With the game hanging precariously in the balance, it was the Gent forward who stepped up to set the Super Eagles on the path to Russia 2018
Moses Simon ’s 51st-minute opener came following a frenzied start to the second half that saw the Super Eagles shake off the lethargy of a frustrating opening period. Yet, for all the renewed urgency, for the quantum leap in tempo, it took a moment of individual brilliance to give Nigeria a foothold in Port Harcourt against Swaziland.
The Gent man is finding the Super Eagles to be an oasis in a dry patch with the reigning Belgian champions. While his heroics propelled the Buffaloes to a first-ever league title last term, he has found form difficult to come by this season, following an almost non-existent preseason. His place within the team is now a thing of uncertainty, but his significance in the Super Eagles continues to swell.
Not since Jay-Jay Okocha, that sprite of arch-devilry and trickery, has Nigeria been able to call upon the services of an expert free-kick taker. In Lobamba, Simon hit the upright. This time, he was not to be denied. His short run-up, allied to Sylvester Igbonu’s decoy presence, kept the Swazi wall rooted as the chance at history sailed over their heads.
In a time of famine, his rise is perhaps the first actual success of the Sunday Oliseh administration. It is not likely that, under former gaffer Stephen Keshi, the 20-year-old would have risen to prominence quite so quickly. The willingness of the present coaching crew to pin its colours to the mast is to be praised.
Of course, not in all cases has this loyalty been repaid. Igbonu is another who has enjoyed that privilege, but is perhaps unable to justify it, being fundamentally limited. His endeavour and bustle was admirable, and useful in bringing a second gear but, as illustrated when he dragged the game’s best chance agonizingly wide, it was all revving and no real gaining on the goal.
Similarly, the decision to throw a curveball with the starting selection yielded decidedly mixed results: Austin Oboroakpo was jittery in possession, even though he had little real defensive work; Chima Akas had an error-free display, as must be the limit of our expectations; while Paul Onobi was conspicuous by his inconspicuousness, as was the hallmark of former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva, aptly dubbed ‘The Invisible Wall’.
It is tempting to speculate as to what exactly motivated these personnel changes; indeed, it may not be unconnected to the nature of the Port Harcourt pitch, one to which the home-based Super Eagles are more accustomed. The long, mulchy surface made for an unattractive spectacle at times, and was perhaps a factor in the sterile passing of the first period.
Oliseh's changes brought mixed results on the pitch in the second leg against Swaziland
Then again, Oliseh may have felt the need to assert his authority within the team, following the reported dressing room bust-up in the aftermath of the first leg. This seems the more probable, as it is unlikely that the coach actually felt he stood a better chance of victory without Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, who was unceremoniously axed. If he truly did, the first half should have served to disabuse the notion, as indeed Swaziland came closest to scoring.
That header across the six-yard box, shinned over the bar with Carl Ikeme stranded on his line, could have changed the entire complexion of the tie had it been converted. Over the course of a two-legged bout, there is always a sprinkling of luck needed at just the opportune time, a moment in which a few millimetres assume greater importance than a marathon. Set-pieces are often the privilege of the weaker team, and as that frittered away, so did the possibility of away success.
They would get another chance in the dying embers of the game, as the deficit emboldened the visitors. Ikeme, thankfully on his toes, tipped over, backpedalling furiously. By the time Efe Ambrose converted the second, the King’s Shield was in full retreat.
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