Edun Quadri, a forward thinking right-back is another young prospect from G12 who is set to hit the world by storm
Throughout the years it has been fairly easy to point out undisputed good class players for every position in the pitch. Naturally, this select lot evolves and mutates with time, with new talents and good players affirming themselves as worldwide sensations. Although this process is inevitable, it tends to be gradual. But what we are witnessing, in my opinion, with right backs (and left backs if I might add) is a sudden lack of acknowledged and praised players.
There is, nonetheless, a whole group of right backs who have already proven their talents and consistency and start to “fight” for the same eternal recognition only a few players are granted by football fans of all ages and places in Nigeria. This article aims to present a Nigerian right back.
The Making of Edun Quadri
The Nigerian right back was born in Lagos, on the 27th April 2003. Soon enough, he drew the attention of many first and second tier clubs’ scouts and proposals started to arrive to his guardians. G12 Football Club beat the rest of the competition. Edun made his way up through all the youth levels of the academy, as he showed the maturity and progression that distinguished him from his fellow teammates. Already at the time, he showed a tactical versatility which would be one of his main features as a player, displaying the same amount of competence as a right back or a central defender.
Edun was in action for Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup in Brazil.
What are his Strengths?
The 18-year-old does not shy away from being a modern, offensive right back as contemporary football, mainly in dominating sides, requires. His attributes certainly favour this style of play.
For starters, he shows outstanding pace, as anyone will certainly realize instantly on seeing him play. He shows good technical qualities and impressive agility. All of this contributes to his quick and swift style whether with or without the ball. His sprints with the ball down the side of the pitch delight any football fan. Instead of revealing technical virtuosity or an outstanding dribbling aptitude, Edun benefits from great ability in shifting direction and speed and a remarkable ball control to impose his style of play, which favours 1-2 combinations with wingers or center midfielders and a almost natural tendency to search the end line to put crosses in the area, revealing great capacity in those movements as well.
The way he uses his characteristics as a defender is definitely influenced by the style patented by G12’s academy. The Lagos-based club favours potent and vertical football, instilling these commandments in their youngsters from an early stage of their evolution, developing their composure, speed and offensive mentality. This straightforward mentality is not very usual in today’s football, but is most certainly present in Edun’s style of play.
The former Golden Eaglets defender has his defensive merits as well. He displays a generous tackling capacity and a physical structure. His pace and composure that favour him offensively also benefit him in the defensive process, mainly in transitions.
What are his Weaknesses?
Edun’s main weakness must be his concentration, which becomes the most visible in his defensive performance, not in attack-defence transitions but in a more positional sense of the concept. This constitutes a clear handicap, mostly because of his natural abilities in terms of tackling and composure that we have discussed above. It is not a question of basic qualities that he needs to improve or acquire, but instead a constant predisposition to use them regularly and without negative intervals that might compromise his contribution to his side.
It will be crucial for the full-back to improve his positioning and tactical grasp of every defensive nuance that his position entails.
Conclusion
In spite of this, I have to recognize Edun Quadri does not reveal many weaknesses and has the full potential to join the lot of right backs capable of making football history. It is just a matter of using his attributes and all he has learned since G12 to further become a defender not just of offensive prowess but of defensive stability as well.
