Super Eagles, this is your chance

Of course, there has never been any doubt that football is a big issue in Nigeria and with Nigerians. Every now and then, local and international analysts and commentators underscore this fact. And we see it in the passion and frenzy that go with international games involving any of the National Teams.We experience it on […]

Of course, there has never been any doubt that football is a big issue in Nigeria and with Nigerians. Every now and then, local and international analysts and commentators underscore this fact. And we see it in the passion and frenzy that go with international games involving any of the National Teams.
We experience it on a daily, hourly basis and we are inundated with football programmes on television, radio, internet and social media every second. Football is huge, but for Nigeria football, success has been few and far between.
For nearly 20 years, there have been little to celebrate. And with this have come a general despondency about the international game. Yes, we have won the Olympic gold, won the U-17 World Cup and reached the final of the Olympic football tournament and the FIFA U-20 World
Cup. We have also won African titles at women and junior levels.
But real success, in the hard definition of it, has eluded the Super Eagles since that day in Tunis when Stephen Keshi lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy. Yes, we have played in four World Cup finals since then and reached the Round of 16, and even won the Afro-Asian Cup. But real success has been away from the door.
This has led to disappointment among Government officials, big business, philanthropists and everyone who could have helped make it a bigger industry. Year after year, there had been little to show.
As administrators, we do our best to hike the interest and passion of Government officials in the game. But when little comes in form of results, the disappointment and the despondency return and football loses its big opportunity to become an industry taken very serious.
After lifting the trophy in 1994, the natural thing was for the team to proceed to the 1996 finals as defending champions (which obtained then), but for political reason, the Government of the day decided against the team traveling to South Africa and we simply surrendered the trophy without kicking a ball. As punishment, Caf barred Nigeria from the 1998 finals in Burkina Faso and we only returned for the 2000 finals.
As co-hosts with Ghana, expectations were so high for the championship, especially after the Super Eagles defeated South Africa to reach the Final. But like happened in 1984 in Abidjan and 1988 in Casablanca, we lost to Cameroon. The match went into penalties after a 2-2 draw and till today, some Nigerians still can’t forgive Tunisian referee Mourad Daami for Ikpebas’ kick that obviously crossed the line. But it all ended up in disappointment.
Just like when the Super Eagles faltered at the 1998 Fifa World Cup in France. After beating Spain and Bulgaria in their first two matches, the team thought it had arrived and simply fell to Paraguay’s sucker punch. But that did not serve as warning to the players. They refused to come down from their high horses, and reportedly demanded for win-bonus payment ahead of the Round of 16 duel with Denmark in Paris. To them, the match was good as won, and they were only looking forward to a quarter final clash with Brazil!
Like when the Eagles also faltered at the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals in Korea/Japan, losing their first two matches against Argentina and Sweden to exit even before the final group phase game with England.
Like when the Super Eagles lost to Senegal in the semi final of the 2002, 2004 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations finals despite so much promise each time.
Like when the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, following head-to-head voodoo. Like when the team failed in the 2008 Cup of Nations quarter finals, and when it fared miserably at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals, despite high expectations for the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted on African soil.
All these are beyond us. Now, it is a new day and a fresh opportunity. The Super Eagles must grab Sunday’s opportunity (just to beat Burkina Faso, though with due respect) with both wings, or is hands!
Victory on Sunday’s will give Nigerians from all walks of life so much to smile and laugh about. It will re-invigorate the Nigeria game. It will arrest the interest and attention and support of the Federal Government, with the State governments sure to follow.
It will lure big business back into the Nigeria game. It will give Nigeria football a new face and a new hope.
A team that was only being re-built, by one man who won the Cup as a player, winning the Africa Cup of Nations! It would galvanize everyone to think and talk about and take Nigeria football serious. It will give tremendous hope for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers resuming next month.
Super Eagles, please do this for Nigeria football.
NEXT WEEK: Football as building block of nations (2)