The home-based Super Eagles tutored by Coach Salisu Yusuf, will today Sunday, February 4, 2018, trade tackles with the Atlas Lions of Morocco in the final of the two-week long competition hosted by the latter.
To reach the final, the Super Eagles piped Sudan by a solitary goal scored by Okechukwu Gabriel in the 16 minute on Wednesday in Marrakech.
Prior to the goal, the Eagles skipper and goal keeper Okechukwu Ezenwa sustained injury and was substituted by Plateau United goal keeper and ex Golden Eaglets keeper, Dele Ajiboye.
However, Ajiboye’s brilliant saves in the semi-final match with the Sudanese team kept Nigeria in the competition ahead of tomorrow’s final, which is the first ever by Nigeria since the CHAN competition began.
On paper, football pundits have tip Morocco to win the trophy today because of their form in the competition and also being the host country, but Coach Yusuf said the team can beat any team in the African Cup of Nations.
Team Skipper Ezenwa who is recuperating from the injury he sustained in the semi-final encounter with Sudan said having reached the final the players have resolved to play the game of their lives to ensure they bring home the trophy.
Ex-International Emmanuel Amunike has advised the players to sharpen their striking skills as they have been very wasteful in front of goals during the tournament.
President Muhammadu Buhari and NFF President Amaju Pinnick have urged the team to go for gold today as the country is behind them.
Between 1963 and 2014, Nigeria and Morrocco have met 19 times in continental engagements. Out of these, Nigeria has won seven times and Morrocco eight times while four of the games have produced draw. So today will be the 20th time the two countries will be meeting themselves.
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In all of this, one man has been in centre of the game growing grey hair so that the team may excel. That is the man behind the success of the team so far. Who is he?
Nigerians have hailed the Coach Salisu for taking the team to this stage of the competition. Apart from his wailed marshal tactics, which he described as conservative, which is sticking to the traditional Nigerian 4-2-4 formation notwithstanding the tactics of the opponent, Salisu is said to be very amiable with the players and who always motivates them.
The Kaduna born coach has been on and off the Super Eagles in the past 10 years. Before going into coaching, he had played for many Nigerian professional teams like Ranchers Bees and El-Kanemi Warriors.
He began his coaching with Nasarawa United before moving to Lobi Stars as assistant coach and helping them to win the National Challenge Cup, now FA Cup in 2003. He later moved to Dolphin of Port-Harcourt and then Kano Pillars.
In 2009, the Nigeria Football Federation enlisted him as assistant coach to Sampson Siasia who was then serving as Super Eagles coach. He was again named assistant to late Stephen Keshi. He also coached Kano Pillars and helped the club qualify for 2010 Champions League.
In 2012, he moved to Enyimba to replace Austen Equavon. In 2016, the NFF appointed him the Chief Coach of Super Eagles. For football followers and admirers of the coach they are waiting with expectation of a win for Nigeria, which will further enrich his résumé.
