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Diminished!
By Toyin | October 11, 2009
Tension, a very serious one for that matter didn’t allow me to preview the match between Nigeria and Mozambique. I just couldn’t calm down to do it as something kept telling me that it would be a very tough match for the Super Eagles. Luckily, I was able to reinforce this belief when a friend sent me a clip of the first leg in Maputo. I was baffled by our lack of fitness and mobility particularly from Mikel Obi. We were run ragged by our fitter hosts. Had the referee been the lily-livered type, we would have lost that match and of course forgotten about qualification for the world cup.
And as it panned out, we were outplayed by the Mozambicans right in our own stadium in Abuja. It took the tenacity of Osaze Odemwengie and doggedness of Obinna Nsofor to pick the maximum points. For most of the match, we played like a rudderless ship and punted long balls forward like fools. We couldn’t cope with the pace of our opponents and our lack of awareness was glaring throughout.
Now I couldn’t but wonder if this is the same Super Eagles of old! A team that is feared not only in Africa but in the whole world. The team that qualified for the world cup in USA in 1994, went on to the second round and narrowly lost to Italy due to some dubious officiating and got voted as the most entertaining team of the whole tournament is now at the mercy of teams like Mozambique and Tunisia. Our ‘Baba’ Eagles have turned into pawns in the hands of minnows and now we have to win matches with last gasp efforts.
I remember the good old days when teams who come to Nigeria get spanked left, right and center. The thought of playing the Super Eagles send trembling shocks through the spines of most countries in Africa. But that was until Angola came, saw and conquered in Kano and qualified in tow for the world cup in Germany!
We were bundled out of the ACN in Ghana in the quarterfinals after struggling to qualify from our group. We became the laughing stock of our West African neighbours. To them, we were no longer the Super Eagles, but super chickens. But they were comprehensively beaten in Warri on our way to the Japan-Korea world cup. Did I hear you say that was a long time ago? Indeed, what a massive difference time makes in the life of a nation!
Teams coming to Nigeria in the days of Rashidi Yekinni, Stephen Keshi, Sunday Oliseh, Emmanuel Amuneke, Finidi George, Daniel Amokachi, Mutiu Adepoju, Celestine Babayaro etc are sure to be beaten! Three points were usually foregone conclusions. What bordered us in those days was how many goals would be scored not whether we were going to win. We were that good but how things change!
As I watched us throw away our major opportunity to qualify for the world cup against Tunisia in Abuja, I instantly knew that we have become excluded from the top echelon of African football. Unless, only if we manage against all odds to make it to South Africa.
However, our fate is no longer in our hands. We are at the mercy of two countries to qualify. The first one is Tunisia. They have to allow themselves to be beaten for us to go to the land of the Mandiba. The second is the foes of today, Mozambique. They must play in such a way that the Carthage Eagles would have no choice but crumble in the last match of the qualifying rounds. Is this not precarious?
I don’t know of any ‘giant’ that gets in this type of difficult situation; depending on others for survival. Apart from Egypt and Morocco, Nigeria is the only major African country struggling to qualify for the world cup. Even Cameroon that started out stumbling have since put themselves together with a string of impressive results to now sit atop their group.
While it is possible for the Tunisians to fall in Maputo in the last match of this series, it is also possible that our Super Eagles could lose their tie against Kenya in Harare. If we had to huff and puff at home against Mozambique and Tunisia, I wonder how we would cope with the high altitude in Kenya. Whatever happens at the end of the day, it is very glaring that we are no longer a force to be reckoned with in African football!
Topics: Biz Football, Hot Stars, Cold Sands, Nigerian Football, Success Pills, Who Will Win |
October 13th, 2009 at 9:55 am
We are indeed dimishished!
October 15th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Our precarious situation is not UNDESERVED! We have always shown the least tendency for planning and preparation. Any wonder we are where we are currently?