It's Barcelona's Title

A few weeks ago I was pondering the tight race for the Spanish La Liga title and marvelling at what was shaping up to be a really open race with no less than six credible contenders.

Well, no more. It may still be December but it’s become pretty clear that Catalan giants Barcelona will more than likely be crowned champions come season’s end. In fact, it will take a collapse of monumental proportions for Barca to lose their grip on what would be a wonderful debut season for new coach Josep Guardiola.

It’s not just that Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat of Villarreal on Sunday now puts them 10 points clear of second-placed Sevilla, even though that would be enough to stake their claim. It’s more the manner in which they have brushed aside all opposition in the last few weeks. And it’s not been your run of the mill, mid-table opposition either.

Barca’s last three fixtures have seen them play three of their title rivals and they’ve comprehensively dismissed each of them with stylish aplomb. Fourth placed Valencia were the visitors at the Nou Camp a fortnight ago when Thierry Henry’s hat-trick paved the way to a 4-0 dismissal. Then, arch-rivals Real Madrid, hardly having a vintage season and now sitting in 5th place, came calling last week and finished on the wrong end of a 2-0 score line. Villarreal are just behind Real in 6th place, and they actually took the lead on Sunday – the first goal conceded by Guardiola’s team in three matches – before Malian Seydou Keita tied the game and Henry put away the winner.

So, three games against teams in the top six have yielded maximum points, eight goals scored and just one conceded. But that still doesn’t tell the full story of Barcelona’s dominance. In particular, you may wonder how they have fared against their closest title contenders, 2nd placed Sevilla and 3rd placed Atletico Madrid, both of whom the played much earlier in the season.

Well, let’s just say it’s been more of the same. Atletico found themselves 3 goals down after 12 minutes at the Nou Camp and eventually lost 6-1; Sevilla, on the other hand played hosts at Montjuic and lost 3-0 in front of their own fans.

So, if we revise that table, in 5 games against the toughest teams in La Liga, Barcelona have won all 5, scored 17 goals and conceded 2! If that’s not championship winning form, then I sure don’t know what is.

And it’s not just the big boys that have felt the wrath of Barca’s blistering form. Since surprisingly losing their opening day match to Numancia, Barcelona have simply been in unbeatable form, winning 13 of their last 15 games, and bashing in a bucketful of goals in the process.

On this form, you might as well break out the champagne and crown Barcelona champions right now.

The “Africanisation” of French Football

You’ve all heard about globalisation, right? It’s certainly no new phenomenon in the world of football, with Brazilians all over the globe, Spaniards and Frenchmen starring England, Dutchmen dominating in Spain and all that.

Yet, the situation in France takes all this to a whole different level. Indeed, it’s not just globalization where French football is concerned; it’s what I’d describe as the “Africanisation” of French football.

Consider this: No less than 100 players of African descent currently ply their trade in French Ligue 1 – that’s an average of more than 5 players per club. Of course, this being France, a good number of those players are African in name only, having been born and raised in France – like the now-retired Zinedine Zidane. Then, there are those who were born in Africa but have made France their home from a young age and have either opted to represent their adopted nation – think Patrick Vieira – or have reached back to represent the country of their forebears – like Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba.
A third category would be African players who have arrived France as full-fledged professionals, like Nigerian Taye Taiwo, at Marseilles.

Still, African is African and there’s no mistaking the African names when any two French clubs do battle in Ligue 1 these days. Don’t even get me started on the number of Traores playing in France! Perennial champions Lyons boast no less than five Africans of different stripes; Les Bleus defender Alain Boumsong was born in Douala, Cameroon, while his national teammate Karim Benzema was born and raised in France. On the other hand, defender John Mensah (Ghana) and winger Kader Keita (Ivory Coast) already made their names elsewhere before moving to France.

Lyons are hardly unique too. Marseilles have six Africans on the books, Toulouse have seven and Nice lead the way with no less than eight African players in their first team squad.

Yet, this preponderance of Africans in Ligue 1 tells only half the story of the Africanisation of French football; Africans are also taking over at national team level.

You can argue that African players are no new thing at this level – and you’d be right too. Mali born Jean Tigana was a star of the great French team of the 1980s; Basile Boli was a fixture under Michel Platini in the early 1990s and more recently, Zidane, Vieira and Congo-born Claude Makelele have been national team icons.

But never have there been so many African players in and around the French national team and the prospect of an All-African French national team isn’t as far-fetched as you might imagine.

You think I’m exaggerating? Well, just consider this eleven:



Goalkeeper
Steve Mandanda (Marseilles) – born in Kinshasa, Congo, this 23-year-old is already club captain and boasts 6 caps for France.

Right Back
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal) – born in France of Senegalese parents, he was voted best right back in the Premiership last season. The 25-year-old has 5 caps.

Left Back
Patrice Evra (Man Utd) – born in Dakar, Senegal and arguably the best left back in England. Evra, 27, made his name with Marseilles and has 16 caps.

Centre Back
Jean Alain Boumsong (Lyons) – experienced 29-year-old born in Douala, Cameroon. Has 24 caps and should win more with Lillian Thuram now retired.

Centre Back
Adil Rami (Lille) – the only uncapped member of this eleven, but has been called up for recent games. Born in France of Moroccan parents, Rami, 23, is an up and coming Ligue 1 star.

Right Midfield
Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth) – heading to Real Madrid in January after bouncing around England with Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth, the 23 year-old Diarra is of Malian descent and has 16 caps.

Defensive Midfield
Alou Diarra (Bordeaux) – 27-year-old captain of Bordeaux and also of Malian descent, he has 17 caps

Attacking midfield
Samir Nasri (Arsenal) - coming of age at Arsenal, he is of Algerian descent and at 21, already boasts 14 caps (2 goals)

Left Midfield
Hatem Ben Arfa (Marseilles) – gifted midfield star who came to the fore at Lyons. Born in France of Moroccan descent, the 21-year-old has 7 caps.

Striker
Bafetimbi Gomis (St Etienne) – surprise choice at the Euros in June, the 23-year-old of Senegalese descent has scored twice in his 4 appearances for Le Bleus.

Striker
Karim Benzema (Lyons) – the new golden boy of French football is already a big star and national team regular at 21. He has 19 caps (5 goals).

In a nutshell: Mandanda – Sagna, Boumsong, Rami, Evra – Diarra.L, Diarra.A, Nasri, Ben Arfa, - Gomis, Benzema

Obviously, these lads aren’t all first choice for France right now. Yet, the prospect of a good number of them starting together for Les Bleus in the near future is very likely.

It might just be fitting for the most African league in Europe – and most appropriate for the first African World Cup Finals in 2010.

No Prem Monopoly on Exciting Football

If all you watch is the English Premiership, trust me, you’re selling yourself way short. Now, I’m not even going to get into that debate about which country’s league is best – that’s one for another day. Suffice to say there’s loads of exciting football going on all over the place, and even if the English game (can we still call it that with all the foreign players?) is well known for it’s pace and overall attacking emphasis, it by no means holds a monopoly in this regard.

I had the pleasure of catching a few really great games last weekend and not one of them was in the Prem. Oh, just to be clear, I did watch a number of Prem games, but I can’t quite bring myself to describe any of them as exciting. I suppose the dramatic Everton – Aston Villa clash - with two goals in injury time – would probably fit the bill, but since it wasn’t one of the games I saw, I wouldn’t really know.

Anyway, my odyssey started Saturday afternoon with Barcelona serving up another masterpiece to dismiss a decent Valencia side. Thierry Henry’s hat-trick helped the Catalans to a 4-0 win and an almost insurmountable lead at the top of the table. Barcelona are really looking the business this season and Josep Guardiola has quickly put his stamp on a team that was badly off kilter last season. New buys Dani Alves and Seydou Keita have settled in superbly, and even home-grown talent – the young Sergio Busquets, in particular – are making an impact. Barca look to be running away with La Liga this season and this comprehensive dismissal of one of their main rivals would boost their confidence no end. They host Real Madrid in what should be another thriller this weekend, even if the defending champions shocked everyone by appointing Juande Ramos (ex-Sevilla, ex-Tottenham) in place of the embattled Bernd Schuster on Tuesday.

That followed another Real defeat, this time at home to Sevilla, in what should go down as one of the matches of the season. It finished 4-3 at the Bernabeu and featured as many twists and turns as a Formula 1 circuit. It’s been a while since I enjoyed the pleasure of two teams going all out for the win, no holds barred, but this was a fast paced display of attacking football from both sides. Real probably had little option anyway, after finding themselves 3-1 behind at the break, but they were irresistible just after the break when Dutchmen Royston Drenthe and Arjen Robben turned up the heat and it was no surprise that they clawed back to level terms with 20 minutes to play. Robben’s subsequent red card probably turned the tide, but all credit to Sevilla who never let up on the attacking end and had their own star performers in goalkeeper Andres Palop, winger Jesus Navas and striker Freddie Kanoute.

Sevilla were pretty impressive and they have certainly recovered from the departure of star players Alves, Keita and Christian Poulsen, and they looked pretty solid, especially in central midfield, where the duo of Romaric Ndri (from Ivory Coast) and Argentine veteran Aldo Duscher have been surprisingly effective.

My weekend ended, oddly enough, where it should have started. I mentioned Friday’s top of the table Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and surprise league leaders TSG Hoffenheim last week, and just as I expected, what a cracker it turned out to be – even if I ended up watching the taped game on Sunday.

Bayern took the spoils, handing the new boys their first defeat of the season, but it took a deflected Phillip Lahm equaliser and a late, late Luca Toni strike to see off the upstarts from Hoffenheim. Before then though, Hoffenheim did a lot to win over new friends, yours truly included. If this team from a village of 3000 people are top of the Bundesliga, it’s strictly because they deserve to be.

Ralf Ragnick’s side matched – and often surpassed - the Bayern millionaires on their own turf for the better part of a thrilling game, and their star striker Vedad Ibisevic more than confirmed all the good things I had heard about him. He troubled Lucio for a full ninety minutes and grabbed the opening goal with a superb touch, spin and volley in the Bayern box. Little wonder he’s now scored 18 goals in 15 games of his first season in the top flight. I wouldn’t be too surprised if he ends up at Bayern in a few years. The Bavarians have that annoying habit of snatching up the best young talent from around their league – although if it’s down to cash Hoffenheim benefactor Dietmar Hopp can prove more than a match for Bayern.

