Stephen Keshi singled out the Newcastle winger at his contract signing as one to watch. Just how justifiable is this claim and can he do much better than his brother?
Fielding questions at his contract signing, Stephen Keshi was acutely aware how thorny the issue of player selection is. It served as a banner of discontent in the dark final days of his previous tenure, as many fans of the team worried about a perceived lack of meritocracy.
So, quite apart from the burden to answer truthfully, the Big Boss was aware that any old name would not do. He has doubtless watched a number of players in the intervening period since his last game in charge of the Super Eagles: a 2-2 result in Uyo against South Africa that ended Nigeria’s Afcon 2015 qualifying hopes. Why then did he pick on Newcastle’s Sammy Ameobi as a person of interest?
In terms of league appearances in Europe’s top five leagues (by UEFA’s coefficients: La Liga, the English Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and Portuguese Primeira), only two Nigerian players have featured more – FC Koln’s Anthony Ujah (28) and Estoril’s Simeon Nwankwo (25) – than Ameobi (23). Factor in the fact that the Premier League is the world’s biggest league, both commercially and in terms of viewership, and it is clear the Big Boss weighted his choice cleverly.
However, is there more to consider about Ameobi than sheer number of appearances?
The 22-year-old is the younger brother of Shola Ameobi, whose Super Eagles career spanned a forgettable eighteen months following his continued dalliance over international allegiance.
Eventually he settled on Nigeria when it was clear he was never going to get an England call-up, but there was always a worry about whether he would be accepted.
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Nigerians are a passionate people, never between extremes; you are either loved or hated. However, with Ameobi, there was a deep, undeniable sense of ambivalence from the viewing public. He came, got his World Cup appearance, and promptly disappeared, his sole highlight a first-time flicked finish at Craven Cottage in a friendly against Italy.
Already though, Sammy has shown a disinclination with going down the same path. He cited the influence of his elder brother as a factor in his decision to represent Nigeria internationally, and with creditable performances in his breakout season, is set to deliver on his early career promise.
Ameobi is primarily a left-winger in the classic sense of the term, as opposed to a wide or inside forward. Possessing decent pace, his ability lies for the most part in his dribbling. According to WhoScored, the former England U21 averages two successful take-ons a game – only Remy Cabella (2.3) and Moussa Sissoko (2.4) manage more - not elite level but nonetheless surprising for a player his size (6’4”). However, he struggles with end-product.
He has shown he is a calm enough finisher, scoring moments after coming off the bench in October against Tottenham. The problem then is simply that he does not get into the right positions to be a threat. Incredibly, he is yet to be flagged offside this season; he is simply not taking the risk to get in-behind the opposition.
This would be understandable if he played as an old-style outside-left, beating his man and whipping crosses in; his numbers do not hold up there either: he completes a cross every two games, which is dismal. For context, he attempts 3.5 per game.
His passing from out wide is also not viable enough for him to be considered a creative presence. He completes 66.4% of his passes, which is the worst rate for outfield players in the entire Newcastle squad.
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It is not all bad for Sammy, admittedly. His dribbling statistics are already quite good; in addition he plays 0.9 key passes every game, mostly facilitating the overlapping full-back. This highlights a key area of strength for the 22-year-old, he is keen to link up with his full-back. Indeed, his dribbling is often employed, not as a direct offensive tool, but as a delay tactic, prompting an overlap on the outside. He is not the most prolific or eye-catching, but whoever is playing behind him in defence is certain to appreciate his presence.
To buttress this, his defensive contributions are very impressive for a forward player: he is the fifth-best tackler at St James’s Park, and the fourth-most prolific fouler. Expectedly, Ameobi is quite handy in the air, his height making him useful both in defending set-pieces and as an outlet for a more direct style of play.
With his work ethic and defensive awareness, it is no surprise that Keshi is interested in him; a coach who prioritises the collective and team harmony over raw ability is always going to hit it off with a player like Ameobi.
There is a lot of room for improvement for the youngster, as well as a lot of time to get there, but he is certainly set for a much more memorable international career than his elder brother managed.
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