By Onochie Anibeze, Just back from Kigali
Militi Mitchio, the Serbian coach of Rwanda,  said after the match in Kigali that Nigeria’s central defender, homeboy Azubuike Egwuekwe surprised him and that Rangers’ left midfielder Ejike Uzoenyi took their team unawares throughout the match.

He repeatedly asked where Coach Stephen Keshi got the boys from.

Militi who has been in Africa for about 14 years gave a good account of his knowledge of Nigerian players and he prepared on how to dislodge them in the match.

There were players he expected to feature in the positions Keshi fielded  some local players he never saw before Wednesday’s match. He  prepared for the match with clips on the style of Nigerian players and planned how to tackle everyone including defenders.

He probably expected the likes of Ambrose Efe on the right back and possibly Adeleye to pair Joseph Yobo in the central defence. He worked on that possibility but when Azubike,  tall with good frame for a central defender, went hard on his players, won almost all aerial balls and even went up front for possible headers, Militchio kept asking, after the match,  where Nigeria got him from.

He paid same respect to Godfrey Itama, the right back whose brilliant play surprised even the Nigerian officials in Rwanda. He seems ready to earn such high reputation as Sylvanus Okpala, interestingly one of his coaches, David Adiele and Austin Eguavoen did in that position for Eagles of their time.  Godfrey is a player to watch in Nigeria.

“Your team is good. I worked hard to clip them.  You shouldn’t  be hard on your players because I worked on them. But that your shot man on the left (Ejike) took us unawares. He took us by surprise.  We didn’t know him. So is that your central defender. We expected another person to pair with Yobo.

That boy (Azubike) was something else in the team. And your right back (Godfrey) was superb. Where did you get them from? I think that your coaches have done well with these local players. What great and young players that they are. They took us by surprise.”

On the return leg in June he said “ We hope to do well when we come in June. It may be difficult but who knows? If we get a score draw Nigeria is out. I was happy it ended in a scoreless draw here.”