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The U23 side almost contrived to throw away a three-goal lead, and the lack of pragmatism is perfectly apposite to the nature of the nation's footballing soul.
Watching Samson Siasia’s teams play football is at once engrossing and tiring. The sense of predictability though, rather than lead to disinterest, only serves to whet the appetite for what follows: high-octane football, long on entertainment but perhaps short on sustainability.
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It is no wonder that he made a point of bemoaning his attackers’ efficiency in front of goal. Rather than a pre-emptive act of self-exoneration, it is simply an acknowledgement of how his sides play the game: they necessarily seek to outscore the opposition rather than limit them. Without the goals, Siasia would have no justification to pursue his free-wheeling philosophy.
It served as something of a battle cry, as the Nigeria U23 side raced to a three-goal lead at half time, CS Sfaxien striker Junior Ajayi’s brace sandwiching Usman Mohammed’s hooked finish from Sincere Seth’s cut-back. It is not often one can accuse a team with such a healthy half-time lead of not being dominant, but it was the Malians who foreshadowed things to come by rattling the crossbar inside the very first minute.
By the time Ajayi broke the deadlock, there was a distinct ‘against the run of play’ feel to it, with Nigeria struggling to match the physical approach of the Mali side early on. It did not help that, in Okechukwu Azubuike and Usman Mohammed, Siasia has deployed a rather gung-ho central midfield, with the latter often moving forward into the attacking midfield band to press. While neither is lazy, there is still a lot of room for a proper understanding to be forged regarding who stays and who goes.
It is a weakness of the 4-4-2 in modern football that transitioning from attack to defence can be problematic unless the central midfield is essentially defensive. Of course, with the ‘wingers’ deployed, Taiwo Awoniyi and Stanley Dimgba, taking up high positions, the Dream Team yo-yoed artlessly between attacking and defending, having to sprint back in a frenzy whenever moves broke down, and then bound forward again in another wave.
As a machine, hardly energy-efficient.
In terms of strategy, it is thoroughly untenable, so in that regard it is a relief they had a three-goal lead to stand on in a second period characterized by leaden-footed defending. As the fitness ebbed away, so did the discipline: Siasia’s men committed over twice as many fouls (21) as Mali, an affirmation that, in the absence of structure, desperation is inevitable.
Did Siasia's Dream Team look desperate against Mali?
The lead was also eroded steadily: first Oghenekaro Etebo made a complete hash of a defensive situation, before then proceeding to give away a penalty. In the end, it was all the team could do not to concede a third, Emmanuel Daniel pulling off a splendid save to keep the lead intact.
Thus is the perverse nature of Siasia-ball manifested: his system, while open, relies on partnerships in key areas—full-backs to wingers, the centre-backs, the central midfielders, and a striking tandem. At its best, the football is simple, quick, direct and high on chance creation.
On the night in M’Bour though, none of these partnerships came off successfully: Zahradeen Bello endured a torrid time alongside Segun Oduduwa; neither one of Awoniyi nor Ajayi offered Seth any protection; Etebo put in a disappointing performance playing just off the top man, while there was precious little link-up between Ndifreke Effiong and Dimgba ahead.
Awoniyi | Must improve if Nigeria are to go far in the U23 championship
This multiple-systems failure all over the pitch leaves Siasia with some interesting decisions, but in some way, he has hampered himself in terms of squad personnel choices. The midfield zone, for example, in need of a more circumspect player to tether its footloose wanderings, can call on Godspower Aniefiok, who for all his talent is hardly a model for discipline. This might suggest there are a couple more games of sphincter-clenching, pulse-racing, palm-sweating games to look forward to.
Really though, it is entirely in keeping with the soul of Nigerian football, which even at its peak was never particularly defensive. For all the fine defenders that have graced the Super Eagles, there has always run the undercurrent of the lack of defensive pragmatism. We would rather win 4-3 than 1-0.
Perhaps Siasia’s allure is that he, more than most, understands this.
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