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On the way back to Lagos, after having qualified for the 2018 World Cup with a 1-0 win over Zambia, midfielder John Ogu sat in the airport lounge in Uyo, every bit his usual, boisterous self. There were a few unguarded moments, when a little bit of brooding appeared to escape the confinesof his cheer, but those were fleeting, almost non-existent. And there were more than enough reasons for him to brood, or at least to contemplate the seeming injustice of his situation at the time. Despite making his debut in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kenya in 2013, Ogu had only managed to accumulate a scant 14 appearances before the Zambia game in October. Even though he was blessed with the physique of a rampaging box-to-box midfielder, Ogu's drawback has largely been his languid style. With Ogenyi Onazi playing the terrier in midfield with support from Wilfred Ndidi, Ogu found it difficult to break into the side. But that is not what baffles about Ogu's situation. It's that other players have come in and skipped ahead of him in the pecking order. In that game against Zambia, Onazi suffered an early injury and had to be taken off. Nigeria fans were stunned to see coach Gernot Rohr call on Mikel Agu, rather than Ogu, to replace him. And they found vindication when Agu -- talented though he is -- picked up a yellow card within minutes of coming in and struggled all game long. Sitting at that airport lounge, cracking jokes with other players there, Ogu did not look to perturbed. In fact, he celebrated Alex Iwobi's winning goal on the day with as much, if not more, gusto as the rest of the team. For a player who has been consistently called up, who gives his all in every training session, does all that is asked of him, but last saw action on match day two of the World Cup qualifiers, Ogu was remarkably unperturbed. Asked about his continued exclusion from the starting team, and sometimes from the match day squad, Ogu stayed positive. "I love my country. I love coming to the national team and I want to play every game," he told KweséESPN. "But the coach is the one who takes the decision, and maybe he has his reasons. For me, I just have to keep working hard and waiting for my chance, and do my best when I am given the opportunity." That opportunity finally came in Nigeria's final group game, against Algeria. A combination of both Onazi and Agu being injured, and Rohr deciding to test out some of his fringe players, Ogu got his chance to start. A tidy, composed, and largely error-free display, where he screened the back four superbly might well have gone unnoticed. But then he had to go a score a belter of a goal. A poor clearance from a corner kick fell to him just outside the box. The Israel-based midfielder was allowed space and time. He accepted the gift, took his time, shaped up, and curled one of the finest efforts of the qualifiers into the Algerian net. That goal could well have won Nigeria the game but for a controversial penalty decision by the ref. But it mattered little. Before the game was over, Ogu was trending on Nigeria social media. That was little surprise really, considering Ogu is a very popular player with both fans and media.  Four days later, he was back in the starting line up against Argentina, helping the Super Eagles claim a stunning 4-2 victory over the South Americans. In typically modest fashion, his response was: "It can only be God. We give Him all the glory." Competition for places in the midfield will be fierce, and at 29, Ogu is well above Rohr's unofficial age threshold. He will be 30 and change by the time World Cup rolls around. That will be a stretch for Rohr, who will also have 31-year-old captain John Mikel Obi in the same midfield conversation. The good news for Ogu is that Rohr has consistently included him in the squad. Better news is that he has shown dedication and focus and humility despite his seeming travails. The best news? He has proved - on the green grass - that he can deliver when called upon.
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