By Saheed Afolabi
Saturday’s showing against Mozambique was another classy performance by the defender, and the full back has the potential to become one of the best of his generation. He was named man of the match for the second time in three days.
To the casual football fan, it may have come as little surprise that the Flying Eagles were able to overcome Mozambique in Saturday’s final group game to seal their quarter-final place at the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Solomon Agbalaka popped up with the winner against Egypt and provided an assist in the 2-0 win over Mozambique.
Agbalaka ticks the fundamentals for a fullback in this era: good on the ball, can play under pressure and can affect the game higher up the field. The utility footballer has played in possession based sides in his career, which has shaped his understanding in the game. In teams like Broad City, MFM FC and 36 Lion, the fullbacks are constantly moving on the pitch: either keeping width near the touchline or drifting into central areas to create space.
He excels at these; he has very good feet and is a skilled dribbler; and is very good at retaining the ball and receiving passes. He’s a technically gifted player, the ball sticks to his feet anytime he receives it.
Though the TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations tournament is just one-week-old, it seems as though Agbalaka has improved greatly over the course of just three games.
The defender who has received quality football education from Broad City and 36 Lion still has time on his side to improve on this, and add to an already very promising set of skills.
With the World Cup ticket still on the radar of the Flying Eagles, they have shown that the future is indeed bright for Nigeria.
