Well, the Super-4 Invitational Tournament is underway at the National Stadium in Abuja and here are 4 things we have learned from the tournament so far.
1. Dolphins need a goal scorer:
At his press conference at the end of his side's second consecutive loss, Monday evening, Stanley Eguma said it will be wrong to write his team off. I agree with him after all he is the longest serving manager in the League and he knows his side more than anyone else but the little we can see from the our 'limited' view from the stands is that this Dolphins side needs a goal scorer. N
Enyimba and Warri Wolves who both have one goal apiece only scored from penalty kicks but the number of chances that Dolphins have created in the last two games could have been enough to win two matches. Striker Christian Pyagbara has made the switch from city rivals Sharks but he will want to forget his performance against the Under-23 team; notable was that early chance which he simply passed to the goalkeeper with the rest of the post gaping at him and then that failed attempt at a Free-kick which he erroneously passed to an opponent.
Perhaps, it is still early days for him and for the Dolphins attack but I think they really need to put word out in search of a striker.
2. Manu Garba's boys are the team to beat:
Hands up if you predicted that the Under-20 side will be team to beat at this tournament. If you did then you are really on your way to a successful career in football punditry. We saw them effortlessly batter their opponents at the last Under-17 World Youth Championship in the UAE but unlike most Nigerian youth teams of the past, Manu Garba's boys have gotten better with age.
Their energy levels, pressing style, intelligence, movement off and on the ball have bettered any Nigerian side seen in recent times; no wonder they are the crowd's favourite. The manner in which they tore Enyimba's defence apart as well as successfully shut off Kano Pillars in their two games is simply nothing short of phenomenal. What is Manu Garba doing to these boys? They are combat-ready, full of running and in fact they even jog into the dressing room at half time and are even out to the field before the 15 minute recess is over. Business-like and very hungry for success, all these lads care about is playing.
We wondered how they would react when they conceded an own goal against Pillars. Well, they dusted themselves, simply went forward and scored again like it has become a second nature. By half time, they have had 5 shots on target, and Pillars? 1! Nor has been able to score against them, the one goal they conceded was an own goal by their captain Musa Mohammed- that is how good these lads are.
3. Race against time for the Premier League boys:
In the past, the Super-4 was exclusively for the top finishing Premier League teams who have Continental tasks but this year, the League Management Company added two junior National Teams to spice it up a bit. As we have seen, bringing these teams on board has proved a Master-stroke, the League teams being unable to beat any of these sides just yet. Rather these teams have exposed how unready the big boys are.
Last year, Enyimba beat all the opponents at the Super-4 tourney yet failed to leave a noteworthy impression in the CAF Champions League. Judging from how Pillars eased over Dolphins on Match Day One and how poor they were against the Flying Eagles yesterday, one wonders, was it a question of how good the team is or how poor the opposition was on the day?
Truth remains that for sides looking to kick-start their Continental Campaigns only in a fortnight, they are getting aware of how much work they have to do in order to be ready.
4. Samson Siasia has a pretty decent squad:
The Flying Eagles have been the best side in the tournament so far judging by what the table says and more importantly the on-field performances but following right behind them is the Dream Team VI. However, another part of the Dream Team is currently in Tunisia with the Head Coach Samson Siasia.
Missing the chief coach and a heavy chunk of your team-mates should affect any team but the lads are second on the table tied on points with the Flying Eagles. Only Samson Siasia and Fatai Amoo can tell which is the better of the two Under-23 teams but I am inclined to think it is the team with Siasia in Tunisia. Anyway, whichever it is, it goes to prove that we are not in short supply of excellent footballers all across this country.
Siasia has a good problem on his hands and that is choosing who makes the final squad for the forthcoming international competitions
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