Given that, it would surprise no one if my conclusions with regards to Nigeria’s Group F clash with Argentina on Wednesday night read as follows:
Number one: the Eagles have to stop Lionel Messi.
Number two: Lionel Messi cannot be stopped.
Okay, maybe I am overstating the case – on number two, at least – but, going by Argentina’s last two matches, not by much. As for number one, if you’re expecting to find out exactly how they are to achieve that from this blog, you might as well stop reading now. It’s a question that has kept many better qualified people awake for many nights. Suffice to say, if the Eagles really want to avoid defeat here, they’ll have to, at the very least, find ways to minimise the influence of the Argentina no. 10.
Interestingly, the key to success for Nigeria may well lie in the two matches I cited above. Let’s face it; both Bosnia and Iran did enjoy some success in their attempts to stifle Argentina and the world’s best player – the single goal margin in each game tell a story - and perhaps the Eagles can learn from them and succeed where they failed. Of course, there are things you can’t mitigate for – some would include those two incredible goals – yet all the Eagles can do is go out and play their part in making it as difficult as possible for their opponents. Then, if you get beaten by magic, well, you get beaten by magic.
Stephen Keshi’s team need at least one point from this game to make qualification a certainty, although they would still qualify in defeat as long as Bosnia avoid defeat to Iran. But they can’t have that on their minds when they take the field in Porto Alegre on Wednesday.
They should take great confidence from their performance against Bosnia last Saturday, even if they’ll face a far different challenge than that posed by Dzeko, Ibisevic, Pjanic and Misimovic. Having reverted back to 4-3-3, Alex Sabella’s team will most likely have Messi operating behind Kun Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain, or Ezequiel Lavezzi, in a much more mobile and interchanging forward line than the one anchored by a single, less mobile centre forward on Saturday.
The possible return of Godfrey Obaobona – back in training after injuring his foot against Iran - may serve the Eagles well in this regard. The 24-year-old Turkey based centre back is a more mobile option than 33-year-old captain Joseph Yobo, and despite the skipper’s decent showing against Bosnia, it wouldn’t surprise me if Obaobona returned against Argentina.
Argentina will also look to profit from the flanks where over-lapping fullbacks Pablo Zabaleta and Marcos Rojo love to get forward and whip crosses in behind the back line. Osaze Odemwingie showed on Saturday that he had the legs and discipline to track back and that should provide adequate support for Efe Ambrose down the right.
It’s the other side, where the impressive Zabaleta holds sway, which leaves me with some concern. Ahmed Musa, if he starts, would have to improve on his defending if the Eagles are to cope. We might see the return of Victor Moses, in his stead though.
Much of the Eagles defensive work will have to be in midfield though. Javier Mascherano and Fernando Gago dictate the distribution from deep, Angel di Maria begins his driving runs from here and Messi loves to drop deep in search of the ball and pockets of opportunity. The Eagles will need Ogenyi Onazi at his energetic best, and John Mikel Obi will have to keep his positional discipline and protect the ball a little better than he did last time.
The key position, for both defending and attacking, may be that third midfield role again. Michael Babatunde showed lots of promise on Saturday, but Keshi may consider him a little inexperienced to face the savvy Argies – not that this has ever bothered the brave coach in the past. We may well see a return of Odemwingie as a number 10, with Moses and Musa out on the flanks. He’s shown that he has the discipline and versatility to cope in a variety of roles, and I think playing him closer to the front improves the Eagles scoring chances.
For all their attacking menace though, Argentina can be vulnerable at the back, where Monaco reserve Sergio Romero is between the sticks behind Ezequiel Garay and Frederico Ferrnandez. Iran exposed some of those weakness on Saturday, when they came close to scoring from some direct attacking football and the Eagles could do some damage if they play with the same composure and aggression as last time and improve their off-the-ball movement and decision making. After Emmanuel Emenike’s bruising number on Emir Spahic on Saturday, I doubt there’s any defender at the World Cup finals that would relish a 90 minute tussle with the Eagles number 9 right now. The Eagles have to use that pace and power as much as possible.
A final word on set pieces: Nigeria has faced Argentina at the World Cup finals on three occasions, losing each time. The interesting thing is that every single goal the Argentines have scored against the Eagles in World Cup action has come from a set-piece. Peter Rufai parried a free kick into the path of Claudio Cannigia for their first in 1994, and a quickly taken free kick slipped Cannigia in for the winner in that same game. The 2002 game was settled by a Sebastian Veron corner kick nodded in at the far post by Gabriel Batistuta, and Veron repeated the trick in 2010, this time knocking a corner kick in for Gabriel Heinze to head past Vincent Enyeama.
Addressing that may be even more important than stopping the best player in the world.
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