Victor Moses has proven himself in the unfamiliar wingback role, but the Chelsea man reminded everyone of his quality further up the field as Nigeria demolished Cameroon.
Despite bringing in six players this summer, Antonio Conte will find it hard to juggle his squad until January. He just about has enough players to fill a matchday squad. Fortunately for him, Victor Moses used the international break to show that he could fill in as a winger for Chelsea should injuries strike.
Moses was part of the Nigeria starting eleven as they took on Cameroon in a vital World Cup qualifier. A tough battle was expected, but Nigeria blew their opponents away, winning 4-0. Moses, and former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, were the best performers as the Super Eagles took a big step towards Russia 2018.
After spending last season playing at wingback, Moses got the nod in a more advanced role for his country. He took advantage of the freedom further up the field, hitting the back of the net and setting up one as well.
Odion Ighalo gave Nigeria the lead, but Moses messed up an easy pass that would have doubled it. However, that would be his last mistake as he would soon deliver a corner that Mikel converted.
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In the second period, Nigeria were a severe threat on the counter-attack with Moses using his pace to drive them forward. Moses got Nigeria’s third with a neat right-footed finish from the edge of the box.
While his performance was incredibly important for Nigeria, it should also buoy Chelsea fans’ spirit. The club’s current wing options comprise of Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian. Despite initially being a winger, Moses has not really been considered an option in that role. Friday’s display, though, will remind Conte that he is ready and capable of stepping up if needed.
With Davide Zappacosta now in West London, Conte has opportunity to move Moses further up the field and start his Torino recruit. This could be an option in a big away game, for example, as Moses would provide more defensive cover in the wing position than the incumbents.
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The bottom line is that Conte will need to be creative or extremely lucky to get through to January. Moses has popped up at the right time to prove that he can genuinely be an option on the wing should a dreaded injury crisis strike.