2019 AFCON : Four Talking Points From Super Eagles Performance In Egypt So Far

The Super Eagles of Nigeria ended their AFCON group games on a sad note as they were surprisingly thrashed 2-0 by Madagascar on Sunday.

Luckily for the three-time Champions, the effects of the defeat didn't cause too much harm to their hope of lifting the AFCON glory as they were already through to the next round of the tournament.

Taking a critical look at the Eagles' performance throughout the first round of the campaign, allnigeriasoccer.com provides top four emerging talking points.

1. The 'Oyinbo' Wall Is Cracking

'Oyinbo wall' is known as the strong partnership between Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong which has been in existence since the start of Gernot Rohr's reign as Eagles coach.

However, the wall seems to be cracking as Kenneth Omeruo is fast becoming the best centre-back to pair Troost-Ekong in the starting line-up.

Balogun's uncharacteristic error against Madagascar further emphasizes the fact that the wall is indeed cracking.

2. Onyekuru And Osimhen Not Rated By Rohr

Onyekuru and Osimhen are the only outfield players (apart from injured Collins) yet to make a single appearance in Egypt so much to the disappointment of many Nigerians.

The two players had a great campaign with their respective clubs last season and report also suggested that they (especially Osimhen) have been wonderful in camp.

Rohr's decision to snub both players against Madagascar further buttresses the fact that they're not rated by the gaffer and it will take more than their performance on training ground to convince the manager.

3. Lack Of Goals

The team presently lack a true goalscorer which is one of the major issues Rohr must address before the round of clash.

The team boasts of just two goals in three matches and things aren't looking too good for Ighalo and Ahmed Musa, who wasted a glorious chance against Madagascar.


4. No First XI Team Yet

You would expect Rohr to have known his regular starting XI by now but the former Bordeaux boss continues to shuffle his starting line-up from one game to another.

Though Rohr dropped some of his integral players against Madagascar,the gaffer is obviously far from making a final decision on who should be in his regular starting XI and who should be dropped to the bench.

Ibukun Italoye