Joel Obi to Torino may finally fulfil Keshi's dream

The 24-year-old has endured scant involvement since breaking out in 2011, but his recent move to Torino could prove to be the tonic needed, both for the midfielder and for the n.

Torino’s calling card remains their great side of the 40s, managed by Ergi Erbstein. They won five straight Scudetti, and their run was halted only by the tragedy of Superga, which saw that entire golden team perish in a plane crash. It is a feat that crosstown rivals Juventus are on the verge of replicating, having won the last four Scudetti. As it stands, i Granata may be unable to do anything about it – they finished the season in 9th place, after all – but under Giampiero Ventura, one of Serie A’s better tactical minds, they play intriguing attacking football.
This is relevant to us because, this past week, Nigeria international Joel Obi completed a transfer to il Toro: €2.4 million on a four-year contract. It perhaps passed under the radar considering that Torino have not attained to that same level of success, but in the long run, this may prove to be the deal of the summer involving a Nigerian player.
The doughty 19-year-old who made his debut for the Super Eagles in 2011 has spent his entire career on the books on Inter, punctuated by an injury-riddled loan spell at now-liquidated Parma. The memory of that first year is now largely faded, but the promise glows dully in Nigerian hearts – this was a player who took on the international scene and the burden of the Super Eagles shirt with a swagger that warmed the cockles. Every touch was deft, every movement mesmeric, he was an accelerant all over the pitch, offering boundless energy but also guile in droves.

Obi | Set for a fresh start in Turin?

That he has failed to push on owes much to fitness troubles. Since debuting for Inter in the 2010/2011 season, this past season was his first without a major injury. Indeed, in the intervening five seasons, he has only completed a full 90 minutes six times in all competitions at club level. This is a devastating number; essentially five years of crucial development lost.
More than that, there was a greater loss to Nigeria in terms of style – the ability to control a game from deep. It is instructive to note the type of midfielder that has arisen in Joel Obi’s absence: Ogenyi Onazi, Fegor Ogude, Reuben Gabriel; all are physical, hard-tackling players, forever busy and buzzing, but unsuited to the sort of refinement and cerebral calm that the Torino man brings to proceedings.
His partnership with John Obi Mikel brought to the fore a technical double-pivot; the Chelsea man with his passing range and tempo-conduction, and Obi with mobility and skill in tight spaces. Their partnership coincided with some of the most prolific football in the national side recently – under Samson Siasia, the Super Eagles averaged over two goals a game.
This move to Torino represents a great opportunity for Joel. His game-time is sure to increase, this can only be good.
Ventura’s 3-5-2 also means the midfielder’s versatility can be exploited. He has frequently filled in as a wing-back at Inter, and with Matteo Darmian continually linked with a move away, that may be where he gets crucial minutes. For the most part though, he may find his greatest competition for game time in the form of highly-rated 21-year-old Marco Benassi, who has had a breakout season with il Granata. For that fee though, the club are well aware of what he brings, and will also have been intrigued that he produced his best Inter performance against bitter rivals Juventus in 2012.

Has the Nigeria midfielder finally found an environment well-suited to his undisputed talents?

The timing of the move is also quite opportune for the Super Eagles.
Ogenyi Onazi’s form had suffered over the last twelve months, and his sparse involvement with Lazio shows no sign of improving going into next term. Similarly, Mikel is at a career crossroads, and was dropped for the last qualifier against Chad by coach Stephen Keshi, ostensibly because he did not “need him”. Considering only one team goes through from the Afcon 2017 qualifying groups, and Egypt are in the same pool – this makes every game a must-win – in Keshi-speak, this was pretty damning.
The Big Boss has already stated his admiration for Joel Obi – a player who he revealed he wanted to build his team around – and was quick to include him in his preliminary World Cup squad, even with a questionable fitness level. If he hits the ground running with Torino, Keshi may finally get what he wanted all along; considering he has been big on rebuilding the Super Eagles, a fully-fit Joel Obi at the epicentre may prove the chief cornerstone.
The prognosis of greatness that followed those early displays for Nigeria has not been fulfilled, but it is encouraging that he has been able to maintain fitness for this last twelve months; perhaps the fever has broken, the tide has turned, and we might finally see the best of Joel Obi in Turin.

Sport 05:30