DEBATE: Should the Chelsea forward return to the starting XI for the crucial Group F match, or should Babatunde retain his spot?

DEBATE
By James Ezimoha & Solace Chukwu

Stephen Keshi pulled a surprise with his team selection for Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Big Boss dropped Victor Moses, one of the team’s high-profile players and replaced him with Michael Babatunde.

The FC Volyn Lutsk man hadn’t made much of an impact for the Super Eagles before this summer and was a surprise inclusion in the final squad of 23.

He impressed, however, against Bosnia, delivering an efficient, measured performance and providing the midfield with balance. Next up are Argentina, and Nigeria have the opportunity to return to the last 16 for the first time since 1998.

Two of Goal Nigeria’s writers debate whether Babatunde should retain his spot in the first XI, or whether Moses should return to the team.

Moses is out of form – Babatunde should keep his place

By Solace Chukwu

Momentum is an important thing in football. Class may be permanent, but in World Cups it is form that often makes the difference.

For this reason, it would be a huge mistake for Victor Moses to return to the Super Eagles starting XI against Argentina.

The mercurial winger was horribly off the pace against Iran. So negligible was his impact that he only touched the ball 16 times and played six passes in 52 minutes.

Following Nigeria’s struggles in the opening group game, Stephen Keshi turned to a virtual unknown in Michael Babtunde – whose experience in the national side comprised of four anonymous appearances.

It was a tremendous show of faith in the 21-year-old, but he repaid it several times over. Confident on the ball and drifting intelligently out to the flanks to maintain width when the wingers moved into central positions, Babatunde exuded calm. He grew into a more direct goal threat in the second half, twice drawing saves from Asmir Begovic.

Dropping Moses was a big statement. But he had been running on auto-pilot, safe with his status as one of Keshi’s ‘undroppables’. This was to serve as a shock to the system required to get him motivated again.

So, has the lesson been learnt? There’s only one way to find out: play him.

However, consider the stakes here. The Super Eagles are not qualified yet, and travel to Porto Alegre on Wednesday needing a point to guarantee progression. Surely it is more of a risk restoring Moses – a player who spent virtually the entire league season on the bench?

The correct call is to retain Babatunde.

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Argentina are not Bosnia – Moses must return

By James Ezimoha

Congratulations to Michael Babatunde for delivering a fantastic performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, there is a big difference between starring versus Bosnia and then doing the same against Argentina.

Despite having a poor game against Iran in the first match, as the entire Nigeria team did, Victor Moses’ importance to the team cannot be questioned.

Time and again, the Chelsea man has almost single-handedly dragged the Super Eagles to victory, scoring and assisting vital goals.

This is the man who delivered Nigeria the African Cup of Nations 2013 and took them through the rigours of World Cup qualification.

In every area of the game – bar defending – Victor Moses outshines Babatunde.

Particularly in the final third. Even against Bosnia, Babatunde’s decision-making in and around the opposition box let him down so many times. He seldom took responsibility for attacks, opting to play safe. This attitude won’t get you very far at the World Cup.

On the other hand, Moses takes delight in driving at defenders, and almost always carries the attacking threat for the Eagles. So why would you leave such a player on the bench? A player who, unlike few others, has the experience of playing on the biggest stage against the best opponents.

Argentina are not Bosnia.

Babatunde is not Moses.

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Should Moses or Babatunde start against Argentina? Comment below and let us know.

The Spaniard, who manages Merseyside club Everton, believes the Liverpool forward must take steps to contain his temper after his bite overshadowed the World Cup action

Everton boss Roberto Martinez has criticised Luis Suarez following his apparent bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini and believes the Uruguayan needs professional help following his latest controversy.

The Liverpool striker seemed to sink his teeth into the Juventus centre-back in Tuesday’s decisive World Cup Group D clash, the third such incident involving Suarez, who has previously bitten PSV’s Otman Bakkal and Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, receiving seven and 10-match bans respectively.

And while Martinez was full of praise for the 27-year-old’s footballing ability, he was scathing in his assessment of Suarez’s conduct and believes he should seek help to control his volatility.

“There is no doubt about the talent and the quality he has,” said the Spanish coach while working as a pundit for ESPN. “He can win games single-handedly and he has that focus and mentality that he can get back from a situation [the surgery that preceded the tournament].

“But the behaviour, I just seriously think that he needs help. If you cannot control yourself in those moments, then he needs some sort of help, because that is just unacceptable on a football pitch.”

Martinez, a Merseyside rival of Suarez, was dumbfounded that Suarez could bite another player for a third time and believes he has betrayed his status as a role model and overshadowed various sub-plots from Tuesday’s World Cup action.

“This is a behaviour that has happened already two times and Luis Suarez, as wonderful a footballer as he is, he’s been banned twice [for the same offence],” the former Wigan boss continued.

“He [has] such a controversial way of behaving on a football pitch that you see it again and everyone feels upset.

“We can’t celebrate, we can’t talk about what Uruguay did, we can’t talk about why Mario Balotelli didn’t come on in the second half. These are big talking points.

“[Instead] it is about how Luis Suarez is allowed to play the game without carrying that responsibility you have as a player, being a role model for the younger generation. You cannot justify it.”
 

Former Reds stars Dean Saunders and Ian Callaghan are expecting harsh sanctions for the Uruguay striker but expect the Reds to support him after his World Cup biting incident

EXCLUSIVE
By Russell Stoddart

Former Liverpool players Dean Saunders and Ian Callaghan have condemned Luis Suarez following accusations he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini but remain convinced that the Anfield club will support their star striker.

Controversy struck during the second half of Tuesday’s World Cup Group D decider, as Suarez appeared to bite Chiellini as both players jostled for possession of the ball shortly before Uruguay’s winning goal.

Suarez is now facing disciplinary action from Fifa and Saunders is adamant that the PFA Player of the Year should not escape a ban for his actions.

He told Goal: “Suarez should be banned for what he did. You simply can’t do that and expect to get away with it.

“I feel for Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers in particular who stood by him after he was given a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.

“The club was under a lot of pressure to sell him but they gave him another chance and he rewarded them with some brilliant performances last season.

“I don’t know if the football authorities will want to make an example of him after this latest incident and extend any ban to cover all forms of football. I hope that is not the case because Liverpool don’t deserve that.”

Record appearance holder for Liverpool, Callaghan, meanwhile, is also hoping that Suarez’s actions will not affect the Reds, where a ban extending to the Premier League could potentially see him miss a large chunk of the 2014-15 campaign, if not more.

“It doesn’t look good for Suarez and I fear the worst for him,” Callaghan told Goal.

“He is a phenomenal player but there is clearly something in his make-up that makes him do stupid things.

“I played professional football for 20 years and never saw a player bite another, but he’s done it three times now, I don’t understand it.

“I’m not sure of the rules but any ban should be for his country first and last. It should not impact on Liverpool who got him to behave impeccably when he returned from his ban last season.

“He scooped all the player of the year awards and although he won it because of his goals, part of the reason was that he had seemed to sort his head out.

“I’m sure everyone at Liverpool will stand by him because of what he has achieved for the club but no one at Liverpool will condone behaviour like this. It is unforgivable even if you are a player out of this world.”