Hoffenheim isn’t just about Ibisevic though. They play a high-energy, all-for-one brand of football, closing down opponents from well upfield and attacking with pace and purpose once they have possession. They kind of remind one of the Energizer bunny – always going, never stopping. Captain Marvin Compper leads by example in the heart of the defence with fullbacks Andreas Beck and Andreas Ibertsberger pushing up at every opportunity.

In midfield, Tobias Weis and Brazilian Luis Gustavo do all the heavy lifting, chasing and harrying opponents as well as starting up Hoffenheim’s quick-fire raids. But it is the quartet upfront that really gives this team its edge. Nigerian Chinedu Ogbuke (Obasi) and Brazilian Carlos Eduardo start in the wide positions, with Demba Ba and Ibisevic filling the middle. In practise though, Hoffenheim adopt a really fluid formation, with lots of inter-changing and they easily flex from a 4-5-1, when defending to an aggressive 4-2-4 when on the offensive.

Bayern’s win puts them level on points, but Hoffenheim’s superior goal difference leaves them one win away from being crowned winter champions when the Bundesliga takes a break next week.

If they can keep up the tempo – and Ibisevic keeps scoring – they could take the whole thing come April.

Arsenal, Liverpool..Hoffenheim

First word is for Arsenal fans. Kudos on that win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, where Robin van Persie’s impressive brace overturned Chelsea’s first half lead and put Arsenal back in the hunt for the title - technically, at least. Even if the Dutchman’s first goal was clearly offside, there is no denying the quality of the winning goal and you guys must be pretty pleased to have put an end to that worrying sequence of losses.

Chelsea’s second home loss of the season - and Liverpool’s second straight goalless return at Anfield – leaves the Gunners “only” 8 points off the top after 15 matches, and if you guys need any encouragement you need only look back to last December. Then, it was Arsenal flying high at the top, and eventual champions Man Utd trailing by five points. Of course, all that changed by the end of the season when Wenger’s boys fell apart in the run in and could only finish in third place.

In that light, Arsenal are certainly still in the title race, especially with both Chelsea and new leaders Liverpool looking anything but solid at the moment. The main worry for you guys must be that the five losses the Gunners have suffered so far have come against Stoke, Fulham, Hull, Man City and Aston Villa – even if they have beaten both Chelsea and Man U. They’ll have to avoid any further slip-ups to stand any chance of taking the title, and they still have to visit Anfield, Old Trafford, Villa Park…..you get the picture.

Liverpool surely know a thing or two about slip-ups, having claimed just two points - and zero goals – from their last two home matches against Fulham and West Ham. A win from either of those games would have given Liverpool a three point cushion at the top. Instead they endured the bizarre sensation of getting booed off at Anfield even as they reclaimed top spot from Chelsea by one point on Monday night.

Liverpool remain very strong at the back – just 8 goals conceded so far - but they are struggling to score goals, especially against hyper-defensive teams at Anfield. Fernando Torres’ continued injury trouble leaves Benitez’s side short of firepower upfront, especially with Robbie Keane still struggling to settle in. Liverpool will have to find a new path to goal, at least until Torres’ returns to form, otherwise that slender lead will soon vanish and it’ll be another disappointing season. It must surely be worrying for Benitez that his team have only scored 21 goals this season – the lowest tally of any of the top six clubs and one goal less than 6th placed Premiership new boys, Hull City.

The good news for Liverpool is, despite the goal shortage and some below par performances, they are still top of the table with nearly half of the season gone. If their form improves they should still be in the title chase come the spring. But they’ll do well to heed the lessons of Arsenal’s fall last season – just as the Gunners, ironically, take some encouragement from it.


A league with a less familiar look at the top of the table is the Bundesliga, where newly promoted TSG Hoffenheim hold a three point lead over giants Bayern Munich. The small town club, funded by billionaire and SAP founder Dietmar Hopp, have surpassed all expectations in their first ever top flight sojourn, winning 11 of their 15 games to date and impressing with their attractive attacking game.

Not that Hoffenheim are much loved in Germany though. In truth, they are widely despised by fans of other teams – Hopp recently received death threats from Borussia Dortmund fans – and there are those who believe they have simply spent their way to the top, kind of like Chelsea.

But while it’s true that Hopp has sunk millions into the club, I don’t think the Chelsea comparisons come even close. The London club were already one of the Premiership’s top four before Roman Abramovich’s millions took them to back-to-back titles. Besides, Chelsea’s riches have led to an influx of world-renown stars at the very top of world football – Essien, Drogba, Shevchenko, Ballack, Anelka, Carvalho, Deco.

On the one hand Hopp has been sinking money into Hoffenheim for the past 20 years and the club were still playing the in 3rd division just five years ago. Besides, Hoffenheim’s star players – “big-money buys” - are little-known Brazilian Carlos Eduardo, the impressive Vedad Ibisevic, Senegalese Demba Ba and Nigerian Chinedu Ogbuke. Hardly household names, if you ask me.

Okay, maybe they were big names by Bundesliga 2 standards, and they certainly secured promotion in grand style, but these are hardly big money buys by Bundesliga standards. Take their main rivals and defending champions Bayern Munich, who are so packed with big-name players that national team striker Lukas Podolski struggles to get a game.

Apart from the attacking duo of Luca Toni and Miro Klose, Bayern also boast French star Frank Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mark van Bommel, Ze Roberto, Lucio, and Phillipe Lahm.

If it were about money, Bayern should be well ahead of the pack and Hoffenheim struggling in mid-table.

That should make this Friday’s clash between the two sides a must-see. Hoffenheim have been excellent so far, but this top of the table clash against the Bavarian giants will prove their toughest test yet. We’ll see how they do.

La Liga Up For Grabs

It’s an interesting start to the season in Spain’s La Liga where, in a rather sharp contrast to last season’s two- horse race, it appears no less than five clubs are pulling out the stops in what could prove the most exciting title race in years. Sure, it’s early days yet and some of these pretenders are sure to drop off when the going gets tough, but it’s sure made for fascinating viewing in the early weeks and after eight rounds only three points separate first-place Valencia from fifth-placed Sevilla.

Valencia is a team reborn, after the shenanigans of last season when in-house fighting and a leadership crisis led to a disappointing 10th place finish. That new coach Unai Emery has revived pretty much the same bunch of players in such a short time speaks volumes about the failings at the top and is a sure testament to his growing reputation. Yet any team featuring the likes of David Albelda – marginalised by Ronald Koeman last term – David Silva, Joaquin and the free-scoring David Villa, should be challenging for honours and I think they’ll be in the hunt to the very end this time.

A new manager is also at the heart of 2nd placed Barcelona’s resurgence. Club legend Pep Guardiola has put his stamp on a team now shorn of the Brazilian influence of Ronaldinho and Deco, and with Xavi and Iniesta pulling the midfield strings for Messi and Eto’o upfront, the Catalans have been in free-scoring form with 12 goals in their last three league games. Eto’o, in particular, as settled back in the fold after all the transfer talk in the summer, and tops the scorers’ chart with 9 goals. If he stays in form, and Messi stays fit, Barcelona should be champions come May.

Then there’s champions Real Madrid, who will have tougher time keeping the title this time. On the plus side, new signing Rafael van der Vaart as settled in nicely, and they can still count on the goals of Ruud van Nistelrooy, even if the Dutch goal-machine has struggled with injuries this term. Yet, Bernd Schuster’s side have been far from convincing, and with their key opponents back in the groove, they’ll struggle to make it three in a row.

Villareal, the Yellow Submarine, continue to impress despite having no major superstars on the books. Manuel Pellegrini took the club to a 2nd place finish last term and will be hoping to go one better this season. Not many would bet against a club that remains unbeaten this season. Javi Venta and Joan Capdevila provide leadership at the back; Santi Cazorla, Marcos Senna and Robert Pires hold things together in midfield, and in ‘Beppe Rossi and Nihat Kahveci they boast two of the sharpest forwards in La Liga. Villareal will certainly have a say before all is said and done.

Sevilla, in fifth place, have adjusted very well to the loss of Dani Alves, Seydou Keita and Christian Poulsen in the off-season, and are almost looking like the side that won two-UEFA Cups under Juande Ramos. Freddie Kanoute and Luis Fabiano are still a handful upfront, with Jesus Navas and Diego Capel providing width. Central midfield will make or break their challenge though, and it remains to be seen if the likes of Enzo Maresca, Romaric Ndri and Renato will prove adequate replaements for Poulsen and Keita.

Atletico Madrid should be among this group of title contenders yet four losses so far leaves them well off the pace in 10th place and suggests that they’ll struggle to claim a Champions League slot. Yet in Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan they boast the league’s most prolific strike force, and they can call on the likes of Simao, Maniche and Maxi Rodrigues in midfield, and new boys Johnny Heitinga and Tomas Ujfalusi in defence. Manager Javier Aguirre will be hoping to turn things around as the season progresses – especially if any of the leading pack slip up.

All told, it should be exciting times in Spain.

Liverpool Keep Rolling

So, is Liverpool the real deal? Well, that 1-0 defeat of Chelsea on Sunday would have the optimists breaking out the champagne already…and the cynics chirping on about another false dawn. As I’ve said before, I don’t know if Liverpool will win the title this season, but I think they’ll be in the thick of the title chase, something that hasn’t happened in 12 years.

It’s not just the fact that the Reds have now beaten both Man U and Chelsea; it’s more the manner in which they have overcome the two toughest teams in the Premiership. I’ve said enough about the Man U game at Anfield, but at Stamford Bridge it was fascinating to see Liverpool on top of the Blues for the full 90 minutes.

Sure, Chelsea dominated the ball but they created precious little with it and save for a frantic dash to punch out a Bosingwa cross, Pepe Reina was never called upon in the Liverpool goal. There are those who would label this just another game crushing defensive display, yet it’s not for nothing that Chelsea had been unbeaten at the Bridge for more than four years. Besides, just ask Middlesbrough how easy it is to keep Chelsea quiet for 90 minutes. Sure, Liverpool defended very well – hey, that’s part of the game – but Petr Cech was clearly the busier of the two ‘keepers and the margin could well have been wider.

Some would also argue that Alonso’s goal was a lucky strike, given the deflection off Bosingwa. No matter. That’s part of the game too, and many long-suffering Liverpool fans – yours truly included – will recall Joe Cole’s deflected winner at Anfield in 2005, after Liverpool had been denied two clear penalty appeals.

But that’s all water under the bridge. One win against Chelsea will not bring the title to Anfield and the season is only nine weeks old. Liverpool clearly have the quality and the character to make a title challenge. Only time will tell if they can stay consistent and Liverpool fans will do well to heed the lessons of 2002.

