Now that we are born again (Part 2)
Apparently, I may have spooked some by highlighting a problem with our attacking play in the last post (haha!), so today we will take a look instead at what the Super Eagles have excelled at through the qualifiers. See, I’m not all gloom and doom. Consider this a peace offering.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Super Eagles under Gernot Rohr has been its doughty defense. The team conceded only two goals in open play in six games, and aside the opening qualifier away at Zambia, none of those games saw the goalkeeper worked significantly. It has largely let us get away with being understrength in that goalkeeping position, but I digress.
It should come as no surprise — it’s a lot quicker to reinforce defensive tenets than attacking — but it is no less worthy of acclaim. As I pointed out in the first part of this series, the win over Algeria was probably the turning point in this regard, as it convinced Rohr that Ogenyi Onazi alone could not provide sufficient cover in front of the defence. Following the introduction of Wilfred Ndidi for the next game, against Cameroon, the Super Eagles did not concede from open play for the rest of the qualifying series.
This double pivot effectively screens the defence, preventing opponents from playing through the middle. When the ball goes out wide, the near-sided defensive midfielder (usually Onazi on the left and Ndidi on the right) slides across to protect the half-space, as well as offer support to the full-back against attempts to cut inside.
Onazi in particular gets through a lot of work, as Elderson Echiejile lacks confidence in 1v1 situations, and so often sits narrower than normal. Shehu on the other flank, though a converted midfielder, is more proficient in duels, allowing Ndidi to operate a little higher, but the idea is the same: slide across according to the side of the pitch the ball is on.
The team as a whole is spaced in a 4–4–1–1, with Mikel just off the striker applying pressure to the deepest opposing midfielder, while Ighalo is more concerned with blocking passing lanes. Ndidi has occasional license to step out of the block and shut down the second midfielder, while blocking off access to the #10. The wingers tuck in to create two solid banks of four.
However, this scheme is based on a theoretical two-man midfield. Against Cameroon, there was a different challenge, as the incumbent African champions set up in a 4–3–3. Hugo Broos’ men pushed their full-backs very high (happily tracked all the way by both Victor Moses and Moses Simon), and fanned out their three midfielders across the width of the left and right half-spaces. Mikel pressing the deepest midfielder would have left Ndidi and Onazi needing to cover a lot of ground to gain access to Zambo Anguissa and Arnaud Djoum, so instead the team defended like this.
This move was representative of how Cameroon sought to attack, and how the Super Eagles contained them. Here, Anguissa has received the ball in the half-space, but Ndidi does not actively engage him. Rather, he blocks the direct pass into the feet of Fabrice Olinga should he leave Troost-Ekong’s zone, and Onazi sits in front of the back four. Mikel moves out to the left to cover Djoum, while Ighalo lets the centre-backs free in order to cover Siani.
Anguissa’s options are (a.) a pass into the feet of Moukandjo, who comes short, is tracked out of his zone by the aggressive Shehu, and will be pressed from the front by Ndidi as well; (b.) play a low-percentage lofted pass into the channel for the striker to chase, an idea even less likely to bear fruit given Troost-Ekong’s pace and aggression; or (c.) go back to the centre-backs and try to circulate to the other side of the pitch. He takes option c.
The result is, however, the same, although thankfully Cameroon did not work the far flank as often. Perhaps this was a consequence of playing Jean-Pierre Nsame, a second-striker type, there, as opposed to Moukandjo, more of a midfielder and keener to come short.
Like I said, a singular scenario, but it highlights what has made this team formidable defensively: compactness and well-timed sliding in midfield; and aggression.
