Head coach of the senior team of Nigeria Eric Chelle didn’t do justice to squad balance in his list of 23 players called up for the world cup qualifiers games against Lesotho and Benin Republic respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Chelle picked three goalkeepers, seven defenders, four midfielders and nine forwards which includes five centre forwards in top striker Victor Osimhen, Cyriel Dessers, Jerome Akor, Terem Moffi and Tolu Arokodare.
All five players are primarily centre forwards meaning none can play behind the main man in Chelle’s preferred two man attack. He also surprisingly called up just four midfielders in Alhassan Yusuf, Frank Onyeka, Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi. Only Iwobi can be said to be an attacking midfielder who can create chances for the forwards.
The Malian knowning fully well that his team need to win both games to stand a chance of making it to the world cup has taken a gamble to go for goal scorers at the expense of squad balance.
His idea is to get enough goals to help the team’s goal difference which will at the end be used as a tie breaker, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that in games like this where defeat is not an option having a balance squad is a must.
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece)
Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey)
Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Cyriel Dessers ( Panathinaikos F.C Greece.); Tolu Arokodare (Wolves England); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)
