Super Eagles’ African Cup exit

Nigeria’s Super Eagles were beaten 1-0 by the Pharaohs of Egypt in a crucial Group G clash at the Borg El Arab stadium in Alexandria last Tuesday. They will therefore miss the next Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in Gabon in February 2017. With Super Eagles’ defeat and with Chad’s withdrawal from the […]

Nigeria’s Super Eagles were beaten 1-0 by the Pharaohs of Egypt in a crucial Group G clash at the Borg El Arab stadium in Alexandria last Tuesday. They will therefore miss the next Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in Gabon in February 2017. With Super Eagles’ defeat and with Chad’s withdrawal from the qualifiers, Super Eagles would now have to watch the 2017 AFCON from the sidelines for the second time in a row, after winning the prestigious cup in 2013.
The Egyptians had forced Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in Kaduna the previous Friday, where the 25,000 capacity Ahmadu Bello Stadium was packed with 60,000 people. Eagles needed to win Tuesday’s game to stand a realistic chance of returning to AFCON after missing the 2015 edition. But the Pharaohs, who had missed the last three editions, mustered all they had to beat Nigeria and extend their lead to five points in Group G. This is Super Eagles’ second consecutive failure to qualify for AFCON and the third failure in four tournaments.  Nigerians have over the years watched the Super Eagles stumble and struggle to win matches hitherto won with consummate ease. At the core of Nigeria’s football problems is administration. What is needed is an intellectual forensic audit of the situation plus simple, clear, measurable and urgent prescriptions that will bring change.
The era of bickering over contract violation and in fighting by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials must end. It is unhealthy for soccer development in Nigeria and could destroy forever the kind of successful team that the nation desires. In the wake of calls for NFF President Amaju Pinnick to resign as well as calls for the dissolution of NFF’s Technical Committee, Minister of Youths and Sports Solomon Dalong has decried the lack of legislation on sports in Nigeria, saying the nation needs legal framework and backing as a way forward.
Minister Dalong has wisely said that we cannot be looking in one direction, that we must have to look at both sides of the coin to be able to assess the problem objectively. NFF President Amaju Pinnick, who attributed Nigeria’s loss to destiny, did not accept any responsibility for the loss. Rather he said it was unfair for anyone to demand for his resignation. He also said Coach Samson Siasia will return to the national Olympic team and that the next Super Eagles coach will be a foreigner.
We are running in circles on this matter. Previous experience showed that there is no foreign coach out there with a magic wand which guarantees success. Therefore, Nigeria must cultivate and encourage homegrown coaches who must be given a free hand to plan and execute their programs. As the 2018 World Cup draws near, it is very important to solve the Super Eagles’ coaching problem, hence NFF must provide a conducive environment for committed football players to perform. It should employ a world class coach that will guarantee success and happiness to Nigeria and not the opposite. In order to get the best from our players we must take into consideration their bonuses and welfare.
There is no excuse for our loss. We must have a change of attitude. Nigeria must look beyond 2018 World Cup by going back to the drawing board and produce a blueprint or program similar to what Germany did by selecting and nurturing young players for over a decade in order to achieve World Cup victory in 2014. Nigeria has the abundant talents to deliver on any ticket. Our participation in the African Cup of Nations finals would have provided brief moments of joyful celebration and plenty of psychological distraction from the prevailing national climate of gloom. Still, castigation is not it. We must continue to give our players the needed encouragement and support for them to continue to give their best to the nation in subsequent assignments.