John Obuh: Why I dropped Okoro, Aliyu – How we discovered Sani Tahir

Their performance at the AYC was not very good. They fell below expectations. Ramon Azeez was also affected a bit but he somehow picked up and came back to a certain level. While we were training in Nigeria, I could not find anything reasonable with both Okoro and Aliyu. They were too distracted by their […]

Their performance at the AYC was not very good. They fell below expectations. Ramon Azeez was also affected a bit but he somehow picked up and came back to a certain level. While we were training in Nigeria, I could not find anything reasonable with both Okoro and Aliyu. They were too distracted by their issue (work permit applications to Spain) and I warned them that if I leave Nigeria for Portugal and they fail to come along with the rest of the team, I will not include you in my final squad because you are not playing in a club.

Ramon was a bit different even though he too is not playing for any club. And when I looked at the whole scenario, I found out that he is being dragged and does not know what he wants. The others knew what they wanted and were ready to sacrifice Nigeria for their own interests.

When we were going to South Korea for an invitational tournament after the AYC, Okoro left us at the airport and insisted he wanted to conclude on his work permit application. He did not travel with us even though we travelled with a very small squad.

Aliyu did not join camp two weeks after we opened. He did not tell us his whereabouts. He does not have a club and that was why it was becoming very difficult for these boys to meet up.

So, after all said and done, Ramon was not given a special treatment to be in Colombia while the other two will watch the World Cup on television.

I looked at performance. I was ready to work with somebody who I can work with for two, three days before the competition and I can get something out of him. I would not have got anything from Okoro or Aliyu.

Ramon arrived Panama City and the next day he was starting a game and he coped well.

Olaranrewaju Kayode’s issue was very different because he was already playing for his club Asec.

If his club had release him when e requested for him, he would have travelled with us to Portugal from Nigeria.

He also played many games and scored goals for his club. He did not look like somebody who is match rusty against Mexico.

These are all players I brought up and there is no need for me to work against them.

And in as much as I believe in continuity, I’m also mindful of results.

You have your final squad for the World Cup. What were the factors you took into consideration to come up with this final squad?

I divided the team into three positions, defensive midfielders, attackers and wingers as well as defenders.

We already had a team in defence as we were about to leave for the AYC in Libya. It was at the last moment of our preparations for the AYC now to be held in South Africa that Kenneth Omeruo left us. I needed a replacement for him and that was how I brought in Gbenga Arokoyo.

The new central defence of Arokoyo and Gani Ogungbe was not actually clicking until the tail end of the AYC when there was a bit of understanding between them. Gani played with Fortune Chukwudi and Kenneth during the U17 days but I had to drop him at the last minute.

I had only one natural left back (Felix Udoh) and Aliyu was to come to make them at least two. While on the other side, I had Suswan, Chimezie, Anyanwu. Anyanwu can play as a right back and also in the centre, so too Chimezie. Suswan can play left back, right back and also as defensive midfielder.

I was left with three players who are mainly central defenders, Gani, Kenneth and Arokoyo. In terms of understanding, Kenneth enjoys a better understanding with Gani and he also has an edge of the three of them. Then I was looking at who play more comfortably with Kenneth without problems.

Arokoyo is a good player but he has played most times as a libero and so it is often difficult for him to charge, you have to remind him before he reacts. That was one of the problems we had because Gani is a charger and Kenneth is now a libero as Fortune was no longer with the team. I cannot have two liberos playing at the same time and so when Kenneth is playing when Arokoyo they bump into each other. The communication between them was very difficult.

Arokoyo also does not take responsibilities easily. I conducted an interview with the players and by own rating going by how long Gani has played with Kenneth, I was convinced to pick him ahead of Arokoyo.

In midfield, Sani Tahir, who plays in the Danish first division, was something of a surprise.

Football is not just about who you know. It is about discovering new players as long as you are positive in your choice. I did not know the player myself but he was recommended to me and I gave him a chance. When I first saw him, I saw he was small but when he did the first exercise in training we all saw that he has something to offer. As we carried on, he continued to improve everyday and irrespective of his height we began to see that we needed this player. He has good balance and he’s a Nigerian, I gave him a chance and he took it. Interestingly, this was one player whose inclusion was not challenged by my assistants.

George Akpabio from Plateau United is top scorer in the NPL with 14 goals. He also trained with your team before the crunch return leg qualifying match against Guinea in Conakry. He has been scoring goals for his club and now your team are struggling to score goals. The question is why was there no follow-up on the player even after you qualified for the AYC or World Cup?

Don’t forget the fact that the league is not the national team. The player who I called up to the national team after he was making goals in the league and was positive in his game with us was Ahmed Musa. I first saw him playing for Kano Pillars against my club Sharks and I immediately invited him to my team. And when he trained with us for the first time, I knew he is a national team material.

I invited George Akpabio after I saw him play, but I was not looking for a physical striker. I needed a striker who will be more skilful and score goals. We played some friendlies and he was not scoring and also the qualities I first saw in him I was not seeing when he trained with us. He was very good at his club, but he did not convince me when he trained with the national team.

In general, are you satisfied with your final selection?

I have never done any selection and have any fear. But don’t forget the fact that as human beings we can always do better. We have done the best to pick this squad without being bias, without looking at anybody’s face.

Those dropped matched those here with me in Colombia.

