By Patrick Omorodion & Ime Bassey

On Wednesday in Kigali, Rwanda, Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, alias Big Boss will have his first real acid test as gaffer of the team since succeeding friend and former team mate, Samson Siasia.

Till date, the former Hawks of Togo handler has played three international friendlies mainly with what could be termed a second string of theEagles drawn wholly from home-based players plying their football trade in the Nigeria Premier League.

Stephen keshi

These friendlies include the Botswana tie at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State which ended in a barren draw, the 2-0 win over the Chipolopolo of Zambia at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna prior to the Zambians Africa Nations Cup triumph in Gabon earlier this month and the last against the Lone Star of Liberia in Monrovia which they also won 2-0.

So at the Stade Regional de Kigali Wednesday, a smaller arena to the earlier approved Amahoro Stadium, Keshi will begin his journey into the 2013 Africa Nations Cup, the first in odd number years after CAF changed from the even number years, the last being the just concluded one co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea-Gabon.

From the three friendlies decided, Keshi already has an idea of who among the home-based lads will make the final list of 22 players expected to jet out aboard a charter flight on Monday. He has reserved 11 slots for them after only extending invitations to 11 foreign-based players, including fornmer outcasts, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Sani Kaita, both of whom fans swore they don’t  want in the team anymore after their not too impressive roles at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

As he prepares to name the local boys for the battle today or tomorrow, the Illah-born gaffer is faced with two problems, one which he is already contending with, the hot weather they are expected to face in Kigali. He adjusted his training sessions to hold under the hot Abuja sun so the players will get used to it.

His other worry, which he says he has nothing to do about, is the short time he has to blend the foreign-based players with the local players who are already used to one another as the latest they can join the team is tomorrow or latest by Monday, the same day the team are expected to depart for Kigali.

However, as Keshi ponders on these ‘problems’, former image-maker of the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, Austin Mgbolu, who says that Rwanda will prove tough, has advised Keshi to dare the Kigali weather by fielding players who are ready to fight to the finish.

Speaking in Abuja during the week, Mgbolu advised that he uses more of the home-based players and a sprinkle of the foreign-based he knows will be able to stand the strong weather condition in Kigali since most of the Europe-based players will be coming in from the cold.

“We know the hostile weather (in Kigali) is a factor for him and his lads but I expect him to use more of the home players and a blend of the foreign ones who he knows are able to face the strong weather challenge. I know he knows that his reign and love by the fans starts from this game.

He has been able to put up a team that is gradually bringing back the good conduct and discipline a team should possess. I must say that the technical and tactical display of the team gives hope ahead of the tie. The only thing I saw lacking was the finishing of the attackers which I believe necessitated the invitation of more strikers for the game. The home Eagles have really shown a fighting spirit.

“The tie is a very crunchy one for him bearing in mind our last encounter there which was not palatable. Moreso, the ranting of their coach, sends a message that he has something up his sleeves which may pull down the Eagles,” Mgbolu said.