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Last ISL season Bartholomew Ogbeche only got eight starts for eventual champions Mumbai City FC. Although he would go on to score eight goals and provide three assists, his role in the side was majorly limited to making an impact off the bench.
Turning 37 ahead of the ongoing season, many felt Ogbeche was past his prime. However, Hyderabad FC and head coach Manuel Marquez Roca put their trust in the Nigerian forward.
Now, after the first five games of the 2021-22 ISL season, Ogbeche is the joint top-scorer with five goals. As a player who isn't getting any younger or turning any faster, how is he managing to outdo defenders at the top of their game?
Ogbeche clearly has a sharp footballing brain. Having made his FIFA World Cup debut at the age of 17, he has adapted to the changing game even as he aged, upping his technical aspects to outwit defenders.
Bert Ogbeche and his movement off the ball
Let's take a look at Ogbeche's first goal of the season. When Aniket Jadhav darts into the opposition box with the ball, rather than making a run into the first post, Ogbeche drifts wide near the edge of the box behind the defenders.
If the 37-year-old had opted to make a front-post run then Jadhav would've had a hard time getting the ball past the two on-rushing defenders and onto the Nigerian's path. But with his movement and positioning, Ogbeche managed to take the five defenders in the box. The outcome? You already know. Ogbeche calmly receives the ball and slots it home past Mohammad Nawaz.
Last night, Ogbeche scored a brace in the 5-1 rout of NorthEast United. While his second goal, a 25-yard stunner, grabbed the headlines, it was the first that Ogbeche himself was impressed with.
It might appear to be a regulation finish, but Ogbeche's understanding of football was on display during the entire build-up. In the first image, Edu Garcia is seen carrying the ball from deep. Ogbeche is miles behind his marker.
Cut to the second image. As Garcia hooves the ball upfield for a delightful long pass, Ogbeche has already predicted the trajectory of the ball and has caught up with his marker, who is still watching the ball. What follows is a classic finish from the Nigerian as he latches on to the ball before his marker.
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Bert Ogbeche's season so far by numbers
While we talked a lot about Ogbeche's movement off the ball, what remains to be addressed is his clinical finishing. The Nigerian has scored consecutively in his last four matches.
Yet, in the post-match presentation last night, Ogbeche said: “I am happy to raise the bar. I think we should do better. We need to demand more from ourselves and we can improve."
The quality of a top striker is the hunger for goals and Ogbeche clearly shows why he falls into that category. His willingness to improve both individually and along with the ISL team has helped Hyderabad up their game and gallop to second place in the ISL points table.
This season, Ogbeche has taken 13 shots and five of them have ended in the back of the net, which makes his conversion rate an impressive 38%. While his success rate could well drop as the season progresses, Ogbeche's form deserves recognition.
So does Hyderabad and Marquez's belief in the man. The Nizams placed their trust in Ogbeche when very few did, and are reaping the rewards.
