The abysmal performance of the Super Eagles in their recent competitive matches has swelled the demand for the inclusion of at least two or three home-based players in coach, Jose Peseiro’s starting XI as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Ivory Coast draws closer.
Since Peseiro took over as Super Eagles’ coach, he has shown some level of support for the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
However, the Portuguese hardly fixes them in his team sheets.
Peseiro has tried foreign-based players several times and the results are not encouraging.
The Super Eagles have been dominated by foreign-based professionals in recent years.
Goalkeepers Amas Obasogie of Bendel Insurance and Ojo Olorunleke of Enyimba were only the two home-based players invited to the Super Eagles’ last international outings against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The rest of the squad were overseas professional players.
The Super Eagles have also struggled in the goalkeeping department for years, but none of the NPFL goalkeepers such as Obasogie and Olorunleke have been given an opportunity to prove their mettle for the national team.
It was Francis Uzoho who was in goal post for both games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Even when Peseiro unveiled his 25-man squad for the doubleheader friendly games against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique on October 13 and 16 in Portugal, it was only Olorunleke that was invited for the games.
The development raises questions over Peseiro’s fate in home-based players.
Nigeria is blessed with many footballing talents both home and abroad.
Occasionally, home-based players are called up to the national team squad, but they end up as peripheral figures.
In the past, particularly in 2013, when the Super Eagles won their last AFCON in South Africa, the team then under the guidance of late Stephen Keshi, had over seven home-based players – Sunday Mba (Warri Wolves), Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars) Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars) and Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers), of which about two or three of them were first-team players.
Recall that it was Mba, who at the time was a home-based player, scored the only goal for Nigeria in the final against Burkina Faso as they won the AFCON.
He also scored the winning goal for Nigeria in the semi-final against Ivory Coast as Super Eagles won 2-1.
Keshi’s team had home-based players who played in all departments (goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward) on the pitch of play.
But in the current Super Eagles team under Peseiro, the reverse is the case.
In the current NPLF season, there are outstanding players in the domestic league such as Bayelsa United’s Robert Mizo, Remo Stars’ Alimi Sikiru, Lobi Stars’ Samuel Tiza and Doma United duo Kingdom Osayi and Andrew Majalisa, but none has been given the opportunity by Peseiro.
What can you say about the need for Peseiro to include two or three home-based players in his starting XI ahead of the 2023 AFCON?
Speaking with DAILY POST on the subject matter on Monday, a coach, Emmanuel Brown, said: “It is unfortunate that we are such a country that nothing is working.
“Let me take you back to the recent World Cup qualifier, we played 1-1 against Lesotho in Uyo. Tell me about Lesotho’s team, how many foreign professional players do they have?
“Look at South Africa for instance, how many professional foreign players do they have in their national team? When the late Stephen Keshi was the coach of the Super Eagles, he included home-based players in his squad.”
He continued, “If you do not take these home based players to play in the Super Eagles, how do they grow? How do they have the experience?
“So it is just unfortunate that nothing is working here. Do you know why Arsenal is working today? They are working because they have a background. About five or six players in the current Arsenal squad all started from their academy. So they grew together and that is why today you see the kind of football they are playing.
“It’s very, very important for the national team to do the same. Look at Egypt for instance, almost all the players in the national team are home-based because they have a good league. It is very important that our home-based players are included in the national team.
“At least four home-based players, it is non-negotiable, it should be a must for every coach, either foreign or local, that is coming to Nigeria to coach the Super Eagles.
“His number one assignment should be to groom players from the domestic league and make sure that they graduate to the Super Eagles.”
“In my honest opinion I think these are very important. The Lesotho players that came to Nigeria and drew 1-1, I tell you if we assembled home based players from the Nigerian league, would we not beat them? We would beat them.
“I can assure you that we have very good players in the domestic league and that is why we also have many players all over the world. So it is important that we have two or three home-based players always invited to the Super Eagles,” he further stated.
