WITHER WENT THE SUPER EAGLES?
Whilst watching Nigeria’s lose to Ghana in the quarterfinals of the Nations Cup, I felt no remorse for the loosing Nigerian side. For one, no one expected that they would reach the quarterfinals in the first place. With incidents of unimpressive football they just seemed to have enjoyed a stroke of luck to qualify for the 2nd stage of the tournament thanks to the victory of their Ivoirian counterparts.

This match Nigerians and fans if the Eagles expected more. Fine, there were quite a number of questionable refereeing decisions. Some have argued that in tournaments like these atimes these things can be commonplace. Factors for instance like a drop in ticket earnings of a hosting nation through her national team’s loss could have an effect on officiating. That sounds interesting. Interests over fairness? That aside but rather interestingly it seemed God on like the referee of the day favoured the Nigerian side. In the midst of several ignored fouls and tackles, Nigeria got a penalty in the first half and a red card in the second. 11 men against 10? This was the much-needed advantage. But where it mattered most the eagles lost concentration.
I pray for the day when Nigeria would play attacking football like Brazil beating their opponents 5 goals to nothing. These boys atimes just don’t seem how to hold the game down. After their wonderful penalty goal from a player known to play better for his premiership club (though scoring 2 vital goals), the team allowed a loss of focus in the last few seconds of the first half and the Ghanaians took advantage.

Now in the second half with good penetration into the opposite side, we were lucky to be fouled in the right spot such that gave the Nigerian side a 1-man advantage over their opponents. Then came the poke into the eyes of Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi and then another big sap in concentration. At this point one wonders what the unimpressive Cv holding coach of Nigeria was doing at the time. This was the same man who had nearly lost his job in an earlier game. This was a chance for him to redeem himself. Though sincerely and quite frankly, all in all this Nigerian team was far from it. The coach however once again showed he had no business coaching a standard team talk less of a national one. In previous games one had wondered what the likes of Makinwa and Olofinjana were doing back in the team, in this game Nigeria’s coach did more. He was blind to the fact that he needed to bring in Nsofor and possibly an energetic Obafemi Martins but only made a substitution when a player had to be pulled off. The substitution of Nsofor he only saw reason to effect around the 84th minute and after a goal down. To make matters worse he saw nobody to bring off the field than hardworking and effective Mikel Obi.

It was also noted that back in the defence, defenders just stared and enjoyed being passed and dribbled by Ghanaian players in their own half. This was just like a repeat of what happened in the match against now favourites Cote DIvoire where Kalou embarrassed the whole of the defence to this time not strike a shot across or directly at the bar, as is usually the case when he plays for Chelsea, but to get an Ivorian goal. The Eagles game however brought out some lovely performances from defender Danny Shittu, though subjectively, Taye Taiwo, Ikechukwu Uche and most especially Osaze Odemwinge.
It is time the Nigerian football body needs to know that the Eagles do not need an over paid, overrated German Coach to mount the saddle with little to show for it. Stephen Keshi, Samson Siasia or/ and Chief Onigbinde would have by far done better. It was glaring for all to see that the Coach was out of reckoning with Nigerian soccer and well able Nigerian players to play. Possibly the pleasantries that came alongside his job got the better of him. Not so in Germany however. In Nigeria atimes, it seems in the NFA anything goes. If we must employ a foreign coach why the likes of Bora Militunovic, why the likes of Berti Vogts why not Westerhof? Every one knows the impact he had on our football, our team and the results he had to show for it. Thinking about Vogts one wonders why the team needed to go for camping and training in far away Malaga a far cry from weather conditions in hot weathered Ghana. Maybe as an easy meeting point for her players spread to and fro Europe. But is Nigeria the only country in the Nations cup with players abroad? What of local content? So many questions. Well even as there seems to be an imminent sacking of Berti Vogts, one hopes that a suitable and effective replacement would be made and at a good price. One does not know however whether the business mogul at the helms of affairs at Globacom would be generous once again and in spite of all that has happened to once again foot the bill. In the midst of all this lets pray, be hopeful and work towards the best. Come back home Eagles; your well paying European Clubs have long been in need and expecting you.

Greetings and well wishes
Kehinde Akintobi
churchonthenet004@yahoo.co.uk
08060631373