Olawale Ajimotokan
5 June 2011
Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia will be confronted with his biggest test as the national coach when Nigeria meets Ethiopia today in Addis Ababa in an African Cup of Nations qualifier.
The match may not get the type of headlines and high octane build up accorded the Super Eagles versus Argentina friendly played on Wednesday, it is nevertheless essential as Nigeria’s qualification for the next two African Cup of Nations editions will be tied to its outcome.
Baring any unforeseen circumstance, Ike Uche is one player who is capable of ‘making things’ happen this Sunday evening for Nigeria at the expense of old rivals and qualifying group main shadow, Guinea.
Without any iota of doubt, the Zaragoza striker has been a revelation and key man in the new national team Siasia is moulding.
He may not be imposing in height as a modern day forward, but Uche makes up for that deficiency by scoring the goals and adding bite to the Super Eagles attack.
Last year the forward sat out of competitive football as a result of a serious leg injury he copped while playing for his club during a Spanish La Liga fixture.
The injury was a personal blow out for Uche as it put his career on the tenterhook and bitterly cost his place in Nigeria’s squad to the last World Cup in South Africa.
But fortune has been smiling on the former Enyimba player since he got all the clear and returned to the game plying for both Zaragoza and Nigeria.
He has scored five times in the last three matches for Nigeria. Some of those goals include a brace he registered before a dotting Nigerian public on his return game, incidentally against Ethiopia on March 27, 2011. He grabbed another set of goals in clinical fashion against Argentina in a friendly played on Wednesday night.
That impressive burst of form represents a scoring ratio of more than one goal per match, a feat which every striker would be proud of. He has also increased his overall goal haul for Nigeria to 11 goals in 26 matches since he made his debut against Macedonia in Skopje on July 25, 2007.
One particular player who is probably ahead of Uche in the goal scoring ratio is home-based international, Ekigho Ehiosun, who has scored five times in five matches and is one of the players Siasia is trying to churn from the processing mills.
But the fact that has to be stressed is that, unlike Victor Anichebe, Ehiosun and another fresh man on the national stage, Emmanuel Emenike, who all play at the head of the attack, Uche is comfortable playing just off the main forward.
From this deep lying role, he can rove and use his pace to run into spaces created by defenders who place attention marking the main striker.
With Nigeria not having the luxury of Osaze Odemwengie, who has sensationally fallen out of favour with Siasia, in addition to fitness questions about Anichebe, Uche should be handed a major role against the Walya Antelopes in the high altitude Addis Ababa.
In the wake of midweek 4-1 hiding of Argentina before an energized faithful, the form guide and tradition will favour Nigeria to roost against their Horn of Africa based rivals.
But in reality, Addis will not be an easy play ground for Nigeria.
While history will favour Nigeria making light of the Ethiopians, geography will be a major factor that could send the hope of Siasia and his young charges on the wire.
Having won six of the previous eight meetings in between them, the scale will tip towards Nigeria to walk with an extra string against Ethiopia in their desire to reach Equatorial Guinea/ Gabon next year.
While they have suffered two setbacks on the visit to Addis Ababa, the Eagles have proved that they are capable of bringing their opponents on the canvass at the same venue as they did in 1983 and 1986.
But as usual, they will have their task cut out playing on the high altitude of Addis Ababa where in a compressed air conditions, it is only the visiting team with the capacity to endure that will survive.
It is in the light of this that the Nigerian Football Federation, (NFF) flew the team to Addis Ababa on the eve of the match, adopting the strategy that paid off against Kenya on the final day of qualification for South Africa 2010 in November 2009.
Hope of great things in the offing was summed up by Obinna Nsofor, who said that with the right preparation by the federation, the Eagles should successfully execute their game plan in Addis Ababa.
“We are inspired for this match, having beaten Argentina on Wednesday. Our prayer is that the flight arrangement being put in place by the federation should work out. If the entire plan is devoid if hiccups, I don’t foresee any setback in Addis Ababa. It is all about the right attitude and mentality. It is a game we have to win and we will not settle for anything less,” Nsofor said.
Past Meetings Between Nigeria and Ethiopia
Nigeria3-1 Ethiopia, Ibadan, 1968
Ethiopia1-0 Nigeria, Addis Ababa, 1968
Nigeria3-0 Ethiopia, Benghazi 1982
Ethiopia0-1 Nigeria, Addis Ababa, 1983
Ethiopia0-1 Nigeria, Addis Ababa, 1986
Ethiopia1-0 Nigeria, Addis Ababa, 1993
Nigeria6-0 Ethiopia, Lagos, 1993
Nigeria4-0 Ethiopia, Abuja, 2011
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