TheCable

So, you want to emulate Nwankwo Kanu and be a regular with the Super Eagles after you were the cynosure at the U-17 level?

Well, achieving that is not as easy as ABC but it can be mastered like the alphabet.

Here are tips for members of the current squad who know that life begins after 17.

Don’t be a goalkeeper

Dele Alampasu

Between 1985 and 2015 a period of 30 years none of Lucky Agbonsevafe (1985), Lemmy Isa (1987), Andrew Aikhuomogbe (1989), Emmanuel Okhenoboh (1993), Olusegun Adeyemi (1995), Akpan Bassey (2001), Ambrose Vanzekin (2003), Oladele Ajiboye (2007), and Dami Paul (2009) came close to being Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper.

First-choice goalkeeper? There were not even close to being third-choice!

The jury is still out on Dele Alampasu of the 2013 fame. He was on the bench when the Super Eagles played Congo DR and Cameroon in Belgium in October.

Akpan Udoh, please do not despair. If you are good enough, you are old enough to challenge Carl Ikeme and, erm, Alampasu for the goalkeeping position.

Don’t be the star of your set

Macauley Chrisantus

Victor Osimhen is good.

The prolific scorer equalled the long-standing FIFA U-17 World Cup scoring record of nine goals in a tournament following his goal in the 4-2 defeat of Mexico on Thursday.

The record was previously jointly held by Frenchman Florent Sinama Pongolle  and Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly  who were  top scorers at Trinidad & Tobago 2001 and Mexico 2011 respectively.

At the same Chile 2015 championship, Osimhen earlier achieved a rare feat of equalling the seven- goal scoring record by the likes of Nigeria’s Macauley Chrisantus (2007), Spain’s David (1997), Ghana’s Ismael Addo(1999) and  Sweden’s Valmir Berisha ( 2013).

With the final match yet to be played, Osimhen is one goal away from setting a new record of most goals in a single tournament at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Those are no guarantee of emulating Nwankwo Kanu and achieving wonders with the senior national team, though.

Even Kanu was not the star of the pack in 1993. Wilson Oruma, Pascal Ojigwe, and Peter Anosike will have a say in this. But we all know who “laughed out loud” with the Super Eagles eventually.

But then, we pray Osimhen avoids star-player “curse” which Philip Osondu, Pascal Ojigwe, Edward Anyamkygh, Promise Isaac, Macaulay Chrisantus, Stanley Okoro could not break.

Well, he’s a Victor!

Don’t win the Golden Ball or Shoe

Kelechi Iheanacho

Again this applies to Victor Osimhen.

Even if Mali shock Nigeria and win the tournament, Osimhen will end up winning the adidas Golden Shoe for the tournament highest goal scorer and thus equalling the feat achieved by Wilson Oruma in 1993 and Macaulay Chrisantus in 2007.

The tournament’s best player could also go to the Nigerian like it did in 1987 (Philip Osondu), 2009 (Sani Emmanuel) and 2013 (Kelechi Iheanacho).

We will excuse Iheanacho (for now) and to some extent Wilson Oruma. Others “ate their fame and had it” at the youth level.

Don’t play two U-17 championships

Chidiebere Nwakali

Before Chidiebere Nwakali, who was in 2013 squad and in this current set, brushes this aside, he should ask himself this question: What happened to the careers of Tonworimi Duere, Fatai Atere, Olusegun Fetuga, Lemmy Isa after their two stints at the FIFA U-17 World Cup?

At best they were referred to as “former youth international”.

We pray it won’t be Nwakali’s portion, though.

Don’t suffer from identity crisis  

Stanley Okoro aka Little Messi

Thankfully, none of Emmanuel Amuneke’s players is suffering from identity crises. But that couldn’t be said of one Kingsley Amuneke, his brother, who was part of the 1995 team that crashed out in the quarter-final stage after a 2-1 loss to Oman.

Sharing the same “predicament” is Johnson Oruma and Omonigho Temile.

No one is saying they made the team riding on the back of their surnames. No one can be accused of smelling a rat, either.

However, their crises are mild compared to the one faced by Richard Eromoigbe/John Akhimien, who played the U-17 World Cup in 2001, and Fortune Chukwudi, who captained the 2009 team. Their careers never picked up after suspicion aroused about their ages.

Thankfully, too, none of the players in this current squad have the burden of a “powerful” nickname weighing on their necks. Stanley Okoro aka Little Messi knows what we are saying!

Don’t be an average player  

This is the most important point. This is the shortest point. This is deliberate.

Google:

Nwankwo Kanu

Good luck!