contender for the position in the Nigerian team.
Victor Moses
Born 12 December 1990, Victor Moses is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Stoke City on loan from Chelsea. He can play in a variety of positions, primarily as a winger, but also as a forward. Many may say he is the saviour the Nigerian team has been waiting for, as his name is a direct replica of the one in the Bible. Some might even argue that he brought good fortune to the Eagles as his first major tournament for Nigeria resulted in a victory. Moses possesses the talent to lead the Eagles but is he ready for the job?
Mikel Obi
Many have tipped him to become the direct successor to Austin Jay Jay Okocha, but he has not been able to transport the football he displayed in his junior team days to the national team. Nevertheless, he still arguably remains Nigeria’s best international footballer. It might be asking a lot from him, but we all know that the ability to lead the midfield is in him and he has to up his game to fulfill those potentials.