Then, as now, the Reds got the season off to a flyer, winning 9 and drawing three of their first 12 matches…..before disaster struck and they followed with 5 draws and 6 losses in the next eleven!

Of course, Gerard Houllier’s squad included such leading lights as Bruno Cheyrou, Salif Diao, El Hadji Diouf and Djimi Traore. Benitez’s squad is clearly of much brighter vintage and I doubt they’ll implode in such spectacular manner. Exciting times at Anfield but there’s a long, long way to go.

Kudos to Amodu

I suppose after six games played, six wins and one goal conceded, its time to doff my hat to Super Eagles coach Shaibu Amodu.

I’ll confess I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when the Federation named the former BCC coach to the top job five months ago, but it’s hard to fault Amodu’s short term achievements – at least as far as the results go.

Super Eagles fans certainly needed a lift after the disappointment of their team’s poorest Nations Cup showing in 26 years at Ghana 2008, and Amodu’s new team has delivered in fine fashion, setting up a smooth qualification for the 2nd round of the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

I know there have been mumblings about the team’s performances and I suppose the Eagles haven’t exactly been winning any style accolades. Take the Sierra Leone game in Freetown, where the Leone Stars hit the post twice, only for Joseph Yobo to pop up in the last minute with the goal that secured the three points. Yobo was again the hero in Malabo, scoring in the 5th minute to help the Eagles to another road win. Even the win, against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, was achieved against the run of play.

But a little perspective here: Remember that these were all away games – the Eagles were much more dominant at home - so it’s hardly surprising that the home teams dominated the play. After all, they would be better motivated to win in front of their home fans. Sure, Nigeria fans expect to dominate the likes of Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, regardless of venue, but it would be unreasonable to expect them to simply roll over because the Eagles are in town. Besides, compare the Eagles run to that of other so-called giants: Ivory Coast did not win once on the road in three games against Mozambique, Botswana and Madagascar; Ghana lost twice, in Gabon and Libya; and Senegal finished behind Gambia and failed to progress.

Moreover, history tells us there are no easy games at this level. Just eight years ago, the Eagles almost crashed out of World Cup contention after Jo Bonfrere’s team lost crucial games in Sierra Leone and Liberia. And who can forget that Nigeria didn’t make it to Germany 2006 after losing to Angola in Luanda. So let’s not get cocky and take these commendable results for granted.

It’s understandable that Amodu’s team hasn’t exactly run seamlessly either. He inherited a disjointed, uncoordinated and demoralized lot from Berti Vogts to start with, and preparing a team for just a few days before matches is hardly enough time to build a solid team.

There’s definitely room improvement and we are unlikely to see this team at its very best until a major final comes around. At least then, Amodu and his crew will have a couple of weeks to whip his wards into shape and figure out his best team. Hopefully, they will have enough quality in the interim to earn a place at those finals.

Nevertheless, there have been some positives to draw from the last few months. I have certainly been impressed by Amodu’s willingness to blood some new faces, notably right back Yusuf Mohammed from local club Kano Pillars. Rather than fitting square pegs in round holes, as Vogts was wont to do with the likes of Ifeanyi Emeghara, Obinna Nwaneri and Onyekachi Apam, it’s refreshing to see a natural right back in that role.

Also refreshing as been the growing influence of the Uche brothers – Kalu and Ike – who have become key members of the team. Ike, from Spanish side Getafe, is the Eagles’ top scorer in the qualifiers and Kalu, from Almeria, has more than pulled his weight in midfield.

Amodu has also smartly started pulling from Samson Siasia’s brilliant Olympic silver medallists, a group that include some of the brightest young players Nigeria has produced in a decade. Midfield anchor Sani Kaita, so impressive in Beijing and now a starter at French side Monaco, featured in the last game against Sierra Leone, as did the ever impressive Victor Obinna, now with Italian champions Inter – for whom he scored a cracking goal at the weekend. Add the drive and skill of Chinedu Ogbuke, one of the leading lights of Bundesliga new boys, TSG Hoffenheim, and a substitute against Sierra Leone, and the pace and versatility of the experienced Osaze Odemwingie, and you have the cream of Siasia’s team.

Now, Amodu must figure out how to blend the “new” faces into a squad that already includes Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi Martins, Aiyegbeni Yakubu, John Utaka, Victor Anichebe and Mikel Obi – all missing from the Sierra Leone game.

As at the Nations Cup in February, I still worry about midfield where there seems to be a dearth of creative sorts coming through, but if Amodu has the courage to make the tough decisions (i.e. drop some big names for the young) and get the mix right, the Super Eagles should be on their way to another World Cup finals come 2010.

Not The End Of The Road

Two points lost. No other words can adequately describe a weekend in which Liverpool failed to capitalize on events elsewhere to cement top spot on the Premiership table.

As I hinted last week, it’s all well and good to beat title contenders like Man U, but it’s consistency that wins titles and that’s precisely what the Reds were missing at Anfield on Saturday.

Of course, had that early Steve Gerrard “goal” been allowed to stand, it would have been a different story and, like the rest of the world, I still can’t understand why referee Andy Mariner ruled it out. Stoke certainly didn’t have an equalizer in them. They managed two shots all game – both off target – and they were obviously set up to defend, with two banks of four in front of the ‘keeper, and they did a fine job of it too.

Yet, Liverpool must expect those kinds of games at Anfield and their ability to break down such pragmatic tactics would go a long way in determining how well they do this season. The truth is, for Liverpool to be real contenders they simply have to put away teams like Stoke at Anfield.

Then again, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool dominating another game this much without getting on the scoresheet. Stoke gave Gerrard and Xabi Alonso the run of midfield and posed so little threat in attack that full backs Alvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena were practically camped upfield all game. But for all that, Liverpool showed little creativity in the final third and most of their 30 shots at goal came from distance. Sadly, neither Gerrard nor Alonso could find their shooting range. Strikers Robbie Keane and Fernando Torres had very few chances, but they weren’t exactly on their best game either. Keane saw two tame efforts stopped by Sorensen and Torres’ booted one high into the stands and saw another – Liverpool’s best chance of the game - deflect off the chest of Leon Cort and out for a corner kick.

So, after last week’s encouraging win, this was quite the let down. And I know there are many detractors who will point to this result as another sign that Liverpool will be off the pace again this season.

They’ll conveniently forget of course that the other big teams have already slipped up this season as well: Chelsea were held at home by Tottenham, Man U drew with Newcastle at Old Trafford and Arsenal lost at Fulham.

Trust me, the Liverpool challenge is far from over.

Elsewhere, Chelsea preserved their incredible unbeaten home run against Man U and one has to wonder what it would take to beat this team at the Bridge. Man U came pretty close this time, sitting on that one goal lead for most of the game before super-sub Solomon Kalou saved the day yet again.

Man U are certainly taking their sweet time getting going, although they have the depth and know-how to be there are thereabouts come May. I think Chelsea look best positioned to win the title – even if my loyalties lie elsewhere – but Nicolas Anelka will have to start finishing better than he did at Stamford Bridge last week.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger’s youngsters have the early lead again and have bounced back very well since the Fulham loss. As they did last season, the Gunners are playing the most attractive soccer in the Prem, even if they still need to resolve the defensive midfield position. Looks like Cameroon’s Alexandre Song might get the nod. He certainly did a decent enough job at Bolton last Saturday and I’ve always felt Wenger was wasting his talents in central defence.

I don’t think Arsenal have been really tested yet though – they are yet to face a top ten side – and I wonder how long they’ll last at the top.

On a final note, isn’t it amazing how easily Amr Zaki has taken to the Premiership? The Egyptian striker has hit four goals for Wigan already, having arrived from Zamalek of Cairo in the summer. Sure, he’s got a good enough reputation in Africa – what with two Nations Cup winners’ medals and 29 goals in 48 appearances for Egypt – but who would have bet that the 25-year-old would have more goals than the likes of Torres and Berbatov at this stage of the season?

So much for all that talk about “Premiership Experience”.

Liverpool Draw First Blood

You’ll pardon me for borrowing the Barak Obama presidential slogan, but Liverpool fans everywhere must be thinking “Yes we can” after what was a most enjoyable 2-1 defeat of arch rivals Manchester United on Saturday.

A victory over the defending champions is always an occasion to savour, but this was especially pleasing in that it had been over four years since Liverpool tasted victory over Man U – thanks to Danny Murphy’s penalty at Old Trafford in April 2004. For an Anfield win, you have to go even further back, to November 2001 when Michael Owen’s brace inspired a 3-1 win. And it certainly gave hope to those who have been longing to see a league championship at Anfield for the past 18 years.

Of course, when Carlos Tevez left Javier Mascherano in his wake to smash home Dimitar Berbatov’s cross after just 3 minutes, it looked like it would be another of those frustrating Man U visits.

Not this time though, even if it took a stroke of luck to get Liverpool back on level terms – Edwin van der Sar’s attempted save bouncing in off the hapless Wes Brown. But it was no more than Liverpool deserved and Dirk Kuyt had already seen a point blank effort stopped on the line. Ryan Babel’s winner was less fortuitous, more down to Mascherano’s persistence and Kuyt’s composure.

Benitez set out to deny United space and time on the ball, and it worked well with Xabi Alonso and Mascherano dominating Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick in midfield, and the constant chasing and running by Robbie Keane and Kuyt upfront denying Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and van der Sar the space to start things from the back.

But Liverpool also attacked with much more verve and purpose than they have in recent times. New boy Albert Riera looks a promising prospect on the left, the mobility of the front two kept the United defenders on edge all day and Babel’s pace and trickery proved a useful asset.

Even the full backs got involved, with Alvaro Arbeloa, on the right, and Fabio Aurelio, on the left, persistently offering width and options on the attacking end. But the pick of the lot, for me, were the central midfield duo – the ever-running, never-flagging Mascherano and a much-improved Alonso, my pick for Man Of The Match. After an injury-riddled 2007/08 season and a summer of uncertainty, the Spaniard has been Liverpool’s most consistent player of the season so far and Benitez should be somewhat pleased that the Gareth Barry move didn’t pan out affterall.

So, Liverpool draw first blood, but let’s not get carried away; it’s just one win and there’s still a long way to go. Consider also: Liverpool did the double over Man U in 2001/02, yet that didn’t bring the title to Anfield. More ominously, Man City also did the double over Man U last season, and we all know how their season ended.

Those who say that Liverpool need to improve against the rest of the top four to be considered real contenders may have a point. Yet, there’s more to winning the title than those six games. That comes down to consistency, even in the supposedly easy games, and the ability to get results even on a bad day.

