5 players that could help revive Eagles

The Super Eagles, who are the current African champions, failed to qualify for next year’s AFCON after the team could only muster a draw against South Africa in Uyo where a win was necessary. That result left teeming Nigerian football fans in sour mood and also set an inglorious precedence too because the Eagles’ ouster […]

The Super Eagles, who are the current African champions, failed to qualify for next year’s AFCON after the team could only muster a draw against South Africa in Uyo where a win was necessary.
That result left teeming Nigerian football fans in sour mood and also set an inglorious precedence too because the Eagles’ ouster marked the first time a defending champion would fail to qualify for the biennial tournament.
Presently a lot of discussion is going regarding what should be the fate of this team as some say Stephen Keshi should be replaced with a technically sound manager while others believe the team have reached its full cycle and should be disbanded for good players from the junior national teams to take their places.
Going with the second option which South Africa are using with huge success, these are the players that would be key to the revival of the senior national.
Vincent Enyeama – If there’s one player that always get praised for his performances even if Eagles lose, it is the Lille goalkeeper. Many consider him to be Nigeria’s best shot stopper of all time and if number of clean sheets and important saves are anything to go by, then the former Enyimba FC goalkeeper would definitely come out top. Forget the occasional gaffes, Enyeama remains Nigeria’s number 1 at this time and it is believed the 32 year old BBC African player of the year nominee still have a lot to offer the national team considering the fact that goalkeepers get better with age.
Sone Aluko – It’s not about his two goals against South Africa that denied the Southern Africa nation a historic moment, it’s about his abilities as a player that many Nigerians believe would be vital for the next Eagles set up. From the moment Aluko burst into the scene with the England U16 in 2004 he had always demonstrated hard work and quality which was evident when he scored two goals at the death and out of the blue to deny South Africa victory.
Ahmed Musa – If a single match could be used to judge the overall abilities of a player then Musa should forget getting another invitation for Eagles. Not only did he miss Nigeria’s best three chances in the first half against South Africa, he failed to take the match by the horn as he did against the Sudanese in Abuja and Argentina at the World Cup in Brazil. The 22 year old, CSKA Moscow player, will however be important for Eagles because his pace and skills can always hurt opposition. If given the appropriate technical guidance, Musa has what it takes to become one of the most essential players for the team.
Aaron Samuel – Fondly called “made in China” Samuel, has suddenly become the newest darling of Nigerian football after his mesmerizing displays and goals against Sudan and Congo in the fourth and fifth matches of the ill-fated 2015 AFCON qualifiers. The Guangzhou R&F striker has opened the doors for players plying their trade in lesser appreciated leagues around the world with his performances and with what was seen of the 20 year old player, he could become Eagles next joker.
Kelechi Iheanacho – Keshi was heavily criticised when he said Iheanacho was not yet ripe for Eagles despite his strong technical know-how that has been lacking in the team since the retirement of Austin Jay Jay Okocha in 2008. Tipped by Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini and midfielder Yaya Toure  to become Nigeria’s biggest player in few years’ time, this is the best time to integrate the Owerri born player into the team and allow him to flourish and hopefully reap the benefits with tantalising results on the pitch.