Playing Style: Experiment Mode!

I t might take some time before we see a regular starting XI for the Indomitable Lions. Head Coach David Pagou is still experimenting with his game plan. In the matches against Comoros, Congo and Côte d’Ivoire, the coach reshuffled his starting line-up each time as he tried new combinations in different areas of the pitch. Against Comoros and Congo, he used what could be described as his usual 3-5-2 system. Pundits are of the opinion that this setup rarely works for the Lions. It was perhaps against this backdrop that he adopted a dif­ ferent approach against Côte d’Ivoire, which evidently produced better re­ sults. He switched to what could be described as a 4-2-3-1 system, prio­ ritising defensive solidity while also creating room for stronger attacking moves. Away from the schemes, his choices, particularly for the game against Congo, sparked debate, as the team lacked the necessary cohesion to secure a positive result. Having lost his main central attacker, Christian Kofane to injury after the game against Comoros, the Coach decided to deploy Danny Namaso and Bryan Mbeumo as central attackers: a move that was heavily criticised. He was also questioned for leaving Moha­ madou Nagida on the bench before introducing him in the second half. Speaking at the post-match press conference, he said, “This group needs to be refined; it needs to be improved. It’s up to us to find the right balance and keep working so that this group becomes really co­ hesive.” But to attain this cohesion, some pundits think that Head Coach Pagou...