The early results certainly bode well. Liverpool were well below par against Sunderland, yet won on the strength of a wonder strike from Torres; they struggled at home against Middlesbrough, yet scored twice in the last seven minutes to claim all three points. And the manner in which they turned this one around against the Old Enemy – their best performance of the season so far - certainly suggests a mental toughness that has been lacking in previous seasons.

The fact that they turned it on without their two best players – Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard – should put a lie to all these suggestions that Liverpool are just a two-man team, even if any team would be that much stronger with those two on board. Benitez as slowly but surely put together a solid squad of winners – his strongest since arriving in 2004 – and, even if there are still areas that could use some work, they certainly look like they can compete with the best this season.

Yes, they can.

Premiership: Big Four in League of Their Own

I know it’s already three rounds old, but I think this is exactly the right time to talk about the new English Premiership season. For one thing, we’ve had a chance to see all the pretenders in action – I know, it’s still early days and we haven’t seen enough – and, for another, all the transfers are done now. Or what would have been the point of talking about the Spurs attack – only for Dimitar Berbatov to jump ship at the last minute. Or, indeed, of hyping Chelsea’s credentials, only for that “inevitable” Robinho deal to suddenly go awry. And don’t even get me started on the Gareth Barry-Aston Villa-Liverpool tug-of-war.

That’s not to say surprises can’t still happen – injuries, sackings and all that – and, of course, come January, that transfer window opens again. By then though, we’ll be half way through the race – and it could very well be over bar the shouting.

But I seriously doubt this is going to be one of those seasons. At best, we may have only three or four clubs still in contention at that stage, but a January one-horse race appears very unlikely.

The big four seem to have carved out a league of their own at the top of the Premiership and I wouldn’t be looking beyond those clubs for this year’s champions. Of course, the shape of that top four may well change with the new cash infusion at Manchester City but - Robinho notwithstanding - I don’t think this’ll be the year.

Defending champions Manchester United will again be the team to beat, despite very little transfer activity. But it’s not like they had that much to fix; their one problem area has been upfront – Ronaldo’s free-scoring sufficed last season - and Dimitar Berbatov should prove a more than adequate foil for the likes of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez. Sir Alex has spent heavily and wisely over the last few seasons – spending megabucks on Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson and Tevez – and his best piece of business in the off-season was keeping Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

Chelsea have made the best signings of the lot, bringing in Jose Bosingwa at right back and the creative Deco in midfield to fill the two main problem areas from last term. Didier Drogba’s injury still leaves them below par in the early running, but Chelsea fans must be concerned about the lack of width in midfield and I still wonder how Scolari is going to fit Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Deco, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel into his midfield.

I think Arsenal will struggle to reach the heights of last season when, in truth, they over-achieved. Last season’s squad could have taken a step forward this year, but Arsene Wenger’s inability to hold on to Alex Hleb and Matthieu Flamini has weakened his squad and not even the arrival of the skilful Samir Nasri and the growing influence of Theo Walcott can paper over the cracks. They still have a soft underbelly in central defence and Flamini’s departure doesn’t help matters. Much will once again depend on the superb Cesc Fabregas, who faded slightly last term, the form of Emmanuel Adebayor, who spent the summer trying to get away, and the fitness of the fragile Robin van Persie.


At my beloved Liverpool, Rafa Benitez would have been pretty cross that the long-running Gareth Barry deal eventually foundered, yet he starts another season with an improved squad – and with the in-form Xabi Alonso still on the staff. Robbie Keane offers new options upfront, Albert Riera brings much-needed left-footed width, and Andrea Dossena replaces the departed John Arne Riise at left back. More importantly, Liverpool have kept last season’s spine – Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Torres – and if Benitez can sort out the right formation – and quickly – this should be a much better season for the Reds. Last season’s largely successful 4-2-3-1 formation will have to change to accommodate Keane though, and there’s a risk that the players may not adapt quickly enough.

As for the chasing pack, the name on every lip will now be Manchester City, especially with the surprise arrival of Robinho. But I think Man City started the stronger anyway, even before the arrival of the skilful Brazilian. They’ve bought very smartly and if the new faces settle quickly it will be a different City this season. The Argentine full back Pablo Zabaleta arrives fresh from the Olympics to replace Spurs-bound Vedrun Corluka; Belgian defender Vincent Kompany, from Hamburg, is one of the best young players in Europe; striker Jo, from CSKA Moscow, is another excellent Brazilian prospect; and Shaun Wright-Phillips, back after two wasted years on the Chelsea bench, should regain his confidence in familiar climes. Plus, Man City already boast some decent players – Elano, Martin Petrov, Micah Richards – and new manager Mark Hughes should thrive in the new air of stability.

For sheer entertainment, I wouldn’t look too far from Aston Villa either. Martin O’Neill’s side play exciting attacking soccer and with Barry staying, they’ve kept most of the team that finished 6th last term. Luke Young and Nickey Shorey arrive to fill weaknesses at full back, and James Milner will offer new width on the right, to complement the efforts of the impressive Ashley Young on the left. Stilian Petrov should be a key player this season, after taking his time settling in after joining from Celtic two years ago. His partnership with Barry in central midfield looks a promising one for Villa.

Spurs will be interesting to watch again – if only for the tactical manoeuvrings of Spanish coach Juande Ramos. They’ve lost Keane and Berbatov, who scored over 40 goals between them last season, and it remains to be seen if Marcus Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko can replace that duo. If centre backs Ledley King and Jon Woodgate stay healthy, they should be a bit more secure at the back, and new arrivals, Luka Modric and David Bentley will need to settle in quickly. I think they have too many new faces though, and only the fearless tinkering of Ramos will keep them competitive.

Everton look like they will struggle to match last season’s 5th place finish – despite the acumen of manager David Moyes and the goals of Yakubu Aiyegbeni. Lee Carsley’s departure leaves an experience vacuum in central midfield, even with the arrival of new boys Segundo Castillo and Marouane Fellaini. Louis Saha should contribute on the goal scoring end – if he stays healthy – as should Tim Cahill – if he stays healthy.

FA Cup holders Portsmouth are also depleted in midfield, having let Pedro Mendes and Ghanaian Sulley Muntari leave in the off season. Yet, Harry Redknapp knows a thing or two about putting together a competitive side - even if the signing of Younes Kaboul makes one wonder – and Pompey should be in the running for the UEFA Cup places. Jermaine Defoe is a proven goal scorer and should benefit from playing with the towering Peter Crouch. Makes me wonder what’ll become of Nigeria captain Nwankwo Kanu.

For the rest, it’ll be business as usual, from mid-table respectability to relegation-battle mediocrity.

As for who will win it all, you’ll get no prediction from me – not this early in the season, anyway. I hope it is Liverpool, even if the odds suggest otherwise, and the first test will come up at Anfield on Saturday when Manchester United come calling. A win would be a nice confidence boost and three points in the bag, but it won’t make a season – and a loss, unpalatable as that may sound, wouldn’t be the end of the world either

I’ll be watching.

Pride in Defeat...But What Next?

As expected Argentina took home gold in what turned out to be a pretty close Olympic final against Nigeria. Sure, I got it right and yes, I was rather saddened – like any die-hard Nigeria supporter – yet I came away from this experience with a tremendous amount of pride.

Argentina, with all the star players and the big reputation, were expected to see off a relatively less accomplished Nigeria team with minimum fuss. Yet, the Nigerians gave a performance worthy of champions, matching their counterparts all the way and only succumbing to one moment of madness on the part of the hitherto reliable shot-stopper Ambrose Vanzekin. They played with poise, confidence and discipline, refusing to be intimidated by the Argentine big names in a performance that must go down as one of the best from a Nigerian team since the glory days of the mid 1990s.

Indeed, had captain Promise Isaac converted one of two first half opportunities that came his way, the gold medal may well be resting in the Nigerian capital today. The first arrived after Peter Odemwingie burst past Pareja to slide a perfect low cross across the six yard box. Promise, sliding in, arrived a second too late to convert, but he was certainly well placed when Adefemi zipped in another cross from the right flank. This time, he couldn’t control the fast ball and his effort rebounded safely into the grateful arms of Romero in the Argentina goal.

Argentina, for their part, looked to Riquelme, Messi and Aguero to do the damage and they certainly looked the part when they had the room to operate. The Nigerian defence were well prepared though and they gave the Argentine stars precious little room to manoeuvre. Kaita and Ajilore were all over Riquelme’s every move in midfield and central defenders Apam and Adeleye did very well to restrict Messi and Aguero to barely a sniff of a chance.

Argentina controlled most of the play, yet their best chances came from distance, with first Di Maria and then Messi testing Vanzekin with well-struck shots from outside the area. It was the unsung Di Maria – one of the revelations of this Olympics – who finally put out the Nigerian challenge after an excellent Messi pass had pierced the Nigerian rear guard. Vanzekin’s wayward rush off his line left the Benfica striker with an easy lob for the game’s only goal.

Nigeria’s forwards did well to respond but came up against a savvy defensive shield. Mascherano and Gago lived up to their reputations as top class defensive midfielders and Promise hardly got anything out of Garay. Yet, the Eagles came pretty close to an equaliser after Anichebe came on for Promise. His first attempt, after an excellent over-lapping run by Adefemi, was blocked by Pareja from 4 yards out, and he had another close effort well fielded by Romero.

In all, the Nigerians can leave with their heads held high – and not just because they came into this game as clear underdogs. I think they gave as good as they got and it’s hard to fault any part of their performance in that final. Of course, it’s easy to blame Vanzekin for the goal and there’s no question that it would have been a harder task for Di Maria had he stayed closer to his goal line. Yet, he’d made a number of brilliant saves to keep his team alive up till that point. And if I had to pick a weak link, it would be Okonkwo’s efforts down the left flank, which hardly matched the over-lapping runs of Adefemi on the right – of course, he was only filling in for the missing Taiye Taiwo.

Otherwise, the back four stood firm, the midfield played with calm authority and even if the attack didn’t flow at will, they did enough to open up a resolute Argentina back line on a few occasions. Which is a lot more than those Brazilians could manage in their 3-0 semi final thrashing.

Considering that this team was missing Chelsea’s John Mikel Obi and left back Taye Taiwo – and then striker Chinedu Ogbuke for the final - Siasia certainly proved his worth as a coach in this competition, and in an ideal world, he should be stepping up to the big job of handling the Super Eagles now. That’s not likely to happen though – Shaibu Amodu is firmly in that seat right now and the Super Eagles are winning again.

