ALEX IWOBI, CALVIN BASSEY AND VICTOR OSIMHEN SET EUROPE ON FIRE
By PROF EMMANUEL OJEME
On the 24th of February 2024, in the fiercely competitive English Premier League, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey conspired to wreck Manchester United FC at Old Trafford. This was a Premier League game hosted by Manchester United and in which it was determined to win to bolster its chase of top four football. Concurrently, Victor Osimhen had scored five goals including a hat-trick in about three games for Napoli FC of Italy. These sublime performances of Nigerian footballers who were also in the AFCON 2024 tournament, representing Nigeria, as members of Super Eagles are very mouth watery and deserve further critical comments, particularly against the backdrop of observations of their output at the AFCON 2024 which was perceived as just average performances.
Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey were phenomenal in their performances playing for Fulham FC against Manchester United on the 24th of February. Fulham FC would have drawn with Manchester United but for the majesty of Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi. The goals they scored from team play showed that both players deserved their places in the team and showed that they are far above average in their gamefulness. Bassey scored first from the edge of the penalty box in a well angled midfielder shot that beat the goalkeeper, Mr. Andre Onana with his elitist demeanour who helplessly watched the ball sail into his net unchallenged. This was classic.
Then as the game was dragging to end as draw, Alex Iwobi, in the seven minutes extra time, scored a scintillating goal from Adama Traore’s trade mark dribbles from centre of the field to the edge of the penalty box, then fired a cross pass to which Iwobi connected to score the heart breaking goal against Manchester United family.
That famous game in which two Nigerian national team players excelled proved that both players indeed deserve their call up to the national team as well as being members of Fulham Football Club.
The foregoing highlighted performances of Victor Osimhen, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi, two weeks after AFCON 2024, in which Nigeria came second are very remarkable. At AFCON it would be recalled that Victor Osimhen could score just one solitary goal but in Europe, he has already scored five goals in three games for Napoli FC. The summary is that these players excel more in their games, playing for their clubs in Europe than when they are in Super Eagles, playing for Nigeria.
Why do the players excel more in Europe than in the national team? How can the management of the Super Eagles bring out the best gamefulness out of the players when on national duty? Nigeria is blessed with top class players, including the trio already mentioned in this article but the task is to get out the game they are endowed with while on national duty. This is not yet happening. Hence, the players just appear to be of average performances but in Europe they excel. Is it that they have more of the complimentarity of teammates which brings out the strength of one another while on club assignments?
The Super Eagles managers must examine this question and engineer this kind of synergy in choosing the composition of the team for particular games. Furthermore, the managers of Super Eagles must create an Ecosystem that excites the players to find their sublime gamefulness and deliver sublime performances.
It is exciting to see Iwobi and Bassey making the Premier League and BBC team of the week in Europe. In the same vein, Victor Osimhen in three games has scored five goals including a hat-trick.
These remarkable performances which these players showed should be replicated when on national duty. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta. Bridging the gap between club performances and national team outputs is a task that must be accomplished.
