Once again, our darling national team, Super Eagles, are at the stage where they have to chase a consolation bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations.
I tag it ‘Birthright Bronze’ because we have won a record eight AFCON third place matches over the years and we will hunt for the ninth this weekend in Morocco.
So it has to be, after the Eagles failed to fly against the AFCON 2025 host country’s team, The Atlas Lions of Morocco this past Wednesday.
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So sad, I was and still am (repeatedly) that our star-studded team could not rise to the occasion when it mattered most. Rather than soar, they lived up to their ignoble style of disappointing us when expectations about their chances are highest.
It amazes me, though, that Nigerian football fans still keep boasting about this team and will put their money on them so confidently (blindly?) all in the name of support.
Yes, I do like to support my team, but I will not do it blindly. So, instead of saying, ‘I am sure we will beat Morocco,’ I preferred retorting, ‘I hope we’ll beat Morocco.’
That should be the refrain for Nigerian soccer stalwarts henceforth, when it comes to supporting the Super Eagles, especially considering that no fan can enter the field to have a hand in deciding how the team will play.
All the same, I guess the incurable Nigerian optimist must have been buoyed by the euphoria of seeing how the Eagles soared majestically into the semi-finals as the top scoring team of this tournament – and two of our players were in the running for the award of highest goal scorer.
At the same time, Eric Chelle deserves a long and loud round of applause for turning our squad into a technically balanced team that can dictate the pace of any game they step into. That they did it gracefully and raised our hope, then typically deflated us on Wednesday.
Sadly, it was the game that mattered most before the final. Sadly, in the true style of the typical Nigerian team, Chelle’s Eagles reminded us that they excel when they are written off and flop when everyone expects them to shine. So, they got to the river and refused to drink the bountiful supply of soothing liquid available.
Talk about failing at the point of success – the Super Eagles are masters of it. So, it’s high time for us to always remember this oddity when it’s time to support our team. So, next time out, instead of boasting that we’ll defeat the opponent ‘convincingly,’ let’s speak humbly and pray that everything will work together for good.
Sadly, things did not work together for good on Wednesday – because the elements of football wanted to teach us fresh lessons about how to play the game deftly on and off the pitch.
That’s why our squad had their worst performance of this competition – and they got what they deserved. I give that verdict based on the following observations:
1. Our players were so clumsy with their passes and ball control.
2. They were heavy in reacting to 50-50 balls.
3. The attack was blunt and their intensity was low.
4. Our frontline had only on shot at goal and no single run into the box.
5. We committed too many errors while moving into our opponents’ half.
6. Our best players had very sordid off days at the wrong time.
Other observations for me include how Victor Osimhen confirmed that he does not play well when he wears the skipper’s band, Adams Akor showed that he needs ball holding skills, Ademola Lookman plays better as a winger and we have to quickly start grooming a replacement for Wilfred Ndidi.
On the other hand, kudos to the four defenders – Bruno Onyemachi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi and (most especially) Calvin Bassey – for keeping us in the game for 120 minutes. Thumbs up too for an improved show by Stanley Nwabali (but still room for improvement).
Sadly, despite all the tactical acumen Chelle showed in Nigeria’s first five matches at this competition, I was shocked to see him commit such mundane errors when it came to penalties … especially as he ought to have learnt a lot of lessons from last year’s loss to DR Congo via the same route.
1. I am not a coach, but I know that left-footed players are usually suspect at penalties. So, why send Samuel Chukwueze on at that crucial point of the game?
2. Our top striker is a second ranked penalty choice at his club in Europe. So, why pull Victor Osimhen out of the game at that crucial point in time?
Those are two costly questions that the answers should have come with common sense. Sadly, Eric Sekou Chelle did not provide the right answers on Wednesday … and now he has fallen from the edge of glory to the depth of uncertainty.
He could have been celebrated as the rejected stone that became head of the corner, but now we can gladly say, ‘Goodbye, fare the well wherever you go next.’ Will that be the 2026 World Cup with Tunisia?
Well, there’s still the third-place match left for the Eagles to play. Apart from being a ‘birthright’ consolation for us, it’s the Eagles’ chance to enter a different side of AFCON’s record books. That they will do by winning a ninth bronze medal … but they have to beat equally ambitious Egypt to get it!