But there’s no reason why a good number of his squad shouldn’t make the step up right away. Obinna, Odemwingie, and Apam are already regular Super Eagles squad members; Adeleye, Kaita, Ogbuke, Adefemi and Okoronkwo should follow suit. That, for me, would be the real gain of Siasia’s four-year project.

Can Nigeria translate this silver medal – and that runners-up finish at U-20 level three years ago – to success at senior level? That’s the big question. I know Nigerians worldwide are disappointed about this Olympic loss, but the real disappointment, for me, would be a failure to capitalise on the positives and build a senior team capable of matching the likes of Argentina and Brazil.

World Cup 2010 will be the litmus test and I am positive that Siasia can take Nigeria to the next level. Siasia’s teams have matched the world’s best at U-20 and U-23 levels and the next step would be for Nigeria – with or without Siasia - to match them at the highest level. Now, that would be real success. Anything less – after the gains of the past three years - would be a disappointment.

Beijing 2008 Final: Happy To Be Wrong This Time

This is a situation I seldom find myself in, but there’s no question that I’ll be watching the Olympic final on Saturday fervently hoping that my pre-tournament prediction doesn’t pan out.

Argentina – the Albiceleste – will be highly favoured to see of Nigeria’s Dream Team IV – I hate that tag – yet Samson Siasia’s side have more than proved that they are worth their place in this final.

From that goalless start against Holland, to the comprehensive destruction of Belgium in Tuesday’s semi final, the Nigerian team has shown remarkable progress, getting better as the tournament as rolled on and they’ll certainly have to be at their very best to achieve what would be an ever greater feat than that famous 1996 victory in Atlanta.

And, for those who need reminding, that was quite the feat. It’s easy to think back now and marvel at that original Dream Team (that tag again) - JayJay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Daniel Amokachi and co – and figure it must have been easy for that strong squad to overturn both Brazil and Argentina on their way to gold. Of course, we know better. As with today’s squads, Brazil and Argentina lined up several established internationals back then – Ronaldo, Aldair, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and Bebeto for Brazil; and Crespo, Lopez, Ortega, Veron, Zanetti and Ayala, for Argentina.

Yet, the Nigerians somehow overcame against all the odds. That can only give the class of 2008 much needed encouragement.

Samson Siasia’s side may lack the star quality of their forebears, but they are a team in every sense of the word. Sure, they have quality performers all over the field – from the shot-stopping ability of Ambrose Vanzekin in goal, through the calm yet gritty defending of Dele Adeleye and the tidy ball-winning of Sani Kaita, to the drive and finishing of captain Victor Nsofor up front – but for all their promise these lads pale in comparison to their more accomplished counterparts.

Then again, the key to this team’s success is superb organisation, teamwork and the all-for-one attitude instilled by the continuity of years of playing together and the will of their smart coach. And for that, all Nigeria supporters should be grateful. The sight of Nsofor, deep in his own box, making a defensive clearance, and of Chinedu Ogbuke relentlessly chasing down Belgian midfielders was surely a joy to see, and that fighting attitude can only bode well as the Eagles look to overturn a highly-skilled Argentina team.

Siasia’s sophisticated 4-2-3-1 formation emphasizes width, pace, precision passing and hard work and that might just be enough to bridge the individual quality gap. Their key men will have to be at their best though and, for one thing, that means the central defensive pairing of Adeleye and Onyekachi Apam must keep their concentration and avoid rash tackles in and around the box. Kaita’s performance in the midfield holding role will also be crucial, but it’s upfront, where they boast the trickery, pace and finishing of Nsofor, and the incisive Peter Odemwingie, that Nigeria can really hurt Argentina.

Make no mistake, though; this final will be the Eagles greatest test yet. Argentina have won the last two U-20 World Youth championships – beating virtually the same Nigerian team in Holland three years ago – and this Olympic squad includes a healthy mix of those two sides, plus a few top class additions.

Those U-20 grads include two of the best young forwards on the world stage today. Barcelona’s Leo Messi, a fixture on anyone’s shortlist for world’s best player, lit up the 2005 finals and scored the two goals – both penalties - that beat Nigeria in the final; and his compatriot Sergio Aguero, from Spain’s Atletico Madrid, played in the last two finals, and was top scorer and best player in Canada last year. Of course, the Nigerian team will remember these two – not fondly - from their last meeting: Messi was fouled by Adeleye for the first penalty; while it was a trip on Aguero – by Monday James – that set up the second.

The over-age selections add even more quality. Take Liverpool’s Javi Mascherano, a star of the gold winning team in Athens four years ago and in my view the best defensive midfielder in world football. And then there’s the mercurial midfield maestro, Juan Roman Riquelme, a dead-ball specialist who also pulls the strings for the senior team.

If Nigeria have a reputation for fielding strong age-group sides, Argentina – with five of the last seven U-20 world cups in their kitty - boast an even greater pedigree, and it’s not for nothing that they’ll be considered clear favourites on Saturday. Or that I tipped them for gold from the start.

Sergio Batista’s team also lines up in the now ubiquitous 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mascherano and Real Madrid’s Fernando Gago sitting in front of a back line ably led by the highly-rated Ezequiel Garay. Riquelme, with his passing, and Messi, with his dribbling runs, will control the show in midfield while Aguero looks to finish off in the box.

I think it’ll be a great game to watch, not so much a contrast in styles but more a stage for the best of African and South American skill and guile to come to the fore, and history suggests we might see an Argentina penalty – they had one in the 1996 final, too.

The wise money certainly points to an Argentina victory – as does everything I know about this game. Yet, the wise money’s been known to be wrong – think 1996 – and, let’s face it: what do I really know about this beautiful, unpredictable game we call football?

We’ll talk after the game. I’ll either be right and sad, or wrong ………. and blissfully overjoyed.

Olympics: Can Anyone Stop Argentina and Brazil?

The Europeans may not take it seriously but Olympic soccer is certainly a big deal to the rest of the world, and as Beijing 2008 kicks off tomorrow, all eyes will focus on some of the greatest names in world football – even if this is basically an Under-23 competition.

Indeed, this is shaping up to be one of the most star-studded Olympic football competitions in recent memory. Not that past editions haven’t featured big names – Argentina had Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in 2004, and the likes of Hernan Crespo and Roberto Ayala in 1996 – but it’s certainly different this time. No longer is Olympic football seen as a stepping stone to the big time – as it was for Michel Platini (1976), Dunga (1984), Romario (1988), Guardiola (1992), Crespo (1996), Xavi (2000) and Tevez (2004) – it’s become a prize to be coveted in its own right.

That’s exactly what’s brought the likes of World Cup veterans Ronaldinho and Riquelme out to smoggy Beijing, and sparked the numerous club v country head-to-heads that have dotted this European pre-season. All told, it should make for a fascinating two weeks and a cursory look at the various squads on show here leaves little doubt that the favourites will be the two South American countries – defending champions Argentina and Brazil.

Argentina will certainly fancy their chances of reclaiming gold in Beijing. If anything, they’ll present an even stronger team than the one that won in style in Greece four years ago. There’ll be no Tevez this time, but Mascherano returns as an over-age player and coach Sergio Batista will rely on a number of players from the squad that won the U-20 World Cup in Canada last year – especially midfield ace Ever Banega and striker Sergio Aguero. The most important pieces of this jigsaw though will be national team playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, who brings unrivalled game control and deadly accuracy from set-pieces, and the sheer genius of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Brazil will be expecting pretty much the same from Milan new boy Ronaldinho, although coach Dunga also brings a stacked deck. Midfielders Lucas (Liverpool), Anderson (Man Utd) and Diego (Werder Bremen), will bring top level experience, and strikers Pato (Milan) and Jo (Man City) – who both featured at the U-20 World Cup last year – are among the best young strikers in the European game today. Brazil have never won Olympic gold, and Dunga will be under pressure to break that hoodoo in Beijing. He’ll do well to remember the fate of Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who lost his job in 2000 after Brazil crashed out to Cameroon in the quarter finals.

That of course is only proof that, as with other levels of the beautiful game, surprise is very much a big part of Olympic soccer and the biggest shocks have come from African teams. Nigeria, led by Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, saw off both Brazil and Argentina to win in 1996, and Cameroon followed suit to beat Spain to gold four years later. Both countries return to Beijing looking to repeat that feat, but it may well prove an even taller order this time.

Nigeria bring a new generation built on the foundations of the U-20 team that finished second to Argentina at the 2005 World Cup, and continuity will be one the team’s strong points. Samson Siasia’s team will be well-prepped and play with lots of confidence, yet the absence of Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel and Marseilles full back Taiye Taiwo leaves the “Dream Team” somewhat short of quality individuals. Still, that may well provide an opportunity for others to shine. Captain Promise Isaac will provide drive from midfield and much will depend on the form and fitness of strikers Chinedu Ogbuke, Victor Obinna and Everton’s Victor Anichebe. Oladapo Olufemi only made the squad as a result of Taiwo’s absence, yet he may well prove the pick of Siasia’s unsung heroes.

Cameroon will also feature a side that’s a far cry from the triumphant class of 2000, which included the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Geremi Njitap, Pierre Wome, Lauren Mayer and Patrick Mboma, players who had months earlier starred as the Lions were crowned African champions in Nigeria. Arsenal’s Alexandre Song will feature in midfield, alongside the promising duo of Stephane Mbia and Landry Nguemo, but it’s hard to see where the goals will come from.

Ivory Coast completes the African challenge in what will be a first appearance at this level. Of course, after impressing pundits at the World Cup in 2006, there’ll be no raised eyebrows if the young Elephants were to shine in Beijing. Their main threat will come from Chelsea star Salomon Kalou, although Ivory Coast also boast an emerging generation of new talent led by strikers Gervinho (Le Mans) and Sekou Cisse (Roda JC). Defence may prove the weak point of this physical side though and a place in the last eight may prove the limits of their potential.

That the three African reps may well fall short of repeating the glory of 1996 and 2000 doesn’t mean there’ll be a shortage of spoilers waiting in the wings. The United States, for one, will be looking to surpass their fourth place finish at Sydney eight years ago, and all eyes will again be on the gifted Freddie Adu. But there’s more to this team than Adu: Goalkeeper Brad Guzan is Premiership bound with Aston Villa; Michael Bradley is an accomplished midfielder in the Dutch league with Hereenven; striker Jozy Altidore has just signed a multi-million dollar deal with Spain’s Villareal; and veteran Brian McBride will lend loads of experience in attack.

