New Super Eagles coach Finidi George will run with a 4-3-3 formation based on wing play and individual brilliance knowing full well that it is win or bust against South Africa tomorrow night in Uyo.
The Super Eagles hope a vital home win over Bafana Bafana of South Africa to get their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track after two drawn games in the opening rounds of the series.
Four months ago, when both teams clashed in the AFCON semifinal in Bouake, coach Jose Peseiro favoured the 3-4-3 formation that served him well right from the second group game against Cote d’Ivoire.
The 3-4-3 relied on hard work from the wing backs of Ola Aina and Zaidu Sanusi while Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon played mainly as inverted wingers.
Finidi will now prefer a flat back four with two defensive midfielders and an attacking midfielder behind the centre-forward, while the wingers will be the traditional wingers who have placed Nigeria on the football map.
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In March, he experimented with the 3-5-2 formation against Ghana and Mali with mixed results – victory over the Black Stars and a rare loss to the Eagles from Bamako.
The approach against Bafana Bafana tomorrow will also be different – while they stayed back and waited for the South Africans at the AFCON, they will come at them in Uyo.
But the new Super Eagles coach has often warned that it is great to attack, but you must also know when to defend your goal.
In addition, Finidi will count on the individual brilliance of players like Victor Boniface, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman to shoot down their guests in front of their fans.