The theory of organised chaos is what the Super Eagles need to break through the ceiling at Russia 2018.
Inexperienced, young, and lacking in some technical organisation would define the present set of Super Eagles under Gernot Rohr.
The Collins English Dictionary defines organised chaos as “complex situation or process that appears chaotic while having enough order to achieve progress or goals. Football, by its very nature, is organized chaos and a nightmare to keep under control.”
Though Javier Mascherano must have meant describing the Super Eagles as a disorganised set of players as a jibe, the Eagles must take it as a compliment!
“And Nigeria are quite well known to us, we’ve always met in the last World Cups. They’re tough, not just because of their physical power, but because their disorganisation has the effect of disorganising you as a rival. And that’s when teams like ours suffer the most – in disorder,” Mascherano said.
The only time the Eagles have beaten Brazil and Argentina was at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and that was organised chaos. No structure, no positional rigidity – the players were just united in their mission to get the best result, even from a seemingly prostate position.
Down 3-1 to Brazil and the Samba men coasting, the Eagles unleashed organised chaos that left the Brazilians floundering and clueless on how to combat that chaos.
The golden goal by Nwankwo Kanu was the cherry on the cake. At the 1989 under-21 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia, Nduka Ugbade led a group of players that did not intrinsically understand positioning and overturned a 4-0 deficit to the USSR.
Former Ghana coach, Otto Pfister believes the Eagles must be calmer if they are to achieve their goals in Russia. ”Nigeria also has a chance to surprise some people but they aren’t calm, they are too emotional and they overestimate themselves,” Pfister told Deutsche Welle’s Kick Off,” he has said.
”They think they will win the World Cup, but they’re too hot-blooded for that.” To which I will reply – ignore Pfister, what cannot be visualised cannot be achieved. Having put in the hard work in preparation, the mind must now be strengthened with the resolve to conquer. #SoarSuperEagles!
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