But the biggest challenge to what threatens to be a South American party should come from Holland. The Dutch arrive Beijing on the back of two consecutive European U-21 championships and boast some of the best young players in Europe – including Royston Drenthe (Real Madrid), Ryan Babel (Liverpool) and Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia). Even then, it’s the team ethic that Foppe de Haan has instilled in these players over the past four years that will be Holland’s biggest asset and I think they’ll definitely go far in Beijing.

But can anyone really turnover the super-skilled teams from Argentina and Brazil? That’ll certainly take some doing and I seriously cannot see it happening. If you were hoping for a Brazil-Argentina final though, that’s not likely to happen either – the draws point to a semi-final clash.

I think Argentina will make it two in a row – especially if they can keep Messi – but watch out for those pesky Dutch boys.

Euro 2008: Belated Last Word

It’s about time I drew the curtains on Euro 2008, wouldn’t you say? I can’t believe it’s already been 3 weeks since Spain trumped Germany in that final in Vienna. It’s even more shocking that I haven’t posted a single word since then. Technology problems and the other usual excuses….or maybe I’ve just been too busy celebrating the latest, long awaited Spanish conquest.

There can’t be any arguments that the best side won the Cup, but beyond that, this was a victory for adventurous attacking football and the teams that dared to go for it came out on top. Spain certainly had the most complete squad – as I have emphasized severally in earlier posts – and the quality and persistence of their passing game proved irresistible.

It’s easy to disregard the coach when team’s succeed yet Luis Aragones has to be commended for Spain’s success. If only for his courage, first in sticking to his guns and leaving the iconic Raul at home, and then for consistently taking off star players like Torres – who was substituted in every game – and Xavi, often to such great effect. Courage apart, Aragones’ team refused to be unduly burdened by the fear of losing that so often proves the undoing of many teams in finals like this.

By contrast, defending champions Greece were trapped in a 2004 bubble, sticking to the anti-football tactics that had proved so successful four years ago. Yet, a squad that included many hold-overs from that winning team simply lacked the ambition to challenge for goals. It was pretty depressing watching the Greeks playing keep-ball ad nauseum with lateral passes across a five-man defence line when the scores were still goaless in their opening match against Sweden. It’s one thing to kill off a game when you have the lead, but who ever heard of defending a 0-0 draw in your first group game?

The surprise semi finalists, Russia and Turkey, were two other teams that showed a true commitment to attacking football. The Russians were certainly a different proposition once the impressive Andrei Arshavin returned to the fold and they served up a masterpiece in the quarter final trouncing of Holland. Turkey, on the other hand just never knew when to quit. I doubt we’ll ever see any team score in the final minutes of four consecutive championship games again.

Germany somehow reached another final despite impressing in only two of their six matches – the last group game against Austria and the quarter final defeat of Portugal. This was a shadow of Jurgen Klinsmann’s attacking machine from the World Cup and, although Joachim Low made the most of his squad, he will have to start looking for replacements for the aging Lehman, Frings and Ballack.

Surprisingly, three of the hottest teams in the first round crashed out in the quarter finals. Holland looked very impressive while blowing past Italy, France and Romania in the so-called Group of Death, but then lost their way against Russia and the brilliance of Arshavin. Portugal paid for poor set-piece defending against Germany and not even the skills of Ronaldo – who had a poor tournament – could see them through. Croatia suffered perhaps the cruelest of fates in losing to Turkey on penalties – after Ivan Klasnic had put them ahead in the very last minute of extra time. I suppose that’s what makes knockout games so exciting – one slip up and it’s goodnight.

As for the rest, spare a thought for Italy. They started horribly against Holland, but I think Donadoni made the right changes and the Azzurri were certainly on the attack for most of their next match against Romania. Yet, it took Gigi Buffon’s penalty save to see Italy through to the last eight, where even the Juventus ‘keeper’s heroics couldn’t see them past Spain.

Euro 2008 was another of those finals that didn’t have one outstanding performer. Guess that’s the nature of the game these days. The team was certainly the star of the conquering Spaniards and midfielder Xavi was named Player of the Tournament more for his importance to the Spanish set up than for any individual exploits.

Nevertheless, I’ve attempted to pick my team of the tournament, something I’ve done for every major tournament since 1986. I’ve had to agonize over all but a couple of these choices and I’ve seen several contrasting picks over the past few weeks, but I’ll try to justify each of my picks in what will be an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation.

In goal, Edwin Van der Sar (Holland) gets my vote, despite letting in three against Russia. His safe hands played a big part in Holland’s flying start and he virtually single-handedly kept his team alive until extra-time in the Russia game. Spain’s Casillas and Italy’s Buffon also deserve a mention, as does Poland's Artur Boruc.

At right back, I have to go with Turkey’s Hamit Altintop, even if he’s nominally a midfielder. The Bayern man filled this role superbly in several games and particularly proved his mettle against Czech Republic when he set up all three Turkish goals. Russia’s Yuri Anyukov also impressed but the Turkish star gets the nod for his attacking bent.

Left back was one of the easier picks and few would argue that Yuri Zhirkov (Russia) was outstanding throughout the finals, defending superbly and contributing more than his fair share on the attacking end. Honorable mention: Gio Van Bronkhorst (Holland).

Central defence was one of the harder spots to pick, but I’ve gone with Spain’s Carles Puyol, for his all out commitment, and Italy’s unsung Giorgio Chiellini, who played a big part in the Azzurri’s quarter final stalemate against Spain. Honorable mention: Carlos Machado (Spain).

In the defensive midfield spots I have picked the Spanish duo of Marcos Senna, the closest thing to an outstading player at Euro 2008, and UEFA’s official MVP Xavi.

There were several impressive players in attacking midfield too. Germans Bastien Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski had their moments down the flanks, while their captain Michael Ballack put in a couple of classy performances. Deco was also impressive for Portugal, and Cesc Fabregas proved a match winner for Spain, but for sheer consistency I have gone with Croatia’s Luka Modric on the right, Holland’s Wesley Sneijder on the left – his goal scoring puts him just ahead of the impressive David Silva (Spain) – and the duminitive Russian Andrei Arshavin in the middle.

At lone striker, Russia’s Roman Pavlyuchenko was an impressive new face and Fernando Torres put up a superb performance in the final, yet I have to go with tournament top scorer David Villa, who was always a threat to opposing defences.

There you have it: Van der Sar – Altintop, Puyol, Chiellini, Zhirkov – Senna, Xavi – Modric, Arshavin, Sneijder – Villa

And I am sure you completely disagree.

Anyway, that’s that for Euro 2008. Hopefully we can have a competition this exciting at the World Cup in two years.

In the meantime, we have the Olympics kicking off next week and then league football kicks off in a couple of weeks. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait - what with all the exciting transfer activity.

Guess you know what my next post is about.

Spain's Youth Investment Pays Off

So, to Spain go the spoils. And deservedly so too. But before I get into my final thoughts about Euro 2008, I unearthed a little piece I wrote back in 2000 - eight long years ago - which seems just appropriate to ponder again at this time. Enjoy.


SPANISH LESSONS FOR AFRICAN SOCCER
Sola Egunjobi

A week after Cameroon’s historic Olympic victory, it’s difficult to stray away from the issue of youth development in football. Not just because the Olympic soccer event, which features U-23 teams, so easily demonstrates the gains of a well-laid out development programme, but also because, for African countries that lack the professional structures of the Europeans, there can be no other way to achieve international success on the playing fields.

Of course, the fact that Africa’s top countries boast players from the top European leagues suggests that it is in exporting players, rather than youth development, that the path to international success lies. For many countries that is certainly true, but the export of young players certainly goes hand in hand with youth development. For one thing, European clubs are more likely to import promising young players – Kanu left Nigeria at 17, ASEC’s Aruna Dindane, 18, has just joined Anderlecht. Secondly, it is no coincidence that player exports from Africa have grown with the growing profile of FIFA’s age group world championships over the last fifteen years. What better incentive to focus on youth development than a chance to compete against the world’s best at that level? And what better setting for European clubs to poach than from a collection of the world’s most promising youngsters?

Cameroon and Nigeria offer two African examples of countries that have reaped the benefit of youth development. Ghana have promised much, but the fruits of their youth endeavours could still lie in the future and South Africa have the right idea but, having just returned to the football fold eight years ago, are still new to the party.

For my money though, perhaps the best example for African countries comes from outside the continent. Olympic silver medallists, Spain once again showed the world the benefits of investing in youth, and this from a country whose clubs invest very heavily on foreign imports.

There indeed lies the lesson for Africa. Spanish clubs, one would assume, have little use for untried young players, or so the evidence suggests. Big clubs like Real Madrid so often line up sides with only a sprinkling of Spanish players and Barcelona once had more Dutchmen than Spaniards in their squad. Even smaller clubs, like Real Betis, Celta Vigo and Valencia have large foreign contingents and many young Spanish players seldom get a chance to prove their mettle. Yet, Spanish clubs continue to produce more than a fair share of talented youth. Barcelona, for all their riches, produced three of the Olympic team regulars – defender Carlos Puyol, midfielder Xavi, and striker Gabri - while from Valencia came David Albelda, and Miguel Angulo, regulars in the club’s Champions League run last season. More impressive perhaps is the quality of U-23 talent that couldn’t make the trip: Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas, Barcelona new boy Gerrard and Inter Milan midfielder Paco Farinos.

But the Spanish example doesn’t end with clubs producing players. The Spanish federation gives top priority to youth football and they have done well in harnessing that talent into well-honed youth teams. Coach Inaki Saez Ruiz has handled the U-20 side for close to four years leading them to two world youth championships the last of which they won in Nigeria last year. So, if it seems as though Spain has simply filled its Olympic squad with talented youngsters from the clubs that isn’t the whole truth: four of the first team in Sydney played regularly in the championship winning team of 1999 and another three – as well as the missing Farinos - played at Malaysia 97. Beyond that, the likes of Xavi, Gerrard, and Casillas also played for the U-17 side at the 1997 world championships in Egypt where Spain finished third. Such continuity is hard to come by, yet it is clearly the way to go.

Of course it also requires loads of patience before the benefits are reaped at senior level and even Spain, for all their promise, are yet to win major honours. But that may not be too far down the road.

Rather prophetic, isnt it? Well, if anything, this argument is even stronger today. Of that silver winning team of 2000, four players featured at Euro 2008 - Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila and Xavi - and a fifth, David Albelda, would have made the trip but for some personal club problems. Then there's Casillas, who didn't go to Sydney. And that youth system continues to florish: eight other members of this squad have represented Spain at either U-17 or U-20 world championships - both for some -in the last nine years (Reina, Iniesta, Torres, Fabregas, David Silva, Navarro, Albiol and Sergio Garcia). That's a total of 13 players from a squad of 23. Impressive.

