The final team in our Group F analysis is the African representatives, Nigeria. Stephen Keshi’s side kick off their campaign against fellow outsiders Iran on Monday June 16 at 8pm before taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina five days later at 11pm, prior to a showdown with group favourites Argentina on Wednesday June 25 at 5pm:
Road to Qualification
The Nigerians topped a four-team group that also included Malawai, Kenya and Namibia by five clear points. Scoring seven times and conceding just three, they were then drawn against Ethiopia in a two-legged play-off last autumn and cruised through by an aggregate 4-1 scoreline, having emerged victorious both home and away.
Most Starts Vincent Enyeama, Godfrey Oboabona (8), Efe Ambrose (7), Victor Moses, Elderson Echiejile, John Obi Mikel, Ogenyi Onazi (6), Ahmed Musa (5)
Most Goals Emmanuel Emenike (3), Victor Moses (2)
The Key Targets
Since clinching their qualification, Nigeria have won the 2014 African Nations Championship – a tournament predominantly for players plying their trade in their native continent – and drawn a trio of international friendlies. A 2-2 draw against Italy back in November caught the eye, with a goalless stalemate against Mexico preceding last week’s draw with Scotland, where many of the squad’s fringe players were given a chance to impress. The Africans will also be looking to improve upon their performances in last year’s Confederations Cup, where a 6-1 win over Tahiti was followed by back-to-back defeats at the hands of Italy and Uruguay.
Tactically, Keshi’s side are set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with the pace of the wide players in a front three key to their counter attacking ploys. Between the posts, Vincent Enyeama is nailed-on. The Lille stopper arrives on the back of some outstanding domestic displays and racked up clean sheets aplenty in Ligue 1 – available for 4.9 in FantasyiTeam he can expected to be called into action time and again.
Efe Ambrose and Elderson Echiejile (5.0 and 5.1 in FantasyiTeam) are the first-choice full-backs. Ambrose is a regular for Celtic and played 38 times in the league, whereas Echiejile featured just five times for French outfit Monaco after moving during the January transfer window and will perhaps be a little lacking in match sharpness. At the heart of the back-four, Chelsea youngster Kenneth Omeruo looks set to partner Godfrey Oboabona, (4.9 in FantasyiTeam) though Joseph Yobo was recalled to the squad in March and offers a more experienced alternative.
Keshi will have two sitting midfielders in front of his defence, looking to break up the opponents’ attacking forays and quickly distribute the ball to the attacking quartet. Lazio’s Ogenyi Onazi (5.2 in FantasyiTeam) seems odds-on to grab one of the places and with John Obi Mikel (priced at 5.1) fielded in the most advanced role of the midfield trio, the remaining defensive slot could go to Ramon Azeez, who played 30 times in La Liga for Osasuna last term.
Further up the field, the trickery and speed of Victor Moses and Ahmed Musa are pivotal to the Nigerian’s penchant for quick transitions. Despite a lack of game time on loan at Liverpool, Moses is regarded as key for Keshi’s side and is number one spot-kick taker – giving him the edge over CSKA Moscow’s Musa, who scored seven times in the Russian top-flight in 2013/14. Moses is the cheaper of the pair, coming in at 5.3 to his fellow wide man’s 5.4 in FantasyiTeam.
Through the middle, Emmanuel Emenike is a man in form and arrives on the back of a season which saw him produce 12 goals and nine assists in 28 appearances for Turkish side Fenerbahce. Available for 6.8 in FantasyiTeam, he missed all but three of the qualifying matches due to injury, yet still finished top scorer with three strikes to his name.
The Long Shots
Back in the squad after repairing relationships with Keshi following a public row at the start of last year, Peter Odemwingie could offer the Nigerians a number of alternatives. Utilised mainly on the right at Stoke, he finished the season with five goals and a pair of assists in his final nine league appearances – Odemwingie (6.7 in FantasyiTeam) could also be fielded through the middle up front or in “the hole”, if Keshi wishes to drop Mikel into a more defensive-minded role.
Further Analysis
Group A – Brazil,Cameroon, Croatia, Mexico
Group B – Australia, Chile, Holland, Spain
Group C – Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D – Costa Rica, England, Italy, Uruguay
Group E – Ecuador, France, Honduras, Switzerland
Group F –Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran,
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