BY DOUGLAS BAYE – OSAGIE

No one needs a reminder that the Super Eagles are in town – the paparazzi sessions, social media feeds, gossip blogs, radio and television stations are awash with all the happenings around the players and officials as they take to the field in Porto Novo this Saturday

To some of us who have almost religiously followed this team all our lives, there is the need to be cautiously optimistic about the outcome of both encounters.

With players from some of the best and competitive leagues in the world, the Super Eagles are always condemned to win every game they play in the African continent.

And to say Gernot Rohr has maximized the pool of talents in this team will be turning the truth on its head.

The last round of games in the AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone – a team ranked 116th in the FIFA rankings proved to all, how much this team under Rohr has failed to hit top gear.

Like a leaking roof, the Eagles failed to manage a four goal lead in Benin City against Sierra Leone and settled for a four all draw. The return leg in Freetown was a lacklustre goalless draw that resulted in large sections of the media questioning the capacity of Rohr to bring out the best in the players.

Nigeria must be weary of looking down on her less fancied neighbours who always save up so much energy for a fight.  Benin are on the verge of booking their place at next year’s continental showpiece

Michel Dussuyer’s men bounced back in style from an opening defeat to Nigeria, picking up seven points from the next nine available.

Speaking in a news conference on Monday, Dussuyer said his side has respect for Super Eagles but they will approach the game with everything they have.

“We have respect for Nigeria but we also have our assets. We will approach the game with a lot of seriousness and determination.

“We know what we have to do on Saturday our ambition is to win. It will not be an easy task. We have hopes,” he said.

The coaches of both teams are yet to win any silverware of note in their careers. Like Gernot Rohr who has handled Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso, Michel Dussuyer is a journeyman cum hustler in African football – with different stints as head coach of Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire and Benin Republic from 2002 till date.

They bring their organizational prowess and grind out results during qualifying games. It is in the tournament proper, where the acid test of their coaching credentials are scrutinized that they are found out.

In this Saturday’s game, Rohr has an extra advantage because of the avalanche of talents at his disposal.

The problem has been getting the best out of his players who seem to play very well for their clubs but fail to hit the same frequency on the green and white jerseys.

The big question again is: will this be the turning point?

Nigeria has been very predictable under Rohr, we must annoyingly admit. The coach has built his attacking strength on the strength of his wingers from the days of Victor Moses.

We have struggled to score goals and when goals eventually comes, we can’t defend it.

For an African team that can boast of strikers like Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Sam Chukwueze, Paul Onuachu, Ahmed Musa and Henry Onyekuru, goals shouldn’t be scarce because of the quality of players.

What the team lacks is the balance and formation to make the attackers score.

Coaches have known for a fact that to stop Nigeria, you must stop their wide players from running into the box.

The alternative, which is using your central midfield players to open up pocket of spaces through the middle, is limited due to the formation that is played. In a 4-3-3 formation, the attacking midfield player is the spine of the team and must have the ability to go pass players in a sublime manner.

Joe Aribo looks like the only natural playmaker in the team but he looked terribly out of place, in physicality and chemistry in the double header against Sierra Leone.

African football is still a learning curve for Joe Aribo, a player who will come well with time.

If and only if Alex Iwobi can be more consistent, we might have solved some of the problems of the present Super Eagles.

When France won the World Cup in 98 and Euro Cup in 2000, they had a Youri Djorkaeff taking playmaking responsibilities from Zidane when the opponents closed the great Zidane up.

 I believe the strikers in this team will enjoy a smooth operator like Kelechi Nwakali whose absence in the team is largely dependent on getting a descent club and playing regularly.

His buddies at U17 level, Osimhen and Chukwueze are the biggest players in the National team at the moment and it can be said that he was the best player when Nigeria won the U17 world cup in Chile 2015.

The midfield duo of Ndidi and Etebo are very solid defensively and can provide a good cover but seem to do more than necessary on the National team colours. Making sure they keep to their functions of breaking play, mopping up and playing out from the back will help the team function efficiently.

Benin are undefeated at home in more than eight years, showing the herculean nature of the task facing the Super Eagles will be facing. Nigeria have struggled in defence in recent years, suggesting that goals could be scored at both ends.

With qualifications almost a foregone conclusion, except a monumental capitulation takes place, Nigeria will be playing for pride.  We expect that a game against our “little” neighbour’s will be taken very seriously

How much are the Super Eagles players ready to be at their very best? Will the coach be brave enough to start some players who haven’t had a chance to prove a point? Will this be the turning point? A victory in Cotonou will serve as a tonic with the Super Eagles expected back in Lagos to play Lesotho ?? after almost a decade away from the cathedral 0f Nigerian football.

• Douglas writes from Abuja