Super Eagles and The Issue of Team Rotation in AFCON 2019

Nigeria would be playing their final Group B game today Sunday June 30, against Madagascar in the on-going Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2019) in Alexandria Egypt.  You can be rest assured that Nigeria head coach, Gernot Rohr would rotate his starting line up again.

Nigeria has already qualified after what some anaysts felt were two unconvincing  1 - 0 win each, against debutant Burundi and Guinea. The critics were of the opinion that the two games would have gone either side, but Nigeria was the lucky one.

The Super Eagles didn't in any way assert dominance in the games, even against minnow like Burundi, they struggled.

One of the criticism is that the Nigerian team have been largely experimental.
Rohr came into the tournament not sure of his first team choice or the real formation his wards would play. Just after the first game, he dropped his captain Mikel, Shehu Abdullahi, William Ekong, Samuel Chukwueze, Paul Onuachu from the starting line up.

Then he moved Alex Iwobi from the wings to the playmaker role. And instead of substituting Mikel for Iwobit in the second half, he rather brought in Chukwueze to take over the playmaker role.

Chukwueze is more of a winger or a support attack and has never played as aplaymaker before. Ola Aina has also complained that Rohr have been playing him out of his real position.

But another school of thought believe Rohr can afford to rotate his team because he selected the best and more of utility players, who can play several positions at anytime.

The thing is Rohr can afford to change the entire eleven players and still come up with a team even more enterprising than the first.

Some in form players like Henry Onyekuru, Victor Oshimen, Samuel Kalu, John Ogu... or world cup first choice goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, haven't been given the opportunity to play.

Much as the team haven't been playing to the gallery (the Nigerian style), they have been efficient. Super Eagles  are on top of group B standing with 6 points and hasn't conceded any goal. Rotating the team and his formation makes Super Eagles unpredictable and perhaps, invincible.