Afro beat King Olufela Kuti was a good philosopher who coined words and phrases to describe the Nigerian situation. We are people who are suffering and smiling at the same time. In Nigeria it does appear the dead do not stay dumb.
The Super Eagles put in so much at the last African Nations Cup in Cameroon and were the best after the group stage. Then Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles killed them in the second round.
Nigerians were still expecting our Eagles to rise from the dead like Lazarus in the Bible. I believed Ghana would die in the World Cup play off. There are more churches in Nigeria than you have in Ghana.
Jesus did not come to save believers. He delivered the lost. What happened in Abuja was a miracle but unlike Lazarus who rose from the dead, the Super Eagles died again and Black Stars came back to life. Indeed, dead body get accident.
I was so sure Nigeria would defeat Ghana and qualify for the World Cup. I believed in the Eagles. I supported Eguavoen and his indigenous assistants stressing that we waste so much money paying expatriate journey men.
The country is blessed with 200 million coaches. It is obvious from post match reactions. Some of the quasi coaches went ahead to destroy the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
I am not going to be emotional in my reaction. My vision is clear. I will not blame the Eagles. We are the problem and the solution is in all of us.
I still insist that the Abuja Stadium is cursed. If that game took place outside the Federal capital, Nigeria would have qualified. Some accounts say the land was taken by force from the Gbagyi/Gwari owners.
The local ancestors may be fighting a spiritual war. And apart from the bad luck, many lives have been lost there from 2002 when construction started to March 29, 2022 when a CAF official, Dr. Joseph Kabungo slumped and died.
The players and NFF officials forgot to honour one of their own, Justice Christopher who died a few weeks to the play off.
Christopher was at the Korea/ Japan 2002 World Cup. I remember talking to him at the Mixed Zone after Nigeria and England ended it goalless in Osaka. I also spoke with David Beckam, Frank Sinclair, Austin Okocha, Joseph Yobo and Bartholomew Ogbeche.
I wonder how Yobo felt the day Thomas Partey put sand sand in Eagles jollof. Not even a minute of silence for Justice.
When Stephen Keshi led the Flying Eagles to the African Youth Championship in 2001, Justice was his captain. That same year, the Super Eagles drew goalless with Black Stars in Accra in a World Cup qualifier. This year it was the same result in Accra.
Francis Uzoho who was hailed for his heroics in Kumasi became a villain in Abuja. Kelechi Ihenacho was ridiculed for a poor game in Ghana. Some fanatics are blaming Austin Eguavoen for not using him in Abuja.
I do not buy the idea that Eagles failed because Eguavoen relied on Euro- Nigerians. The Black Stars had a full house of Europe born and bred stars too. The truth is that the dream of every footballer is to play at the World Cup.
Nigerians must drop emotions and stay glued to the fact that football is full of surprises. Italy, champions of Europe will not be in Qatar. Canada, full of green horns will be there.
Now is time to look at ourselves in the face and say it like it is. Football is dead, like dodo in Nigeria. All those who are talking of using players from the Nigerian league are hypocrites. They wear Chelsea and Barcelona jerseys, pay money to watch Bayern Munich against PSG on TV but do not watch Enyimba versus Shooting Stars.
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The Nigerian League is like a dead body. Players are owed for months and matches are decided in the board room. That is why in CAF competitions, our clubs die before the group stages.
The home based Super Eagles are even worse than the main dish. They are not as sweet as sour sop, the home boys are sour-soup.
We need to restructure football, from top to bottom. Instead of blaming President Muhammadu Buhari for putting a call across, we should hold our club officials responsible for the nonsense going on in the various clubs.
The NFF should wake up. There are dead woods in the system who cannot be saved by any kind of miracle.
I believe in continuity. Emmanuel Amuneke should stay with this team. Let us give them time. They failed but they can resit. After all, Clemens Westerhof spent four year.Remember, he failed to take Nigeria to Italia ’90.
We criticised Maduka Okoye. The young man smartly stayed away. We hailed Uzoho. Now fans want Uzoho crucified.
We cursed Alex Iwobi for earning a red card in Cameroon. Now we miss him. We wanted Ighalo, he came. We called for Emmanuel Dennis. We got Calvin Bassey. We invited Ademola Lukman.
Give these guys another six games together. They will explode. Patience is key. Let Amuneke be allowed to choose his assistants.
Senegal gave Aliou Cisse enough time. Rigobert Song was pilloried in Yaounde. He turned gold in Blida.
Those who are roaring like lion for Herr Rohr are still weeping. When their eyes clear, they will see some rubbish around. Football is a game. You win some, lose sum.
Eagles played with some Johnny Just Come (JJC). Jungle will mature and this Ghana induced yellow fever will make Nigeria do some soul searching. Our shakara too much.
The Black Stars went to Africa Shrine, we did not pray. Everyone screamed, ‘Ghana must go’. Yes they are going to Qatar and Nigerians are catching catarrh.