More on the Euros in my next post when I'll try and pick my team of the tournament. Yikes!

Euro 2008: This One's For Spain

I’ll try not to be glib but I fully expect Spain to clinch Euro 2008 this afternoon with a convincing victory over Germany. As you must know by now, the Spaniards have been my pick to win it right from the start, so – I’ll admit – it would feel great to be right, for once!

But that’s not the main reason I’m sticking my neck out for a Spanish conquest today.

That Spain would play superb possession football was no surprise to anyone coming into these finals. With a midfield featuring the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and David Silva, Spain were always going to dominate the ball. But they’ve also proved very effective in converting possession into goals – they’ve got a tournament high 11 so far – and they’ve defended pretty well too, letting in just 3 goals in 5 matches.

Beyond those tangibles though, the sheer quality of Spain’s play in these finals has been simply breathtaking at times. They again proved why they would be worthy champions in the 3-0 demolition of Russia last Thursday, so much so that the dreaded Andrei Arshavin – nemesis of both Sweden and Holland - was completely played out of the game.

I have alluded to Spain’s strength in depth in the past and they again proved the point in the Russia game. Not only did top scorer David Villa limp off injured in the first half, Aragones then decided to take off Fernando Torres and Xavi in the second half. Now, that would be akin to Russia taking off Arshavin, striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and Yuri Zhirkov, basically their three best players. Yet, if anything, the Spaniards looked even stronger, scoring two more goals after Fabregas, Xabi Alonso and Guiza took the field.

Spain will be without Villa – the tournament leading scorer - in the final and that would be a great loss for any other team. For Spain though, in a perverse kind of way, Villa’s absence could well make them even stronger. Aragones will more than likely stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation that saw out the semi-final, with Xavi dropping back alongside Marcos Senna and Fabregas starting between Iniesta and David Silva, just behind Torres. We’ve all seen what havoc Fabregas can wreak and I still think his vision and early passing suits Torres much better.

Furthermore, Aragones is far from unhappy with this “Plan B” given that his team had played in this formation for the better part of the last 12 months and there were a few raised eyebrows when he opted to start with two strikers in a 4-4-2 formation when Euro 2008 kicked off three weeks ago. So, in a sense, this is more a return to Plan A for Spain.

Now, contrast Spain’s comfort with seemingly second string choices to the hue and cry on the German side over the possibility of Michael Ballack missing the final and you’ll perhaps understand my conviction that this Euro title is heading to Madrid. A full strength Germany will have to be at their very best to overcome this Spain side – something we haven’t seen very often at these finals – and without Ballack they’ll certainly be missing their key inspiration.

Of course, this being the crazy game of football - and this being Euro 2008 - anything is possible and only the foolhardy would write Germany off, especially given their illustrious history. And Germany do have their strengths too – Ballack or no Ballack.

Their quick, direct play – especially through Lukas Podolski and Bastien Schweinsteiger – proved most effective against Portugal and Turkey and would contrast starkly with Spain’s patient approach. They also pose a potent threat from set-pieces and Spain will have to be wary of the aerial prowess of the likes of Ballack and Miro Klose who have plundered 3 headed goals in the last two matches.

Other than Ballack, Germany’s main threat will again come from Podolski on the left wing, but he’ll come up against Sergio Ramos, who was in excellent form against Russia’s Zhirkov in the semis. Of course, Ramos struggled earlier in the finals too and Germany will be looking to catch him stranded upfield on one of his usual overlapping raids.

Torsten Frings will be crucial in front of the back four, as he proved after coming on as a second half sub against Turkey. Germany’s defence certainly needs all the shielding it can get after conceding 4 goals in the last two matches.

This should be an exciting finish to what’s proved a great three weeks of thrilling football. Spanish finesse against German resilience should prove quite the contest, but I see the Spaniards taking this one – and it won’t be that close either.

The last three weeks have been a great advert for attacking football with loads of surprises and drama all the way.

Now, if we can just finish with some exciting football – and no surprises – Spain should be all set for a long awaited celebration. Viva Espana!!

Euro 2008 Semi Finals: Predict At Your Own Risk!!

Just when you think you finally understand football, Euro 2008 comes along and blows everything out of the water. What can I say? That’s why we love this crazy game. Of my four picks for the semi finals only one remains in contention as the first of those games kick off this evening.

I am sure I’m not alone too. Did anyone out there really think Russia or Turkey would still be standing this late in the competition? Or that a Dutch team that had been irresistible in group play would be so summarily beaten by the unknown Russians? Well, one thing is for sure: these Russians are no longer unknown. The most popular name at Euro 2008 is now that of Andrei Arshavin, and the likes of left back Yuri Zhirkov and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko aren’t too far behind.

In truth, we should have known better. With Guus Hiddink at the helm, anything is possible and, just because of him, I kind of had an eye on the Russians from the off. Yet, after that 4-1 trouncing by Spain, I had to downgrade my expectations. Of course, like everyone else, I hadn’t heard of the phenomenon called Arshavin, who missed the first two games due to suspension. That is certainly an indictment of the polarization of the game today, since Arshavin had just inspired Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg to UEFA Cup glory. With all the attention on the high-profile Champions League we’d all kind off missed all that. But that’s a topic for another day. Now after dominating the last two games, scoring twice and setting up another two goals, the tiny No. 10 certainly has our attention. He will need to be at his best if Russia are to see off the Spaniards tomorrow. I don’t think that’ll happen though.

Spain remain my one consolation in the Euro 2008 prediction stakes. Not only are they the only one of my last four picks to get that far, I also picked them to win the whole thing and I still believe they’ll win this one. Spain’s biggest advantage is the depth of the squad. Not many teams at these finals can change it’s entire midfield without a drop in quality, yet Luis Aragones can take off Xavi, Iniesta and Silva, and put in Fabregas, Xabi Alonso and Cazorla. Up front, Torres was the pre-finals favorite, yet it’s David Villa that’s been taking the plaudits with his tireless running, trickery and finishing prowess. I think the Spain’s measured, patient approach doesn’t exactly play to Torres’ more instinctive, speedy style. He would benefit more from playing in front of Liverpool mate Xabi Alonso and Fabregas – who’s also used to the faster transition of the Premier League – but Aragones is unlikely to sacrifice ball winner Marcos Senna against the skillful Russians. Spain struggled to break down the Italians in the last round but I think they’ll fare better against a Russian backline that will be without centreback Denis Kolodin.

Can any one really be surprised that Germany is in the semi finals? Well, maybe considering that they got the better of a Portugal team that looked to have finally overcome its past failings on the goal-scoring end. Yet, the German “machine” is well known for eking out results without actually impressing the purists. They were solid against Portugal and took advantage of sloppy defending at free-kicks and I see them carrying on in the same manner to the final. In my last post, I said Michael Ballack would have to play better – he has – and someone other than Lucas Podolski would have to contribute some goals – they have. Joachim Loew has proved he can adapt tactics to match the opposition and it would be interesting to see how he sets up against the Turks tonight. If the Germans keep improving – especially Ballack and Bastien Schweinsteiger – and keep their concentration to the very end, Germany should be celebrating a place in the final.

And what can one say about Turkey? If this hasn’t been a miraculous sojourn so far, it sure would be if they pulled off one more win against Germany. Of course, the journey so far as been simply incredible. After losing to Portugal in the opening game, they’ve not only come from behind to win each of their last three games, they’ve also scored last minute goals in all those games, the most dramatic being Semih Senturk’s 120th minute equalizer against Croatia in the quarter finals – just a minute after Ivan Klasnic seemed to have put Croatia through. Another escape against Germany would simply put this into the folkloric realm, especially with Fatih Terim’s squad pared down to 15 players – including 2 goalkeepers – as a result of injuries and suspensions. They’ll be fighting to the very end but I don’t see Turkey getting past a savvy German side tonight.

Anyway, that’s just a few hours away now so we’ll wait and see. I can’t say I’ve got a good predicting record in this competition so far, but like the Turks I think I’ll come good right at the end.

So, here’s to a Spain v Germany final come Sunday. Enjoy the semis.

EURO 2008: Great Advert For International Football

And they say international football is on its last legs. That’s what the advocates of all-encompassing club football have been telling us for the past decade or so. Yet looking at the faces of the Italian players as they belted out the national anthem before the Holland match on Monday, you could see the sheer emotional depth that comes with the donning of the Azzuri shirt. Ditto for their Dutch opponents and I daresay, any of the other teams duking it out for the title of European champions in Austra and Switzerland.

Not to mention the overflowing stands and the sheer atmosphere at most of the matches seen so far at Euro 2008.

International football is very much alive and well. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Clubs are fine, and the day-to-day slog of following your favorite club through the season is all well and good, but for true passion and nationalistic fervor you can’t do better than international soccer. More so in these days of cosmopolitan clubsides that hardly reflect the cities in which they are based. I mean, is there anything English about the Arsenal Football Club club these days?

But the real case for international soccer is being made on the field and Euro 2008 is proving one of the most exciting championships I’ve seen in recent years. After the first two rounds, there’ve been a couple of poor games – France v Romania, for example – but the number of exciting, top quality matches on view has far outweighed that.


And it’s not just the usual suspects – Spain, Holland and Portugal - that are providing the thrills either. On the contrary, while the likes of France and defending champions Greece have been off colour, some of the best team performances have come from unsung teams from Croatia and Romania. That’s certainly made for some surprising results and some really exciting soccer.

The best games have so far come from Group C. Holland have surprised and impressed everyone with their tenacious defence and fast, counter-attacking game, seeing off both Italy and France in two entertaining goal-filled games. The controversy surrounding Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first goal dominated the Italy game, but the execution of the other two goals was quite breathtaking. France lacked inspiration, despite the best efforts of Frank Ribery, but even their usually tight backline couldn’t cope with the pace and industry of Dutch substitutes Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. Beyond the players at his disposal though, Marco van Basten’s positive outlook is one of the reasons why the Dutch have suddenly become everyone’s favorite. Many coaches would go cautious with a one goal lead, yet with the Dutch leading France at the break on Friday, van Basten took off defensive midfielder Orlando Engelaar for Robben, a move that would prove decisive.

