AFCON 2019: IHEANACHO, SUCCESS TOP NIGERIA’S MISSING XI

Isaac Success, left,is on the outside looking in as Nigeria head to Afcon

Gernot Rohr’s picked his squad and the Super Eagles are already in Egypt enjoying sunshine, water and beach while going through their paces as they prepare to make a run for a fourth African title.

For the second tournament in a row, there has been next to no complaint about the German’s squad selection, a far departure from what used to happen in the past. Is that due to a dearth of quality talents, or simply a consequence of Rohr’s consistency in squad selection?

No matter. There are still naturally some players who missed out of the 23 and we decided to draw up a sit of the Nigeria Best XI who did not take it into the squad.

Would any of these have made a significant difference? Is the squad poorer for the absence of any one of them? Who would they have replaced?

This list is limited to players who have been called up by Rohr, but feel free to suggest any outside of that

The Missing XI

GK: Theophilus Afelokhai

Enyimba’s first choice goalkeeper just edges Dele Ajiboye here. His firm grip on the top spot forced Ikechukwu Ezenwa to look elsewhere for first team football and he has just helped Enyimba to another title but failed to make it past Rohr’s standby list

RB Tyronne Ebuehi

Tyronne would arguably have been in the squad were it not for the ACL injury that he suffered at the World Cup in Russia. 

LB Bryan Idowu

Starting left back at the World Cup, Idowu has disappeared from the national team in just the same way as he dropped in, with little fanfare. His stock dropped gradually to the point where he was no longer a factor for Rohr.

CB: Stephen Eze

Title winner with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Eze has been called up by Rohr but there was little chance he was going to dislodge any of the current centrebacks. At least, not at this time

CB: Valentine Ozornwafor

One of the more recent call-ups to the Super Eagles, and an under 20 international from the recent World Cup, Ozornwafor like Eze stood next to no chance of dislodging the current group of centrebacks

MF: Mikel Agu

Long touted as one who could possibly claim one o the midfield roles as his own, Agu disappointed when he came on as an early sub prior to the World Cup His chances do not seem to have recovered. He was also named on the standby squad.

MF: Ogenyi Onazi

Onazi used to be one of the first Ames on the team sheet until a disastrous game against England in a pre-World Cup friendly. That cost him his starting place and he did not see action at all a the world Cup. There were reports of a falling out with Rohr, but his absence is mostly down to a long term injury that is currently recuperating from.

MF: Junior Ajayi

The Al Ahly star has only been called up a couple of times but was on the standby squad named by Rohr. 

FW: Kelechi Iheanacho

By far the biggest name on the list. A year ago, few would have dreamed this. But it is a sign of how low his stock has fallen that Iheanacho’s place in the squad has been taken up by two players whose combined senior caps can be counted on the fingers of one hand

Kelechi Iheanacho, right

FW: Simy Nwankwo

Nwankwo was expected to be the next great striker after his performances at Crotone, but he never quite hit it off with the Super Eagles despite making it to the World Cup.

FW: Isaac Success

England appears to be the grave of talented Nigeria junior internationals. Along with Iheanacho, Success was in that under 17 team which conquered the world and between them they were expected to rule the Eagles roost for a long time to come. 

Instead, both players find themselves out in the cold

Must be something in the water. . .

How will Isaac Success qualify for a work permit?

Last week, Nigeria junior international Isaac Success joined Watford from Granada as their club record signing.

It is a move that has been celebrated here in his home country. But one key question has been asked. How will he qualify for a work permit as he has yet to make a senior appearance for Nigeria.

Under the old rules, he would not qualify because he has not played for Nigeria's senior team at all. The rules require that he should have made at least 75% of appearances for Nigeria's senior team over the last two years.

But wait, Mikel Obi was in the same boat some 10 years ago and got a work permit. That's because there was a plan B: was an appeals process where the club would have to show that the player was an exceptional talent.

Those regulations have now changed. It is still a two-step process of either 1) automatic eligibility or 2) appeals, but is a bit more straightforward, especially in part two and harder to qualify

PART 1: AUTOMATIC ELIGIBILITY

Automatic eligibility will now be determined according to a national team’s ranking, as set out in the table below:

Official FIFA Ranking Required % of international matches over previous 24 months

FIFA 1-10                 30% and above

FIFA 11-20         45% and above

FIFA 21-30         60% and above

FIFA 31-50         75% and above

Based on the table above, Algeria (ranked 32), CIV (ranked 36), Ghana (ranked 37), Senegal (ranked 41), Egypt (ranked 45), Tunisia (ranked 47) and Cape Verde (ranked 49) are the only African countries whose players would automatically qualify for a work permit by virtue of playing the required percentage (75) of international matches over the last 2 years.

With Nigeria ranked 61, players would need to go the appeals route.

PART 2: APPEAL

If a player fails to meet the automatic criteria stated above, the club can request that an appeals body (called the Exceptions Panel) considers the player’s experience and value to decide whether the player should nonetheless be allowed to join the club. 

This new system is a little different from the old, as it is now a points-based system under which the panel will award points depending on the circumstances of the transfer.

Four points is the minimum threshold a player must meet for the panel to recommend approval for the application. Nonetheless, the panel can still reject the application even if four or more points are scored.

The table below shows how the scores are tallied 

If the player fails to meet the above points-based system review, there is a secondary system  under which if the player scores 5 points or more, the panel may recommend that an application is granted. 

Points can be scored if, for example, the player has played in the final qualification rounds of the Champions League, Europa League or the Copa Libertadores within the last 12 months and the player has played in 30% or more of the available domestic league minutes. 

There are also points for a player's country reaching the semifinal of the African Nations Cup or Asian Cup, for example.

The review at this stage is more flexible meaning that the panel can take into account the circumstances if no transfer fee is payable (perhaps because the player has reached the end of his contract) or if the player satisfies some but not all of the automatic criteria.

If the player fails to score 5 points or more, there is one final review stage during which further arguments can be made if there are extenuating circumstances that are beyond the control of the player or national association (for example, a long term injury or suspension that has prevented the player from appearing in the last year).

These changes to the FA's rules on non-EEA (European Economic Area) players playing in the UK was done in consultation with the Premier League, Football League, League Managers Association, Professional Footballers Association and Home Association.

Isaac would therefore qualify for a work permit by virtue of his transfer fee, wages and previously playing for a club in a top league.

The same would apply for Ahmed Musa if and when he joins Leicester City, as Nigeria's low FIFA ranking means Super Eagles players do not automatically qualify.