Connectnigeria Articles

By Obi Martins Okafor.

John Mikel Obi — Credit: yeoal.blogspot.com

In football management, one of the basic theories to be a success is playing your best players at any given point in time. This theory however has not been wholly adopted by the present super Eagles manager, Steven Okechukwu Keshi in the upcoming AFCON final qualifier match. Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi has called up Skipper, Joseph Yobo and Russia-based power-playing forward, Emmanuel Emenike, as well as eight other overseas-based players for next month’s final 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifying match against Liberia in Monrovia. At a meeting in the NFF Secretariat in Abuja yesterday, Keshi briefed the NFF Technical Sub-Committee on his conviction about all players on the list and it was duly approved. Chairman of the NFF Technical Sub-Committee, Barrister Chris Green, said after the meeting: “Coach Keshi gave his reasons for inviting each of the players and we all agreed with him that these players are in good form presently and will do the job for Nigeria against Liberia.” Some quotas of football faithful still found it unbelievable and stunning that a player like Mikel has been left out, given that the best players are decided by the best leagues in Europe and the number of quality appearances made by a player for their various club sides, this which he boast of immensely. It is also prudent to note that many successful managers at Chelsea FC have always kept faith with the Jos born footballer and adopting Mikel in our Midfield can only spur our super eagles to higher glory.