Anayo Iwuala: Scout Report

In the last 15 minutes of Nigeria's dead rubber qualifier against Benin the coach, Gernot Rohr, had seen enough. He gestured for a seemingly unknown person to get ready to come on. He would wait until the 81st minute till he was allowed to come on but in the little time in between, Anayo Iwuala's entire story would be littered all over Twitter with praise and excitement. 

He would give the ball away with his first 2 touches but the positivity and threat was immediate. As the game went by, his skill and control would become more evident. Plucking a long pass out of the sky and killing the ball as he trapped it and even a shot. It was a brief cameo. He was on the pitch for around quarter of the second half but Anayo showed exactly why he's built excitement.

Having just recently turned 22, Anayo Emmanuel Iwuala plays for Enyimba Football Club in Nigeria. The club that is the pride of Aba, a town where hard work and toil are deeply woven in it's fabric. He's been there for about 2 years and the diminutive yet stocky winger has been on the steady rise. He went from Kada City to Delta Force before joining the People's Elephant in 2019. Establishing himself in the first team and taking the league by storm. His last season was blighted by injuries but this year he has started the season with the team and has delivered.

Strengths

• Dribbling: Anayo is a wonderful dribbler. He starts most games on the left flank using his close control and sharp change of direction to cut back onto his stronger right leg and wiggle away from defenders. He's confident in his ability to get past anyone which is the an encouraging sign. His fearless is an asset to his team.

• Creativity: Anayo might not have wracked up assists numbers but watching his games you can see he has an eye for a pass. His preference are reverse passes into either an overlapping fullback or a striker running between the defenders, especially when he's cut inside into the left half space. The pass doesn't always come off (for example he tried one with his first touch for Nigeria that was intercepted) but the intention is obvious. His crossing is also a very good with either foot. So far in the CAF Champions League this season, he's 3 passes that lead directly to shots. 

The most impressive being this.

Iwuala receives the ball just inside the D, ahead of the penalty area which the centre backs behind but not tight to him and also his forward in the box.

With one of the centre backs stepping out to close him down, and the other still not being tight to the striker, he quickly reads the situation. Without hesitation, he plays a first time clipped pass into the path of his forward.

The ball is put on a plate with the perfect weight to finish it off but the striker prefers to cut back onto his left foot and squanders the chance. 

• Pace and athleticism: As a forward, Iwuala adds pace to his trickery. Able to push passed opponents, he uses his speed to get out of presses when there is space ahead. His explosive nature means he can sometimes go on rampaging runs from a standing start. 

Take this for instance, his goal vs Kano Pillars FC.

He receives the ball from a standing start out wide. And is quickly closed down by a defender. However, he simply shifts the ball and pushes it ahead running away from the defender.

Two more join in to close him down but he pushes it ahead of them leaving all 3 in his wake as he enters the penalty area. The defenders are forced to decide whether to tug on him for a penalty or let him go.

With noone ahead of him closing him down, he takes a touch and shoots and scores. Maybe the better decision would have been to play a low cross for his striker who would have had an open goal but on this occasion he scores from an impossible angle. 

• Ball Progression: Anayo is an extremely reliable progressor of the ball, always helping his team push forward. He does this by carrying more than passing before releasing to a teammate. He can evade defenders with deft touches while driving forward.

• Off the ball ability: Without the ball, the Enyimba forward is constantly looking to occupy the half space on the left or stay wide so as to either drag defender and disrupt team shape or receive the ball in dangerous areas. 

Other strengths include

• Set piece delivery

• Ability to draw fouls

Weaknesses

• Finishing: Anayo's finishing is poor without a doubt. He's managed just 2 goals in the league this season as a result of his poor finishing. He gets into good positions occasionally but squanders chances. He's shots lack precision and can be straight at the keeper but he's also guilty of picking the wrong type of finish or taking touches where unnecessary just delaying shots. To go to the next level he will need to develop this area of his game. 

• Decision making: Consistently making the right decision can be the key to unlocking any players true potential. That's an area the recently capped international can be found wanting. On occasion his confidence in his ability to beat defenders can lead him to take on one too many. As highlighted earlier, he can also make mistakes in picking the right passes.

• Fouls: While his build physically might suggest otherwise, Anayo can often be a little too theatrical when he's fouled. It's almost comic at times but his style of player means he would win fouls often. 

As a right footed left winger, there's a sense that he could be a lot more especially considering his skillset. His blend of pace, trickery and delivery would suggest he's, without a doubt, full of potential. His shooting let's him down or he would have made an ideal inside forward in the mould of Sadio Mane. He would benefit from playing a more defined role. Nevertheless, Anayo is full of bags of potential and just as excitement flooded the timeline for his debut, excitement surrounds his potential and the heights he could reach.