The Super Eagles were on Sunday, January 23rd eliminated from the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon by Tunisia, at the second round of the competition.
Nigerians are still reeling from the shock of the ouster as many gave the team a chance of winning the biennial diadem for the fourth time.
The team’s journey to the diadem was full of uncertainties. The team’s erstwhile Technical Adviser, the Franco-German Gernot Rohr was sacked within a month of the competition.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) assigned the Head of its Technical Department and former Coach and Captain of the team, Augustine Eguavoen to tinker the team in a temporary capacity.
The association announced that it had hired Portuguese tactician, Jose Peseiro as the team’s new technical adviser to take over from Eguavoen after the AFCON.
Eguavoen started work and invited 28 players to the competition. Some of the invited players opted out for various reasons ranging from injuries, COVID 19 affliction, and reluctance of their various club sides to release them for the competition.
The team traveled to Cameroon as non-favorites and with the absence of two top stars: Victor Osimhen and Odion Ighalo.
If you are someone that enjoys sports betting in your spare time, keep an eye on this competition for some excitement. Football fans did not give the team chance of creating much impact, but on Jan.11 at the Roumde Adijia in Garoua, the team proved bookmakers wrong by outclassing Egypt 1-0.
The team’s classical performance stunned even the hardest of critics. It suddenly became favorites and by the time it equally defeated Sudan 2-0 in its second match of the group, the vision of a fourth triumph for the country suddenly appeared.
The team also demolished Guinea Bisaau 3-1 to emerge winners of group D with nine points, the only team in the competition to win a perfect record in the competition’s group stage.
The team was pitched against Tunisia in the round of 16. The North Africans qualified for that stage of the competition as one of the lucky third best placed teams in the group stages.
In fact, it amassed a paltry three points in contrast to the nine by the Eagles. To many Nigerians, the match was already concluded before it was even played.
The Eagles did not play with the same taste it played in the three previous matches. Its point man, the Nantes of France forward, Moses Simon was caged by the tactically aware Tunisians.
The team struggled all through the game to the bewilderment of its teeming fans across the globe. A cheeky goal conceded by its model-like goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye did the havoc.
The red card to Everton of England’s midfielder Alex Iwobi because of an unfortunate stamp on a Tunisian compounded its woes. At the end of 90 minutes, the Eagles were out of the competition, its worst outing in the competition since an unceremonious quarter-final exit at AFCON 2008 in Ghana.
Tongues have continued to wag since the ugly debacle with reasons for the ouster flying from all quarters. A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent sought the views of soccer fans in Ebonyi and the next step for the flagging, once giants of African football.
Hillary Ogbonna, Chief Coach of the newly formed Salt City Football Club of Abakaliki, blamed the players for being overconfident against the Tunisians but noted that it was time to forget the past and move forward.
“We cannot continue dwelling on the team’s elimination, but rather concentrate on the world cup qualifying play-off in March against perennial rivals Ghana. Augustine Eguavoen should be drafted back to the team to complete the job as a new coach will bring new ideas that the players would struggle to adapt to before they confront their West African neighbours.
“Eguavoen must have learned from his mistakes against Tunisia and should be trusted to get his tactics right in subsequent matches if re-engaged.
The players re-enacted the scenario of France 98 world cup when the Eagles were scheduled to meet Denmark in the second round, but looked down on the Danes, anticipating a potential quarter-final cracker against eventual runners up Brazil. The result was a “1-4 pummeling by the Danes,” he said.
Julian Ileagu, deceased Anambra State Environmental Sanitation Authority (ASESA) Warriors FC defender, urged the NFF to take immediate action on the appointment of a new coach for the team to avoid the usual fire brigade approach before the play-off with Ghana.
“We should do things differently for once and start early preparations for the match against Ghana. The preparations should begin with the immediate appointment of a substantive coach and not another interim arrangement.
“The new coach whether local or foreign should have enough time to review the team’s recent performances especially at the AFCON and evolve a strategy to correct the tactical deficit that was so evident in the infamous loss to Tunisia.
Ileagu urged the NFF to put in place arrangements to ensure that all squad starters are available for the game against Ghana, including those who were unavailable for AFCON.
“Nigerians would not forgive the NFF if the Eagles failed to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. The NFF must realize that not qualifying for the World Cup in October would be catastrophic for the country. He should do everything in his power to make sure the team beats Ghana.
“The NFF must engage in immediate consultation with the clubs of these Nigerian players and ensure that nothing stands in the way of their release for this very important game.
“Players should see the AFCON debacle as an eye opener and an opportunity for them to right all wrongs. They should use World Cup qualifying to show Nigerians that they are still the most vaunted Eagles, this which gave them joy and hope during the AFCON group stage and in the past.” They should see the World Cup tie as an opportunity to show the world that their performances in their different clubs were no accident.”
Chief Bethrand Okike, a timber trader and football fan, said it was time for national football authorities to search for local players who were always available when needed.
He said one of the factors that affected the Eagles’ AFCON performance was the late retirement of some key players and their replacement with new, unproven players.
“Former Super Eagles technical adviser Clemens Westerhof and Jo Bonfrere had local rescue teams that the Eagles relied on in an emergency. The goalkeeping department where the team lagged behind in Cameroon can be bolstered with local players.
“People like Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Ike Shorunmu and even the team’s current goalkeeper coach Aloysius Agu shone at home before going abroad. It’s time we looked inside to make sure the Eagles get back to their famous way of winning.”
Okike, however, advised the Eagles coaching staff to field Francis Uzoho in later games if he still wants to keep the foreign keeper in the squad. He said he would not join Maduka Okoye’s smears for his unconvincing AFCON performance but instead insisted that Uzoho had more experience than the other goalkeepers in the team.
“We all saw how calculated Uzoho was in the last group game against Guinea Bissau and how he handled tricky situations unlike Okoye.
“Uzoho has World Cup experience under his belt and in the World Cup play-offs, the country must do their best to avoid another heartbreak for the Nigerians.”
Mrs. Jane Mbaoma, a young activist and football enthusiast, has criticized the current condemnation of the team by football fans due to its lackluster performance at AFCON.
Mbaoma said the Nigerians should realize that it was the same team that delighted them in the group stage of the competition and the only team with a 100% record.
“Therefore, the team should not be reviled especially for the defeat against Tunisia but encouraged to beat Ghana in the tie-break. Fans need to regain confidence in the team to psychologically prepare the players for the task ahead.
“Nigerians should realize that football is unpredictable, and no team wins all the time. Twenty-four teams have qualified for this CAN, but there will be only one winner. The team needs our prayers and support, and this is the way to go,” he said.
(NAN)
