FIFA Team Marketing: In Search of A Brand Face for Super Eagles of Nigeria

It is the norm, Fifa use a country's biggest star to promote their national team to it's global audience. For instance, going to Russia 2018 World Cup, Neymar is regarded as the brand face of Brazilian national team; Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal, Harry Kane for England...

Fifa, in trying to promote Group D teams, used Lionel Messi, the Barcelona's god of soccer, as the brand face of the Argentine national team; Luka Mordric, the Real Madrid midfield meastro, as the brand face of Croatia; , Gylfi Sigurdsson, popularly known as "The No10 Dangerman", as the brand face of Iceland. But when it got to Nigeria, Fifa wasn't sure who to project as Super Eagles brand face.

In the past world cups, Fifa had used the faces of Rasheed Yekini, Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha to project Nigeria national team, because of their global popularity at that time. Rasheed's goal scoring prowess at Vitoria Setubal, Kanu gained a reputation as the world's most effective super-sub at Arsenal and Okocha in Boston Wanderers, was well known globally as a football gennie with his magical skills.

But currently, Nigeria national team seems to lack such an outstanding star. Maybe, Fifa shoulFifad resolve to promoting Super Eagles with team character. It is not new, countries like Germany prefer to promote their team as "The German Machine" rather than recognizing individual star.

But recently, Nike used the young Arsenal attacking midfielder, Alex Iwobi, to promote its newly released World cup kits for Nigeria. But many have argued that Iwobi is hardly the Super Eagles main star. He is more regarded as a future star.

Perhaps, Victor Moses, the overlapping Chelsea wing back, may be considered as Nigeria's biggest star at the moment. John Mikel Obi, the team's captain, may have reduced in popularity after moving to China Tianjin, and Nigeria's golden boy, Kelechi Iheanacho, has scored low after being thrown out of Man city squad and taking longer time to settle at Leicester City. This is my take on this issue of brand face.