Eye on Russia 2018
Kunle Adewale
In 2009, then Inter Milan Manager, Jose Mourinho, noticed Joel Obi’s immense talent and played him occasionally in the first team. In 2010, even if without playing, he was registered for the club's 'A' list of players, who won the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich. With the arrival of Rafael Benitez in the summer 2010, Obi was kept in the first team and given his Champions League debut for Inter in a group stage game against Werder Bremen where he played the final 10 minutes of the match after coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute.
After some cameo appearances in the Italian Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana, injury came knocking and it was not until the 2012-13 season that Obi made another few appearances in the colours of the Nerrazzurri before he was sent on loan to Parma. His return to Inter two seasons later was not impressive, spending just a season before being shipped to Torino.
Since then, his career has been nagged by injuries. However, since the beginning of the season, Obi has shown signs of his old self which is what probably convinced the Gernot Rohr to invite him for two friendly matches against Poland and Serbia, perhaps for a first-hand assessment.
His invitation will come four years after his last call up to the national team, as his last game for the Super Eagles came in a friendly game in 2014 against Scotland.
While admitting that it will be tough breaking into the team with the calibre of players currently in the Super Eagles squad, the former Inter Milan and Parma player believes he has something to offer.
“There is good competition there (Super Eagles) and that’s what you want as a player. It’s only normal to have one eye on the World Cup. Every Nigerian player will want to get into that squad, but it’s based on merit. So, you’ll have to play well for your club and I’m doing that. I’ll focus on doing that, and then if I get the opportunity to play, it would be a dream come true,” Obi had said.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group D and will face Croatia at the Kaliningrad Stadium in their opening game on June 16th 2018, Iceland at the Volgograd Arena on June 22nd, and finally Argentina in their final group game on the 26th of June at the Saint Petersburg Stadium.
Obi believes the three time African champions stand a great chance of qualifying if they win their first game.
“We have a good team, but we need to build on our performance. All we need to do is to win our first game and we could be through to the next round.”
Former Nigeria international, Friday Ekpo says his invitation is a welcome development as he would be bringing his experience to the team.
“He’s a vastly experience player. But for injuries that has punctured obi’s career, he ought to be one of the leading top midfielders in Europe if not in the world by now. This is a world Cup year and everybody should be given a fair chance.
“For now, he seems to be injury free and enjoying his game. It is a good opportunity for the national team coaches to have a firsthand assessment of him and decide if he’s good enough or not. One thing I know for sure is that on his good day, and if he’s injury free, he would add value to the team and his vast experience would be a plus,” Ekpo said.
The former Inter man, now 26, is presumably at the peak of his physical powers, and has made nine appearances (eight of those starts) in all competitions for Torino this season, scoring three times and assisting twice. Then again, there has never been any uncertainty over his productivity and ability. What is rather less apparent is how consistently his skills can be harnessed.
This term, Joel Obi has already missed five weeks due to injury. In 2016/17, that number was 13. In 2015/16, it was 20. This is the tragedy at the very core of a wondrous talent, the thorn in his flesh as it were: to be eternally buffeted by muscular injuries.
Yet so great is his talent and range that, when fit, he is impossible to ignore, and this is true both for club and country. Following that initial stumble, the reboot of the national team did eventually happen under the late Stephen Keshi, and when he had secured a ticket to the 2014 World Cup, it was to Joel Obi he turned to, to improve the then African
ably though, just on the eve of the final squad announcement, he suffered yet another injury, drawing a long, plaintive sigh from all and sundry.
For former Super Eagles defensive midfielder, Waidi Akani, Obi’s condition would determine whether his invitation is not just another stint at the national camp or not.
“Of course, Gernot Rohr has not invited him for invitation sake; he must have definitely something in him that many are not seeing. Though Super Eagles midfield is not a department that the team is having much problem with, the German might be thinking using him in other areas. After all, he has been used as a defender for his Italian club at one point or the other. The coach may be thinking of exploring this area,” Akani said.
The former NEPA of Lagos player however emphasised that it was not yet Eldorado for the Torino midfielder; that what would really guarantee a place in the Super Eagles team is how well his body condition was.
“His talent has never been in doubt. He is one player I admire so much and sympathise with. The question has always been on his fitness,” he noted.
The 26-year-old has played in the Italian Serie A for Inter Milan, Parma and Torino. He has made a total of 15 appearances for the Super Eagles and is yet to register a goal.
Obi has made 105 league appearances in his seven years in Italy, since he jogged on to the San Siro pitch to replace Philippe Coutinho.