Eddie Mungai

Let me present you with a few numbers. 12, 15, 26, and 2. There are 12 days until the World Cup. Nigeria’s first game against Iceland is in 15 days. Head coach Gernot Rohr has 26 players named to his World Cup roster, which is three more than required. And he has only 2 days remaining to submit his final roster.

So why the delay, Nigeria?

If your fans can sell out the Nigeria World Cup kit in 15 minutes, the Nigerian Football Federation should give their supporters confidence in their preparedness for the World Cup. I interpret this stall as indecisiveness on Rohr’s part. I believe he is unsure of the system(s) he would utilize in Group B, thus, he is basing his final selection on player performance in friendlies, like the one against England this weekend. This is dangerous, for it will put the Nigerian players at a greater risk of injury weeks before their first World Cup game as many are trying to play for the final roster spots.

Although half of the teams haven’t solidified their 23-man squad, I think it’s imperative for African teams to be prepared on all fronts. African teams haven’t exhibited maximum preparedness in past international tournaments. In the 2014 World Cup, Ghana didn’t have their bonuses paid and that proved to be a distraction as they exited the tournament last in their group. The Nigerian Olympic team in 2016 were stranded in Atlanta en route to Brazil because they forgot to pay for the flight and arrived hours before their game. Talk about ill-preparedness…

Unnecessary distractions shouldn’t impede an African team’s success this time around. They are avoidable. Allow the players to focus fully on defeating the team at hand. So select the squad hastily Mr. Rohr, and begin preparing tactfully for Croatia.