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Peter Odemwingie may have scored Nigeria 's crucial World
Cup goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Brazil, but the truth
is that his return to the side has been fairly muted.
The histrionics were (mercifully) kept to a minimum, but
Odemwingie often struggled to liven up an uninspired attack.
With young players on the horizon, should the veteran forward
retain his spot with the national side or, as has been
speculated, should he call time on his Eagles career?
The Old Ones are the Best
Osaze Odemwingie has stated he will consider his
international future, and it is widely expected that he will
announce his retirement from the national side following
the World Cup in Brazil. However, the Super Eagles would be
better served having him around for another year at least.
Odemwingie is now 33. We saw him at the World Cup, and it
was easy to glean that he still knows his way around a
football pitch. His instinctive finish
underneath Asmir Begovic highlighted a man-of-the-match
performance against Bosnia, incidentally Nigeria’s only win in
Brazil.
He shone as the team’s transition conduit, dropping deep to
receive the ball and playing quick passes on the turn, as well
sprinting into the middle to become a goal threat.
Even defensively, he showed the enthusiasm and application
of a younger player, manfully protecting Efe Ambrose. It was a
performance which rolled back the years.
Surely for him to end his international career now would be
Nigeria’s loss. He showed he still has a useful turn of pace,
unlike many his age. He is in very good condition physically,
contributes healthily to the group and his performances in the
second half of the last Premier League season with Stoke City
suggest he is not finished.
Of the World Cup contingent, Odemwingie is the closest the
Super Eagles have to a clinical centre-forward in the
eventuality of
Emmanuel Emenike’s unavailability. Uche Nwofor remains
untested at the highest level
and Shola Ameobi’s goalscoring record does not make for
good reading.
The only argument to be made for his retirement is his age.
Will Odemwingie fill Nigeria's experience vacuum?
At 33, there is no potential for further development. Why is
that not a major worry? As long as he is able to consistently
affect a game positively, his age remains merely a number.
The national team is a place for the very best a nation has to
offer. You cannot by any means exclude Odemwingie from
such a discussion.
He also brings to the table much-needed experience. Long-
standing captain Joseph Yobo has just announced his
retirement from the national team, and goalkeeper
Vincent Enyeama is said to be pondering something similar.
Add to this the fact that Odemwingie has a chance to have
one final crack at winning the Cup of Nations (he was absent
for the triumph in 2013), and the Super Eagles would have a
lethal striker with unfinished business.
We saw what a super-motivated Odemwingie is capable of
against Bosnia in Ciuaba.
How about an encore in Morocco next year?