Retired Nigeria international central defender Sam Sodje has advised Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro to set up his team in a compact formation to nullify the opponents’ attacking threat if they are to stand a good chance of winning the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Peseiro is taking five players classed as central defenders to the tournament which kicks off in Ivory Coast next weekend, namely William Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, Chidozie Awaziem, Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi.
Since the appointment of Peseiro as Super Eagles coach in 2022, Bassey and Ajayi have been his preferred centre-back partnership, statistically speaking.
Sodje has urged Peseiro to opt for experience and physicality when choosing his starting centre-backs.
The former Brentford hero was careful not to categorically state his ideal centre-back partnership, but suggested that Troost-Ekong and Bassey should get the nod as he ran the rule over the five central defenders named on Nigeria’s roster.
Asked to comment on the Super Eagles best centre-back partnership, Sodje said, “When Awaziem first came, I was really, really happy that he would turn out to be a great defender but I don’t see his growth matching his potential.
“I’m not a big fan of Semi, the guy from West Brom but he’s a good player. Peseiro might have to go with a little bit of experience which is Troost-Ekong and the lad from Fulham, Bassey. He might go with that, that’s the best he can go with – a little bit of experience and strength.
“Omeruo is still there. I don’t want to talk about individuals; I want to talk about the defence as a whole. He needs to get them to defend as a team. The benchmark of winning any tournament which is not a league is a solid defence, compact team.
“I am not going to pick particular defenders. To go far, he needs the team to be compact to win the tournament.”
Nigeria, who are the team with the best squad depth at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, are aiming to win the tournament for the fourth time since
1980.
