The newly appointed Nigerian Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle seems to have found a way to end the unending search for another Jay Jay Okocha.

The mercurial midfielder changed the face of the Super Eagles midfield as soon as he arrived in the national team in 1993.

He was part of the team that won the AFCON tournament in Tunisia in 1994 after they defeated Zambia in the final. He played in 5 editions of the tournament.

Okocha was a member of the Dream Team that won gold at the Olympic Games in 1996, and he also played at three FIFA World Cups, 1994, 1998 and 2002, as per All Nigeria Soccer.

Since he retired from the national team in 2006, successive coaches have been unsuccessful in their search for a replacement. However, it seems the newly appointed Eric Chelle has found a way around the lack of a creative midfielder in the team.

Chelle to solve unending search for another Okocha?

The Malian tactician is said to be a proponent of a unique formation which does not require a special number ten.

Chelle likes to play a four-man backline, with two forwards upfront, while a special player takes the defensive midfield position.

The idea is to provide a numerical advantage in the middle that makes his team positionally superior to the opposing side.

Such a strategy eliminates the presence of the wings and concentrates on the central set-up.

According to Own Goal, this pattern is sometimes lower with fullbacks in 4-1-2-1-2 or higher with wingers in 3-1-2-1-3.

With this formation, a very creative player in the No.6 position is needed as he is responsible for retention and distribution.

This was visible in the Mali squad at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations where Chelle's team almost reached the semi-final.

According to Total Football Analysis, Mali were very strong in the middle, with Yves Bissouma, Mohamed Camara, Aliou Dieng, Amadou Haidara and Diadie Samassekou holding their place.

As Dieng moved forward, Camara remained deep, shifting slightly to the right, while Samassekou also provided cover.

Nigeria could benefit from this formation which would be a totally different strategy from what their opponents know.

The 2026 World Cup qualifiers return in March, with the Super Eagles taking a trip to Rwanda to face the Amavubi, before returning to Uyo to host Zimbabwe.