But the more surprising showing in Group C has been the performance of unsung Romania. Let’s face it, when this was dubbed the “Group of Death”, no one expected that Romania would be one of the “killers”. Yet their 1-1 draw with Italy was one of the best games of the first round and they could have sent home the Italians had Adrian Mutu been more accurate from the penalty spot. That could still happen, if Romania find a way to beat what will likely be an under-strength Dutch team in the final group game.

As for the Italians, I was impressed with the persistence of their attacking play against Romania – especially full backs Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso – yet they have struggled to find the net in their two games. Roberto Donadoni’s wholesale changes improved on the first game performance, yet one wonders if he knows what his best team is. I think they deserve a place in the quarter finals – it’s a fun team to watch – and they should beat the French in the last group game on Tuesday.

The less said about France the better. Raymond Domenech’s decision to leave out Mathieu Flamini and pick an injured Patrick Vieira is only one symptom of his continued reliance on old, tired players at the expense of a new generation. Vieira is yet to feature at this finals and even if he makes an appearance against Italy, as with Zidane in 2002, it’s likely to be too little too late.

As for the other groups, Portugal have looked pretty solid with Deco back to his very best and Ronaldo always a menace. They should reach the last four again – regardless of who they face in the quarter finals. Turkey pulled off a minor miracle - with a little help from Petr Cech – in that comeback win against Czech Republic, but they proved they can play attacking football when they need to and will be pumped up for their clash with Croatia in the last eight. Villareal striker Nihat Kavechi may have stole the show with his two late goals, but the man to watch is Hamit Altintop, the Bayern midfielder who took a more central role in the second half and had a hand in both goals.

Croatia have looked pretty solid too – no surprise that they beat England at Wembley in the qualifiers – and that match with Turkey should be an exciting one that I expect the Croats to shade. The Germans still look like a team in transition, although losing to Croatia is certainly no disgrace. They could still come good, if Michael Ballack can step his game and someone other than Lukas Podolski figures out how to score goals. Otherwise, they’ll have a really tough time coping with Portugal in the last eight.

I tipped Spain to win it all and they’ve looked pretty good after two games in Group D. This was supposed to be Fernando Torres’ finals yet it’s David Villa that’s banging in all the goals. No matter. That only underlines the attacking quality available to Luis Aragones and with creative riches in midfield they should continue to thrive for a while yet. At least till the semi finals where they seem destined to play…Holland.

If I had to call the semi final line up today, I’d pick Portugal, Croatia, Holland and Spain. Yet, as Greece proved four years ago, upsets can happen. So I certainly won’t be counting out Germany, Turkey or even Romania.

Italy-Holland - What A Thriller!

WOW! What a game!! After the damp squid that France and Romania served up at the Euros yesterday, it was quite refreshing to take in the Holland-Italy game. A thrilling game by all standards - even if you are a Italy fan. The quality of football was clearly at a higher level than the excrutiating stuff France and Romania put out. Italy didn't score - and greatly struggled to get past a resolute Dutch backline. On the few occassions that they did, they found in Ed Van Der Sar a master shot stopper.

Okay, Holland got a lucky break with that first goal when Ruud van Nistelrooy was clearly offside, but there can be no arguments about the other two goals - poached in fine fashion after two classic counter-attacking raids.

I still think Italy will go through from this so-called group of death, even if they now have to overcome this three-goal deficit. I think France have let their team get just a little long in the tooth, and Romania will eventually break under some quality pressure. France continue to rely on Sagnol, Thuram, Makelele, Vieira and Henry and with the latter two missing against Romania, they just couldn't get it going. Makelele was competent as always, but when the defensive lynchpin is your best passer, there'll be trouble on the attacking end. Even with the undeniable ability of Frank Ribery, just as they did at the 2002 World Cup, France look lost without Zinedine Zidane.

As for the whole tournament, I doubt if we'll have another Greece surprise this year. My favorites would be Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy and Holland. I've always had a soft spot for the Dutch so I'd be pretty pleased if they win it. But I think this might just be the year that Spain finally get their act together. They've got an embarrasment of riches in midfield and attack and it'll come down to how Aragones decides to deploy his troops.

We'll have to wait and see. I just hope that in the meantime we get to see more games like this Italy-Holland clash.

Is Amodu The Right Man?

It’s been at least six weeks since the Nigeria Football Association named Shaibu Amodu Super Eagles coach and I’ve been pondering that decision ever since. At first look, it’s another poor decision from an organization that’s not exactly known for making many smart ones. With good reasons too; first, the NFA dragged its feet through out March – ostensibly to let Berti Vogts’ contract to lapse, and then named James Peters interim coach. Worse still, after interviewing several candidates for the job, they allowed Stephen Keshi – the best of the lot - to leave in frustration to sign up with Mali. With Samson Siasia tied up with the Olympic squad, Amodu appears to be the last recourse open to the NFA.

But the benefit of hindsight has left me wondering why the notion of Amodu’s return appears to have rubbed so many Eagles’ fans the wrong way. Surely, if local coaches are again flavor of the month in Nigerian soccer (after the Berti Vogts’ disaster, they seem to be) it’s hard to look too far beyond the experience and accomplishments of Amodu. Now, whether that is a testament to Amodu’s creds or merely a reflection of the poor state of local coaches is for you to decide, but Amodu’s records with the likes of BCC Lions, El Kanemi and Orlando Pirates speak for themselves – even if more recent spells at Sharks and Nassarawa have been less than stellar. As for international experience, once you look beyond Adegboye Onigbinde and perhaps Siasia, - and the recently departed Austin Eguavoen and his predecessor Christian Chukwu - it’s nigh on impossible to name any other credible options.

So we’re back to Amodu and, don’t get me wrong, I am not entirely thrilled by this development – I was hoping for Keshi. I certainly remember Amodu’s last term at the helm, when an uninspiring, out-of-sorts team crashed out to Senegal at the semi final of Mali 2002. Amodu’s greatest failing was an inability to get a handle on his big name players, leading to anarchy in camp and an ultimately disastrous clash between the players – led by Sunday Oliseh – and the powers that be at the NFA. As coach, Amodu has to carry the can for that debacle, and he certainly paid the price when he lost his job after the finals and missed out on leading the Eagles to the World Cup.

Yet, when it comes to Amodu’s coaching abilities, I am not sure we have given the coach a fair shake. The truth is, for all the Super Eagles experience Amodu boasts, we’ve never really given him a chance to actually coach the team. Seriously. Chukwu had three years and Eguavoen two years, Amodu’s been given a few months here and there, totaling no more than two years spread over an eight-year period. Certainly not the kind of continuity required to leave a mark on a team.

Amodu first took the helm in 1994, with the nation basking in the euphoria of Nigeria’s first World Cup appearance and a triumphant Nations Cup campaign in Tunisia. Understandably, expectations were sky high, and that would always prove an unwieldy albatross, yet Amodu was blessed with a team and players of genuine quality, with the likes of Okocha, Oliseh, Amuneke, George and Amokachi just reaching the heights of their powers and a younger corps – Kanu, Babayaro, West – coming through the ranks. But Amodu never quite got a chance to prove his worth. He was gone within a year, with only a handful of inconsequential matches – in the Confederation Cup and a tour of the US – under his belt. It’s not that the results or performances were that bad, especially since the first choice players hardly featured, but there was that constant clamor for a foreign hand (guess, they were flavor of the month then) and the wave of unrealistic expectations was way too high. Case in point: many Nigeria fans considered a 1-0 loss to England at Wembley unacceptable, even if the Eagles had played some breath-taking football. I wonder what they make of our recent struggles against the likes of Mali now.

His next attempt is hardly worth mentioning, lasting just the first two matches of the 1998 World Cup qualifiers. He was gone after a 1-1 draw in Kenya and replaced by Frenchman Phillipe Troussier. Had he stayed, Amodu would have benefited from working with perhaps the best collection of talent the country has ever had. Fresh from Olympic glory in Atlanta and blessed with a nucleus of players featuring at the highest club level in Europe. But that never happened. Another opportunity lost.

Then came Mali 2002 – the one championship Amodu actually led the Eagles to. A third-place finish –and the team’s uninspiring performances - may have proved ultimately disappointing, yet the fact that the team arrived for those finals as one of the favorites – and with a World Cup ticket in hand – was down to the near-miraculous turn-around job that Amodu and his crew had accomplished after taking over the mess that Jo Bonfrere had bequeathed on them six months earlier.

Need reminding? Bonfrere led the Eagles to losses in Liberia and Sierra Leone (!), leaving the World Cup campaign teetering on the edge of disaster before the FA gave him the boot.

Amodu led the team to three straight wins – including an impressive 4-0 win in Sudan – and took advantage of Liberia’s home loss to Ghana to seal World Cup qualification. Bonfrere’s team managed to garner just 7 points from five matches; Amodu’s – featuring the same players - got the maximum 12 points from 3 matches. In total, between May 2001 and February 2002, the only time he was given a decent run of matches, Amodu’s Eagles played 10 matches, won 7, drew 2 and lost 1- and only one of those games was a friendly. Good numbers by any standard.

The mess in Mali took much away from those early successes, especially since that one defeat was to Senegal in the semi-final, but in retrospect, I think Amodu should have been given a chance to right the ship and lead the team to Japan/Korea 2002. I doubt the outcome could have been any worse than the first round elimination we suffered in the orient.

Ironically, Amodu’s longest spell in charge coincided with the decline of the all-conquering team of the 1990s. In truth, the 2002 squad was at best, a team in transition. In that light, finishing 3rd at the Nations Cup can hardly be labeled a disaster. Certainly not when compared to the class of 2008.

The real test of Amodu’s mettle would have been to transition that aging team to a new, potent force. I would like to think that process was already under way – the likes of Yobo, Udeze, Aghahowa, Agali and Ayegbeni were already important squad players. Yet, Amodu’s lack of control over the squad and the lack of young options in midfield – a condition that continues to dog the Super Eagles – suggest otherwise. Again, we lost the opportunity to see if he is up to the task.

Sadly, Amodu faces an even tougher battle this time. Nigeria no longer has the quality or the depth of talent that comprised the Super Eagles between 1994 and 2002, and Ghana 2008 further underlined the lack of midfield talent. Perversely, the Eagles’ recent failings may also prove a positive for Amodu; expectations are probably more reasonable now that the team’s limitations have been exposed.

Of course, there are no guarantees that he would be allowed any more time than he had in the past. There’s already talk that he is only holding the forte until Siasia makes a triumphant return from Beijing.

I don’t know if Amodu is the right man to re-build Super Eagles. But I would sure like to find out and I hope he gets enough time to make his case – for once.