We are now only praying that the world will soon get to know that what we did was the right thing.

Leading to the World Cup, you played an invitational tournament in Panama, where you lost two games and only managed a draw. Will this not affect the confidence of your team?

I take responsibility for the results in Panama. Against Mexico, my players were not protected with the World Cup so close and I was not happy about that. At a time, I was losing three players and I was very angry about this. This anger also got to the players and they could not control themselves.

As for the game itself, we played very well but we were distracted and we were disorganised.

Here are some hard, cold statistics – you played four matches and three sending offs. Is this to suggest there is a problem of discipline on the pitch?

No, I won’t say so. The first red card in Lisbon was too harsh and even the NFF technical committee chairman was there and agreed it was not a red card offence. Felix Udoh is not a dirty player. That was a human error by the referee.

Against Mexico, Kenneth did not deserve a second booking and hence a red card. Ajagun’s red card was deserved but it was also down to the discretion of the referee. On many occasions, a referee will overlook a gesture by an angry by a player.

It’s not in this team to be undisciplined on or off the pitch. Even in South Africa we had one of the least number of bookings. Something really went wrong against Mexico and it affected everybody.

Still on statistics – you team are not scoring goals – a goal in your last four matches.

The most important thing in football is for you to be at a position you can score a goal. And the second one is for you to score.

We have created chances but we have not been able to convert them. That would have to do with the technique applied and the psychological level of the player.

Are you a worried man?

I would have been worried if they were not in a position to score. If they are there, the first problem has been solved. The next thing is for you to check the player’s psychology, tactical ability and the technique he applied and then it is easy for you to solve this problem.

I’m worried we are not scoring but it’s not too much since I have been able to pin point what the problem is.

Are you satisfied with your team’s build-up to the World Cup?

The federation have really given us attention, they have done the best they can. When you take the horse to the stream, that’s the best you can do for the horse. You can’t force the horse to drink the water.

There have been some issues as regards the attitude of the players who believe that going to play abroad is the best thing that could ever happen to them. That is why I’m one of those who advocate that we prosecute the age-group competitions with players from the local league. Because there are times, the European clubs won’t release these players to you. That should be something with the Super eagles but not at this level.

But then even the players from the local league also tend to leave for trials. So, you also don’t have full control over them as well.

Those who go on trials often go for only a limited time and they are soon back with you.

Some of the clubs in Europe are not showing enough understanding with us.

We have the case of Ahmed Musa.

It was the pressure from the player that got them to release him because the AYC was not in the FIFA calendar. Had we not qualified for the World Cup, we won’t be talking of Ahmed Musa in Colombia now.

Then there is the age problem. If it were possible, if you are called up to any of the age-group teams, his age should be published in the national newspapers so that others could challenge it before we pick the player for the team. Because a lot of times people behave as if they have a quarrel with someone’s family because they won’t tell you anything, but when it is a week to submission of your squad, they will start firing. Those behind these things are those will selfish interest because most probably their own player was not selected.

We must actually take our time to get rid of all these issues.

The job of national team coach is always a difficult one, but with the recent results in Panama, does it make it a lot more difficult for you?

No. If we had avoided one of two things, we would not have lost so heavily to Mexico. We all regretted our actions during that game. We acted negatively. We have seen the result.

So, you are not attaching too much importance to the results in Panama.

We would have been a lot happier had we got a better result there. But then I would not like a situation where we will win the tournament only not to do well at the World Cup.

I believe if we had won in Panama we could have celebrated and this could well slow us down at the World Cup.

So, this is a wake-up call for your team?

Yes. That’s what I have been saying. We left Panama without having anything to celebrate. So we must now have something to celebrate here in Colombia.

Have you received any calls from the top shots since the Panama outing?

They are very reasonable people there and I we have discussing the way forward for the team.

Expectations are still very high that your team will do a Ghana, win both the AYC and the World Cup in the same year.

I have that belief that this team will do Nigeria proud. It’s not by my power but because of the effort we have put in. We will deliver, God will give us that day.

Do you know anything about your first round opponents – Croatia, Saudi Arabia and Guatemala?

We played against the Saudis in Dubai, even though I believe they will not present the same team. But at least we have an idea of how they play.

We believe we have learnt a few things about Guatemala after we played against Panama recently. So we have a fair idea of what they are about.

We expect a tough match against them even though some will tell us that they are not a top football nation. Panama opened our eyes to the fact that football has grown across the world.

It no longer works about who is a known football nation. For them to qualify for the World Cup they must be good enough.

We will play Guatemala as if we are playing Brazil or Argentina.

We need to put more effort to make sure we come out of our group. It’s not about a football-playing nation or not. We just have to work.

Have you received tapes and information of your opponents?

I will get all the information I need before our first match.

Do you have in your head your starting line up against Guatemala?

At any point in time I have an idea but we just have to wait because there could be injury, illness.

Any predictions for that all-important first game on Sunday?

I know that we have an agreement in the team that the first task is to qualify from our group.

You could come out of the group as winners, runners-up or if you are lucky one of the third best teams.

The first game will determine how we will qualify. But as far as I’m concerned we will not go to play second fiddle, we will always go for the top so that if they change the rules that only one team will qualify, then it will be us.

Who will be world U20 champions on August 20 in Bogota?

Nigeria. Every other team should take care of themselves.

Thank you for your time.

It’s my pleasure.