World champions, Germany, showed their class once again as they defeated Chile 1-0 to clinch the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup on Sunday.
The quadrennial tournament which serves as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup was certainly a worthwhile experience for the eight participants.
But what can the Super Eagles learn from the competition? Here are four.
- Experience counts for nothing
There’s always a notion that experience matters the most in football. Indeed, it is essential but not the prerequisite for success. Germany proved that by storming Russia with an incredibly young team, yet still knocked out all other sides including an ageing Chile side. Gernot Rohr can take a leaf from the Die Mannschaft by giving youth more preference over the old guards in the Super Eagles.
- Domestic players deserve more
Bar Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain) and Marc-André Ter Stegen (Barcelona), all other members of the triumphant German team play their club football in the Bundesliga. But this isn’t the case with the Super Eagles who seem to have prioritised the foreign-based players. Going forward, more of local lads should be giving a look by Rohr if the country is to stand any chance of winning laurels like the Germans.
- Big names don’t win games
On paper, everyone thought Germany wasn’t going to excel in Russia due to the absence of their senior players. Rather Chile and Portugal, which flaunted super heavyweight players, were the ones tipped to nick the title. But against all odds, the boys from Deutschland prevailed. Their success story should serve as an eye-opener to Nigerian coaches, who appear to be blinded by the pedigree of players.
- Form over class
A bulk of the Super Eagles team that lost 0-2 to South Africa last month were either recovering from injury or entirely off form. Yet, they still got the nod ahead of the fit and in-form ones. But if Rohr’s team is aiming to emulate the Germans then players should be considered based on the latter.
