Former Nigerian international, Peter Ijeh, has shared his observations about the ongoing AFCON tournament in Côte d’Ivoire, praising the quality of football displayed by African teams.
However, he emphasized the need for strategic changes for the Super Eagles as they enter the knockout stage.
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In an interview with Brila, Ijeh commended the impressive performances of smaller nations against traditional football powerhouses.
He acknowledged the evolving landscape of African football, where underdogs have consistently challenged and even outperformed more established teams.
Expressing his delight at the competitive nature of the tournament, Ijeh turned his attention to the Super Eagles’ performance.
Despite Nigeria’s commendable group stage performance, securing seven points from three games, Ijeh highlighted a crucial area that needs improvement: goal-scoring.
“Yeah. Going by the trajectory of the game we can see games have evolved a lot. There are no more small countries, big countries are struggling, and that is the fun of it.
Now going forward we can see the Eagles haven’t been scoring that much, three games, three goals, seven points, which is good. But at the same time, things have to change somehow.”
He emphasized that, as the competition progresses to the knockout rounds, goals become decisive in determining the winner of each match.
Ijeh called for a change in the attacking strategy, suggesting a shift to a more offensive formation, specifically mentioning the 3-4-3 formation as an option.
Ijeh pointed out the importance of refining the team’s formation, especially in the attacking phase.
He acknowledged that while the 3-4-3 formation provides defensive solidity, the offensive capabilities must be enhanced to capitalize on goal-scoring opportunities.
“It’s only goals that can decide who wins the game. The attacking strategy has to change. Yes. Three, four, three. The formation, of course, is awesome.
In defending they go with five, four, one which isolates the striker alone. The team can only rely on counterattack and how effective it is.
It depends on how the players understand the tactics. So we hope they step up and hold the line and improve in their formation because no formation is perfect. One just has to improve and improve the scoring abilities.”
Ijeh expressed optimism about the Super Eagles’ chances but stressed the need for continuous improvement, especially in scoring goals.
As Nigeria prepares for the knockout stage, football enthusiasts anticipate how the team will address these strategic considerations in their quest for AFCON glory.
