When Jose Peseiro and the Super Eagles arrived in Ivory Coast and started training for the Africa Cup of Nations, something seemed different.
By the third training session, it was clear Peseiro was going to jettison his favourite formation used during his time with the team for something different.
As Nigeria took to the pitch for their first game against Equatorial Guinea, it was confirmed he had switched to a more conservative 3-5-2 formation with regular full-backs Zaidu Sanusi and Ola Aina playing as wing-backs.
It drew a lot of criticism from Nigerians who felt it stunted the attack and it made star striker Victor Osimhen a bit isolated upfront and subsequently didn’t get as much service as he should.
To be fair, Osimhen did get a few great chances but profligacy accounted for his one goal in the first game as the Eagles struggled to a 1-1 draw.
End justifies the means
When questioned post-game, Peseiro insisted he aimed to win and he was going to do what he felt was best for the team which translated to a less adventurous Eagles that the fans were not accustomed to.
Granted, it wasn’t exactly pretty to the eye, but it was a case of the end justifying the means as the Super Eagles went all the way to the final albeit losing to the hosts in a dour final by Nigerian eyes.
One argument Peseiro kept propounding was that tournament football doesn’t give room for altruism, a statement which angered a large segment of Nigerian fans who are used to offensive football over the years.
Even though Nigeria reached the final, Peseiro’s approach meant the Super Eagles scored the least amount of goals in an Africa Cup of Nations where they reached the final.
For the purists, as many have argued, it went against the norms of what the Super Eagles stand for – not that this has exactly been documented.
With Finidi George at the helm of affairs for the friendlies against Ghana and Mali, it is left to see if the former Ajax winger will stick to the system used by his former boss or revert to his style as seen by his two years in Aba with reigning Nigeria Premier League champions Enyimba.
New strokes for Super Eagles post-Peseiro?
Finidi’s styles depend on who is available for each game, but at home at the Enyimba International Stadium, he uses a 4-4-2 formation with a double pivot Ikenna Cooper the torchlight in the middle of the pack and Daniel Daga sitting deep.
The key here is to hold possession as much as possible and use Eze Ekwutoziam’s vision to prod open the opposition through the effervescent Mbaoma.
In transition, Enyimba love to play from the back with swift diagonal passes to the wing backs with the two pivots dropping back to receive the ball and release the wingers.
Leke Ojo, who is Enyimba’s first choice goalie is also with the Super Eagles in Morocco for the friendlies. He's used to the system and might help a few to get with the program.
At away games, George goes with a 4-3-3 formation, a bold move in the NPFL Since most away teams tend to play very defensively
For Finidi George, Enyimba's 4-3-3 requires specific skills. His midfielders are usually runners who can break through pressure with passes and diagonal runs.
They usually have great ball control in tight spaces, a skill associated with Ekwutoziam and lately Chibueze Izuogu.
Up front, he advocates all three attackers must be offensive threats, offering width and runs in possession, while pressing aggressively to win the ball back.
Finidi George’s attacking approach at his club will likely be used for the Ghana and Mali friendlies considering the plethora of offensive players at his disposal.
With the availability of Wilfred Ndidi and the emergence of Frank Onyeka, it is looking like George will cook the same broth he makes at Enyimba.
Maybe the fans will be excited about the football once again but will it guarantee success?
We wait.
