Exclusive: 2022 W’Cup Playoff: ‘Twist Your Tactics against Ghana If Situation Warrant’ –Shorunmu Tells Eguavoen

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu has told the Technical Adviser of the national team, Eguavoen, to change his tactics against Ghana in 2022 World Cup qualifiers if the situation warrants ahead in the expected play-off fixtures. The two countries will engage in a play-off for the sole Africa ticket to the World Cup, following their unenviable position on the log after having garnered just a point each from their opening two games. While Nigeria has one point from her goalless draw with Sierra Leone, Ghana has one point after they were held at home by Sudan.

The Nigerian team has this one chance to make it to the world cup and hopefully defeat their longtime rivals. Nigerian fans will have a chance to watch the second leg of the playoffs from the Mashood stadium in Abuja. While the opportunity to physically support their national team is there, unfortunately, they can’t all fit there. Nigerians, however, can still support their team as they have always through betting. Sportsbooks will be offering competitive odds, markets, and a live stream for the Ghana vs Nigeria playoffs. Luckily, punters can find all Nigeria’s best betting sites on https://www.bettingtop10.com/ng/. You can compare the odds and markets each site available on bettingtop10 has and go by the one that appeals more to you.

If the Super Eagles are to win, their boss has to take advice from the likes of Shorunmu. He played against Ghana as a player and was also in charge of the Super Eagles when they met Ghana in qualifiers to both the 2010 and 2013 editions of AFCON. Shorunmu said that while it is important not to lose sight of what worked in previous meetings with Ghana, Eguavoen should be observant enough to know when to change his tactics if need be.

‘’I think this is what we have a coach for so that he can observe and make changes when necessary but I still believe we should play our game unless there is a need for us to twist our strategy because of something we observed from them during the match because as you know every match is different.

In another interview with completesports, the former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai talks about how he prepares for upcoming games and what advice he would give his team as they face off against Ghana in 2022 World Cup Qualifiers play-offs later this year:

“I think it’s important to remember that every game is different,” says Rufai, “so you can’t just use the same strategy for every opponent.”

Rufai explains that it’s important to do your research on upcoming opponents before each match so that you know what kind of tactics will work best against them – whether it be more defensive or offensive play depending on their strengths as players.”

Why the tactic change is a concern for Super Eagles

The Super Eagles got eliminated out of the AFCON 2021 by Tunisia in a 1-0 defeat. The latter is said to have studied Super Eagles’ strategy and used it against them. Eguavoen was then thought to have led the team into a triumphant victory throughout the group stages using the same strategy and all Tunisia needed was to study their opponent closely to understand their game, which they did successfully.

Nigerians and other Super Eagles fans think that the team might have had better chances at winning the AFCON 2021 if they had a plan B to counter the attacks from Tunisians. As a lesson learned from the AFCON 2021, Super Eagles ought to avoid repeating the same mistake.

Studying one’s opponent is something most teams do before clashing against each other. So, we can be sure that Ghanaians have already studied the Super Eagles. It would be ignorant to go to a new match with the same old strategy. Not to mean that it’s worthless, but it would work best alongside another one. Eguavoen’s strategy for his boys worked wonders, and it would do more if they get more prepared with a little twist. If the team is to add another victory in their history against their arc-rivals, the Black Stars, they need to give a better show by facing their nemesis from a different and unexpected approach. After all, football is all about surprises.