World Cup snub: What's the way forward for Junior Lokosa?

World Cup snub is definitely not the end of the world for Kano Pillars goal machine, Junior Lokosa, as many might want to deem his Super Eagles future. But, one wrong step from here will ensure just that.




The moment Junior Lokosa was withdrawn against DR Congo - after 70 minutes of football, I knew that was it. It's over. Every avid follower of the Super Eagles under coach Gernot Rohr should know how the German works.

Lokosa to play out wide. We might not get to see his true quality, given he is a proper no.9. I think Rohr only called him to reward the lad for his heroics in the NPFL and also due to the intense pressure from the Nigerian media. It will take a miracle to see him play in Russia. https://t.co/nEueclrIKy

— Odiko Godwin™⚽ 🇳🇬 (@OdikoGodwin) May 28, 2018

Gernot Rohr has often reiterated that the players that will form a bulk of his World Cup squad, are players he worked with during the qualifiers. What that implies is that, the few spaces left are for those players he feel would bring something different to the team. Hence, Simy Nwankwo making the list.

But one might want to question why Lokosa was asked to play wide, in an unfamiliar position, given that he is a proper number nine. I am not making a case for coach Gernot Rohr, but I feel he already has Odion Ighalo as his first choice striker, and the likes of Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho are his second options for that role.

Simy Nwankwo is 6 ft 6 in, and none of Gernot Rohr's preferred options (from the qualifiers) in that role has that kind of height. So, he was definitely the 'something different' the German was looking for.

I am loving Simy already. The height. The skills. The movement. Reminds me of the legendary Nwankwo Kanu. #NGADRC

— Odiko Godwin™⚽ 🇳🇬 (@OdikoGodwin) May 28, 2018

I watched Simy play for Crotone, albeit, YouTube clips. And I saw him against DR Congo, the guy definitely brings another dimension to our attack. No surprise he will be on the plane to Russia when Gernot Rohr finally names his 23-man squad.

Simy is going to the World Cup. #NGADRC

— Odiko Godwin™⚽ 🇳🇬 (@OdikoGodwin) May 28, 2018

Junior Lokosa getting into the 30-man provisional squad and starting against DR Congo was just to reward the Kano Pillars goal poacher for his heroics in the league and nothing more.

Away from the paroxysm of weeping and wailing that has accompanied the Junior Lokosa World Cup snub, are steps to take to ensure missing Russia 2018 doesn't mean missing Qatar 2022.

If there is one player in that Super Eagles squad that should inspire Junior Lokosa, that player would be Ahmed Musa. The CSKA Moscow forward also came into limelight after a wonderful season with Kano Pillars, where he finished the season with a record 18 goals (at the time). Musa, like Lokosa was also invited by coach Lars Lagerback into the 30-man provisional list for the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa.

But, Musa one way or the other couldn't make the final list, though it was reported that he was left out of the Super Eagles' 30-man World Cup squad due to an ankle injury.

He moved on from that setback and went on to represent Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, scoring two beautiful goals against Lionel Messi's Argentina in the tournament. Ahmed Musa who was rejected in 2010 is now a mainstay in the current Super Eagles, and was even the captain of the team during Sunday Oliseh's brief stint as coach of the Super Eagles.

Junior Lokosa must put himself together, return to the Kano Pillars and finish what he has started. If possible stay with Pillars for one more season and prove to everyone that he is not a one-season-wonder. But, if he must leave Pillars after this season for greener pastures, then he must ensure he get himself into a league where he can be monitored and a club where he can improve and fine tune his game.

Lokosa must be careful not to allow greedy agents take him to obscure leagues where he won't be relevant anymore. My advice to him is this: finish the season with Kano Pillars, when better offers from clubs home and abroad come, he should sit and choose carefully  the club that can expose him to a larger and befitting audience, and the club must guarantee the forward of a place in their first team before signing the dotted lines.

Money alone shouldn't sway him, and influence his decisions. If he can get into a decent side in one of Europe's major leagues, and establish himself in a team there, then, his break from the Super Eagles won't last long or become something of an eternity. 

If he gets to put all modalities in place, the rejected Junior Lokosa today might become the first on the coach's list for Qatar 2022.



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