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Wingless ‘Super’ Eagles By Umar Tanimu Umar
I was at the Aminu Kano Stadium on Saturday. There I witnessed how degraded the Nigerian Super Eagles have became, the 1-1 draw against Angola will likely be the result that will stall Nigeria’s chance of qualifing for its fourth consecutive World Cup. Should that happen it would be a good riddance, for the Nigerian Football Association, which is a microcosm of the leadership of the country, have adamantly refused to believe that everything is wrong with the team.
The array of stars fielded in the Kano match played without focus and determination. You won’t see Yakubu Aiyegbeni playing like an amateur in the Premier League, same applies to Austin Okocha (who was ludicrously voted Man of the Match) and Nwankwo Kanu. The only player that played to his billings, as he always does, was Joseph Yobo, if not for the Everton defender we won’t be talking of a draw. I always say that Nigerian footballers are not patriotic, they only play for the huge allowances being dished out to them, and whenever the authorities, as typical Nigerians, tamper with the monetary inceptives they hardly put a foot right in the field of play.
One other fact most Nigerians don’t want to believe is that most of the Super Eagles’ stars are aged and jaded. Garba Lawal, Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Okocha should have resigned years back, all of them have either approached 40 or have surpassed that age, not mindind what they give as their ages-Nigerian footballers fake their ages and everybody knows that. During the game in Kano Okocha was tired out before the end of the first half, he could not mark or tackle, though giving acres of spaces to the Angolan midfielders who played as if they were playing an amateur side. In fact, the Angolans don’t deserve to draw the match, they supposed to have won it! I wonder what criteria was used by football journalists to select Okocha as the Man of the Match; apart from the first half free kick he scored he was a mere passenger throughout the match.
Unsavoury as it might sound, Nigeria now has a big task to qualify for the Germany 2006 World Cup. The team might finally settle for a Nations’ Cup place, and it will be a major disappointment should Angola, minors in African football, edge out Nigeria from the World Cup qualifying race. The Nigerian Football Association should learn from past mistakes, they ought to have employed a foreign coach for the Super Eagles. Christian Chukwu is just a mere dummy who can never have ther required control of the players, almost all of whom are wealthier and have more fame than him; his tactical knowledge is also inferior for a handler of a team of Super Eagles calibre. Young players like John Mikel Obi, Isaac Promise and Taiye Taiwo should be given a chance, jaded olden ones like Okocha, Lawal and Kanu should be shown the way out, if the refuse to bow out. Favouritism, ethnic and fam ily background should be discarded during team selection. And lastly, those that were not ready to play for their country, as they do in their clubsides, should be flushed out. If these points are considered our team can go on to qualify for South Africa 2010, even if we have squandered the chance to play in the 2006 tournament.
P.O. Box 1469, Bolari Quarters Gombe, Gombe State.
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