New Wall, old mortar

For much of football’s history, broadly speaking, attacking was about improvisation and defending was about structure. The lines have blurred quite a bit where the former is concerned, in no small part due to the rise of the positional game, but the aphorism remains half true: keeping out the enemy is, and probably always will be, a matter of collective application.

So it is that we speak of centre-back partnerships, the best of them being necessarily composed of individuals whose strengths may overlap but whose weaknesses must not. One proactive, the other reactive; one engages, the other contemplates; one Vincent Vega, the other Winston Wolf.

This is what made the pairing of William Troost-Ekong and Leon Balogun not only viable, but successful. Neither the most talented individually, their fusion forged the ‘Oyibo Wall’ that went through 2018 World Cup qualifying conceding just three times in five matches, and that in a group that featured Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia. Ekong, the eager but rudimentary aggressor with a point to prove; Balogun the composed but brittle ball player.

It can be easy to forget that, for all the acclaim that partnership accrued, it was only incumbent for (just) under three years (2016-2019), and even that was not an unbroken term: memorably, there was Gernot Rohr’s dalliance with a back three at the 2018 World Cup, a decision necessitated by a mass loss of form in the attacking ranks. Still, as always with situations that evoke nostalgia, the Oyibo Wall is magnified in the mind by the fact that the present pales in comparison.

The Super Eagles have largely struggled defensively following the fall of the Wall, be that in the twilight of the Rohr era, under Austin Eguavoen’s free-wheeling, Guardiola-alluding philosophy or for the bulk of Jose Peseiro-Finidi George tenure. Their run to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) may have been built on defensive solidity, but that was with an ultra-conservative outlook that featured a back five and only three nominal attackers.

Ekong would, justifiably, receive tournament MVP billing for his performances in Cote d’Ivoire, but the Batman to his Robin – Balogun – has not started Nigeria since the 2022 World Cup play-off against Ghana in March of the same year, and has only been capped once since then: a 20-minute cameo three months after.

This has led some to theorise that the Berlin-born defender has been blacklisted, presumably on account of his public criticism of the Nigeria Football Federation. While no one would put such pettiness beyond the NFF, Balogun has played for the national side eight times since. The simpler answer is probably the correct one: he is now 36 and has an injury record that makes the eyes water.

That said, with Eric Chelle now at the helm of the Super Eagles and unlikely to revisit a back three/five, there is now a growing sentiment that Balogun is due a return. It is easy to see why: four clean sheets in 10 matches is not egregious on the surface of it, but considering the opposition have chiefly been the likes of Rwanda and Benin, there is cause for concern. There is a less obvious reason, however: in the centre-back pairing dynamic, the aggressor profile is easier to replace than the contemplator.

Ekong, the pitbull of the Oyibo Wall, has already, for all intents and purposes, been replaced by Calvin Bassey, a younger, more aggressive, more gifted version. And, what’s worse: Ekong’s form has taken a noticeable nosedive since the AFCON, as he now looks a shell of the Ivorian Colossus that we bore witness to 13 months ago.

A legacy of moving to Saudi Arabia? Maybe. However, the most significant external change has been a decided and necessary shift away from Peseiro’s latter ideology (playing the margins is better suited both to knockout football than the round robin format of a qualification series and to Nigeria’s standing and qualitative advantage), specifically the comfort of that defence-first, back five system.

Where before he was stationed at the heart of a 3-man central defence, happy to police a smaller area and take both ball and boot if anything went past Bassey and Semi Ajayi, he is now required to lead a pairing with Bassey, essentially transitioning from one style/profile to another entirely. That dissonance is manifesting now in hesitation and incertitude, played up by his diminished physical capacity and always iffy technical fundamentals.

As such, it now seems that Balogun may be required to reprise his role as the calm head. It is a tempting proposition; one might even say, in light of the present circumstance, that it is a necessary recourse. If what he brings cannot be otherwise sourced, should it matter that he is 36? After all, Chelle's immediate brief is to qualify for the World Cup, after which all other things would be added unto him. He has hardly been asked to build a dynasty. And this is the senior national team – there are no age restrictions, so why hamstring yourself?

Though considerably nearer the end of his career than the start, Balogun has never relied on a burst of pace anyway. He also continues to play at a decent level at the top-end of the Scottish league with Rangers, and routinely competes well into the later rounds in Europe. There would also be the fillip of a prior understanding with Bassey from their time together at Ibrox even; there is a lot more going for the idea than against it.

It is by no means a perfect solution, but in the face of a lack of succession planning, Balogun is unfortunately both the hero Nigeria deserves and the one it needs right now. If the Super Eagles were to defy the odds and reach the 2026 World Cup, a further conversation would, naturally, need to be had. For now, in typical fashion, let it suffice for the can to be kicked down the road.