While football became a deafening failure in 2023, Tobi Amusan, rose to the occasion, offering the world a champion hurdler and record breaker.
Tobi became the first Nigerian champion at the IAAF World Championships, a feat that had eluded the country since 1983. What Innocent Egbunike tried so much to claim in 1987 but missed in Rome finally happened at Eugene 2022.
While Tobi shone in Oregon, the Super Eagles shied away from the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In Africa, the Eagles were eliminated from the Nations Cup by Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles in the second round after emerging as the best team in the first round.
More shameful was the failure of Nigerian teams in continental Championships. None of them could win a match in Morocco but the Moroccans were able to pick three points at away.
When I look back to the 1970s and 1980s, questions are all I can ask. This is the same country that qualified for the finals of all African competitions in 1988.
Green Eagles were renamed Super Eagles by Adm. Augustus Aikhomu after winning silver at the Maroc ’88 African Nations Cup. They would have lifted the trophy if not for criminal refereeing by one Mauritanian called Idrissa Sarr.
Iwuanyanwu Nationale romped into the finals of the finals of the CAF Champions League after edging out FAR of Morocco. It was the first time the Owerri side went continental. They lost to Entete Petroles Setif of Algeria in the final.
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Ranchers Bees of Kaduna went as far as the finals of the African Winners Cup. Victors were Club Athletic Bizerte.
It did not end there. In the West African Sub Region, New Nigerian Bank of Benin were defeated by ASFAG of Guinea.
In 1976, Shooting Stars became the first African champions from Nigeria when they lifted the Nations Cup. Enugu Rangers kept the trophy within our shores, in 1977.
By 1980, the Eagles earned much respect as African champions. In the next ten years BCC Lions of Gboko brought home the African Winners Cup from Tunisia.
More honours followed. A second African Nations Cup trophy came in 1994. The big one was achieved at the Atalnta ’96 Olympic Games. The Dream Team bagged gold.
Soccer gave the people joy because they looked forward to competitions positively. The Youth teams made marks all over the world.I am talking about History here.
In 2022, all the glory of the past seemed to have disappeared through the window of disappointment that was opened to compatriots.
Then Tobi hurdled to the podium. Suddenly, Athletics came back to life. The money wasted on football turned out to be a curse.
It is remarkable that before soccer made us crazy, there was Athletics. Emmanuel Ifeajuna, won the High Jump event of the Vancouver 1954 Commonwealth Games. In the next one year, Ghana Black Stars silenced the Red Devils (as the Eagles were then called) 7-0 in Accra.
A first Olympic gold came through Chioma Ajunwa in 1996. She made it in the Long Jump. It did not take long before the Eagles won their gold, the country’s second.
So far, of the three Olympic gold medals accruing to Nigeria, two were won by Track and Field Athletes.
Tobi won global gold, Super Eagles have never gone beyond the Second Round of the World Cup. This is 2022, the year Atlas Lions of Morocco played in the semis of the World Cup.
History shows that Football has not fared better than Athletics. Perhaps it is time to rejig our mindset. It sounds weird that after several disappointments, more attention is paid to a team of 11 players that cannot offer more than a medal.
Tobi is a lone star. She became world champion all alone. There were no substitutions, there was no intermission. There was no Aso Villa sponsored jamboree.
One individual was able to do what a team of 22 players has been unable to achieve. Tobi is a world champion, she is a Commonwealth champion and an African champion as well.
She defended her Commonwealth title successfully. Super Eagles are yet to win any big competition back to back. At this rate, football fans are just fed up with the senior national team.
I can bet you that after the Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja disaster, it will be difficult to attract 5,000 soccer lovers to watch Super Eagles play an international game.
And it is going to take longer time to bring back the love. I cannot remember the last time Super Eagles impressed anyone. To win friendly games is as difficult as building Wadata Plaza in Alimosho.
The Premier League is a huge play in Nigeria. Little wonder Nigerian teams cannot stand North African opposition. You cannot build on sinking sand.
Nigerians can save themselves some heart break, by switching allegiance to Athletics. Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume give more joy than the Super Eagles.
There are more superstars in the making. Maybe, we should just forget football for two years and pump all that sponsorship cash into Athletics.
