The Ogu question.


Written by Modo Victor.
Endless national team call-ups, constantly overlooked on game days  yet consistently cheering selected players to victory, John Ogu has come full circle. This sums up the life and times of the midfielder in the Super Eagles under the tutelage of Head Coach, Gernot Rohr.

Believed by many keen observers to be one of the most gifted  midfielders of this present crop of Super Eagles players, John Ogu possesses a left foot that rubs gloss over every touch, a positional awareness that makes up for his seeming lack of speed, and a mean shot off the boot of his preferred foot; a cultured one I must add.


A regular for his Isreali outfit, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, and voted best foreign player in the Isreali league in the just concluded season, the central midfielder's stunning displays on club duty earned him no favours with the national team, falling behind John Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi,  Wilfred Ndidi, and surprisingly Mikel Agu on the pecking order.
Over two world cup qualifying legs against Cameroon and the return leg against Zambia, Ogu watched from the sidelines as his colleagues did the much needed business, probably wondering how he fell behind the industrious yet seeming unsettled Mikel Agu(your guess is as good as mine).

With qualification settled, Rohr handed a much deserved start to Ogu(based on club form) against Algeria and charged him with operating as a screen for the back four and marshaling the midfield alongside Ndidi and Etebo. A first half yellow card threatened to ruffle his feathers, but a flurry of nice touches, good shielding and a nice passing range brought the quality a lot of observers knew existed to the fore. With a well taken goal that very well should have been the match winner from distance, Ogu left his mark on the inconsequential World Cup qualifier and was rewarded with a place in midfield alongside Nigeria's favourite son, Mikel Obi , for the game against Argentina .
As midfield base, Ogu did his ratings a world of good with his display against Argentina. Operating in an unusual formation, the Super Eagles fought back from two goals down to upset Argentina, defeating the Albiceleste 4-2 in a match largely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks ever pulled off by a Nigerian side, despite being a friendly match. 
The dust has settled, Onazi and Mikel Agu will most probably be available for selection by the time the next international break comes around. Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, has a question to answer, and as basic as it seems, it might hold the key to determining how well the Eagles play in subsequent matches.


Mikel(I mean Obi) is unarguably untouchable, with Leicester City's Ndidi enjoying  a similar grace. The third man in midfield however is the 10 million Naira question. Onazi is a bull dog, he screens the back four with brute force and at times serve as springboard for the team's offensive play. Mikel Agu has constantly underwhelmed in an Eagles shirt and should frankly not be in contention for a starting berth or a first substitute role. Jogn Ogu screens the back four with aplomb and is seemingly  more assured in possession. He also possesses a range of passing second only to Mikel Obi(arguably) and links up better with team mates when there is a need to retain possession.
Leicester City's Ndidi on the ball against Cameroon on Uyo

Mikel Obi(centre)


Captain Mikel(I mean Obi) celebrating his goal against Cameroon



Will it be the force of Onazi or the deft touches of Ogu come Russia 2018? If Onazi gets the nod for 'footballing' reasons, it will definitely be deserved, but the first man in should be Ogu, spelling an end to the Agu experiment.  Whiter Gernot Rohr?
Onazi leads celebrations for Nigeria's fourth goal against Cameroon

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