‘Ifreke Inyang: “Mikel is not committed to Nigeria” – 5 things we learnt from the Zambia game

By Ifreke Inyang

Officiating in Africa is very poor
This is not even about being bias. The refereeing at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, has been rather below par.
In Nigeria’s first game against Burkina Faso, the man in the middle made some questionable calls. It was the Super Eagles’ own doing that they drew the match though. However, against the Zambians, a soft penalty ensured that the defending champions grabbed a 1-1 draw.

Mikel Obi is not committed to Nigeria
Left to me, the Chelsea midfielder should have been left out of this squad, just like Osaze Odemwingie and co.
Yes, the instant reaction would be that they are good players. But quite frankly, I think they do well for their clubs and not Nigeria.
Mikel put up yet another sluggish performance in midfield, failing to dictate the direction and tempo of the game and of course, missing from 12 yards out.

Ahmed Musa should be benched against Ethiopia
Like millions of other Nigerians, I was quite confused as to why Ahmed Musa lasted that long in the game.

He seemed to have lost that spark about it and the only brightness he carries these days, is the shade of his hair.
He should have been withdrawn from the game much earlier.

Keshi needs to make substitutions early
There is something very Wenger-like about Keshi and substitutions. He waits till the dying embers of the game, to address any weakness he spots in the team.
It is the mark of great tacticians to tweak mildly or drastically the shape of their team. A few players were off colour today and it was not until the 80th minute or so he made his first change. By that time, Zambia’s three substitutes were on the pitch.

Nigeria might not qualify for the next round
It is sad that when Nigeria eventually makes it to any tournament, continental or international, we end up doing permutations and not enjoying fantastic football.
From the looks of it, without the lack of invention, imagination and injection of pace, we might likely struggle to make it through to the quarter-finals. I seriously hope not.
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