Anxiety enveloped my permutations at the end of the Group phase of the Cameroon 2002 African Nations Cup. Fear took over when CAF picked Maguette Ndiaye as centre referee for the round of 16 game between Nigeria and Tunisia.
It was obvious that Nigeria and Senegal would clash in the semi finals if both countries defeated their round of 16 and quarter finals opponents. Ndiaye, a Senegalese, could not let the opportunity to stem Nigeria’s cup ambition slip.
Super Eagles were unbeaten in the first round. The Teranga Lions struggled. Nigeria enjoys an edge over Senegal at the African Nations Cup. Eagles were victors at the 2000 African Nations Cup. Austin Eguavoen is bad news to Senegalese soccer fans.
Ndiaye set out to do a dirty job, in a very neat manner. Some of his calls favoured Tunisia. When Nigeria had advantage after an infraction, the referee sounded his whistle. He ignored a glaring penalty call against the Carthage Eagles.
Sending off Alex Iwobi was the height of the plot. Ndiaye issued a yellow card for an offence that could have been ignored like he did in the Egypt versus Morocco quarter finals game.
VAR was applied against Iwobi. The same VAR should have been used to award a penalty to the Super Eagles.
This is why I keep harping on History. The Sports Ministry should advise the NFF on the need to build a strong Records Directorate. Soccer is not just played and won in the field. Coaches and Psychologists play a huge role but History is a strong weapon.
Ndiaye knows History. Teranga Lions are always unlucky with Eguavoen. He led the Eagles to beat them twice at the Egypt 2006 African Nations Cup. Obafemi Martins’ brace bruised Senegal in one of the group matches. Nigeria triumphed 2-0 in the third place play off.
As a defender, Eguavoen was part of the Eagles formation that buried Teranga Lions’ hopes at Senegal ’92 African Nations Cup. I watched Nigeria beat Senegal 2-1 in the opening match.
Samson Siasia scored. Captain Jules Bocande equalised. Skipper Stephen Keshi silenced the hosts with a superb second goal. The Senegalese vented their spleen on coach Claude Le Roy. They thought he had a way round Nigeria.
The grouse with Eguavoen is deep. Many Nigerians may not remember what happened on October 12, 2002. Ndiaye and his countrymen have not forgotten. They will not forget till thy kingdom come.
In a Charity match at the Stade Leopold Senghor, Dakar, Eguavoen led a ‘ rag tag’ Nigerian team to scare the Teranga Lions. After a barren first half, Ogechukwu Ileagu put the visitors ahead in the 46th minute. Benedict Idahor increased the tally in the 48th.
Senegal played with their full squad which four months earlier, got to the World Cup quarter finals as debutants and with that famous victory over defending champions France.
Against Eagles Team B, the Teranga Lions were in trouble. A team that had Vincent Enyeama, Romanus Orjinta, Abubakar Musa, Kingsley Elvis, Friday Ejadegba, Seyi Olajengbesi, Sani Abacha, Ekene Ezenwa and Shola Shuaibu, was definitely not world class.
The hosts had to withdraw their superstars, seven of them in frustration.Skipper Aliou Cisse, El Hadj Diouf, Khalilou Fadiga, Ferdinand Coly were substituted. The team also paraded Tony Sylva, Henri Camara, Pape Diop and Salif Diao.
It was another Camara, Souleymane that reduced the tally in the 83rd minute. Papa Sarr drew Senegal level a minute to time. It ended 2-2.
The Charity match was in honour of 2000 Senegalese who drowned when their ferry MV le Joola capsized on the way to Dakar, from Ziguinchor in the Casamance region.
Captain Aliou Cisse lost 12 members of his family in that mishap. He was playing for Birmingham at the time. Eguavoen added salt and injury to the pain.
The same Aliou Cisse is Manager of Senegal in Cameroon and is leading the Teranga Lions to a second African Nations grand finale. However, this is his country’s third time. The first time was in 2002 and they beat Nigeria to get there.
Maguette Ndiaye succeeded in frustrating Eguavoen and Nigeria. Those who know know. If Nigeria had beaten Tunisia and Burkina Faso, they would have taken on Senegal in the semis of the Cameroon 2022 African Nations Cup. Ndiaye feared another Eguavoen punch.
Nigerians will not forget the name Ndiaye. At the Ethiopia ’76 African Nations Cup, Senegalese referee Youssou Ndiaye also dealt with the Green Eagles in Addis Ababa.
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In the final phase of the competition that comprised Nigeria, Morocco, Guinea and Egypt, Ndiaye handled the game between Eagles and the Red Atlas Lions who had beaten them 3-1 in the group phase.
Nigeria played so well. Baba Otu Mohammed scored in the 57th minute and all was well until Ndiaye began to make funny calls. Ahmed Faras equalised for Morocco in the 82nd minute.Redouane Guezzar sealed victory for the Lions in the dying minutes.
The strange thing is that FIFA loves the Ndiayes. Youssou officiated in two World Cups, West Germany ’74 and Argentina ’78. Maguette is set for Qatar 2022.
South Africans are waiting for Maguette Ndiaye. There are allegations that he was bribed to favour Ghana in their World Cup qualifier against Bafana Bafana.
In Dakar, Ndiaye is a common name among the Leboue. It is the same in Koalack among the Saloum Saloum. The Ndarra of St. Louis also bear Ndiaye. They are all Wollof. The Igbo word for mad men is Ndiara. Nigerians are preparing poisoned jollof rice for the Senegalese maggot.
