Eagles fail to sway Nigerians

By Ifeanyi Ibeh

Nigeria football fans matched words with action on Sunday when they shunned the Super Eagles match with Mozambique in protest against the Eagles inept display against Tunisia.

Fans who voted with their legs were not disappointed as the Eagles put up another poor performance against Mozambique. Though a late goal by Obinna Nsofor means that the group B winner will not be decided until the final matches are played next month, Nigerians are not impressed by the optimism of the Eagles technical crew led by Shaibu Amodu and the players.

After the match Amodu told journalists that ‘‘The Eagles suffered psychological disadvantage because of the outcome of the game against Tunisia and the players were shocked when the fans began to boo them when the national anthem was being rendered before the kick off of the match. It took the team a long time to recover from the shock.

For me, I am happy that we won the match because there are no minnows in football again. The Mozambique team is younger. They were technically and tactically very strong. We decided to leave the midfield for them and we began to use the full back to launch the attack.

But the last game against Kenya will be a different story entirely and this is a very important match we must win," Amodu said. Joseph Yobo said "We want to accept that we did not play well but we want Nigerians to support us by rallying round the team. I want to also blame the media for causing rancour among the players. I feel we should all work together to take Nigeria there‘'

Not impressed

But a member of Nigeria's 1996 Olympic gold winning squad, Tijani Babangida, said he has no confidence in the Super Eagles' ability to beat Kenya in their last World Cup qualifying match next month, in spite of their 1-0 victory over Mozambique.

Speaking to NEXTSports, Babangida, who once plied his trade with Dutch side, Ajax Amsterdam said the Super Eagles virtually struggled throughout the encounter which was witnessed by just a handful of spectators at the National Stadium:

"They (Super Eagles) struggled before getting the three points but now we have the points and that is important. We can't do anything but hope at this stage because about them beating Kenya at home, there is a very big question mark.

"The absence of supporters also played an important role in their struggle but the fans can only shout; it is the players that play. However, we just have to do our homework and play till the final whistle".

Babangida doesn't also see Tunisia losing hold of the ground they have attained, even as they maintained their status quo as leaders of the group after defeating Kenya 1-0 at Rades:

"Realistically, I don't see Mozambique beating Tunisia even though they are playing away; the least they can have from that encounter is a draw".

Emmanuel Amuneke

Emmanuel Amuneke agrees with Babangida; he posited that Nigeria should not expect favour from either Kenya or Mozambique. Speaking to NEXT, the 1994 African Player of the Year only said it would have been disastrous if the game had ended in a draw, but barely fall short of saying Nigeria will not qualify for South Africa 2010.

Asked if with the way the Black Mambas played better than the Super Eagles in Abuja, they might just win against Tunisia in Maputo, he said "Nobody will be doing anybody a favour even if Mozambique wins against Tunisia, Kenya needed only a draw to qualify for the Nations Cup".

Amunike now went on to say that the performance Nigerians witnessed on Sunday should not only be blamed on the technical crew but on the players as well, "in as much as we criticize the technical crew, the players too must show determination, and not play as if they were with their girlfriends, they should realise that their image and reputation is at stake too".

Dream possible

However, another member of Nigeria 1994 African Nations Cup squad Nduka Ugbade, said with the result on Sunday Nigeria now stands a chance of seeing its flag mounted at the World Cup next year. He hinges his optimism on Mozambique home form.

"At this moment, I don't see us not qualifying for the World Cup, I am so sure we are going to beat Kenya in Kenya, and the worst result I see Mozambique getting is a draw in Maputo, if not a win... I see us edging out Tunisia on goals difference"

Ugbade however agreed with Amuneke that the Super Eagles did not play with purposefulness, "the Super Eagles did not play with power, like a team that needed to win at all cost". But he singled out Osaze Odemwingie and Yusuf Ayila as the players that stood out in the match.

Reacting to the Super Eagles playing to a nearly empty stadium, a reaction to the 2-2 draw the team got against Tunisia, Ugbade said Nigerians should just let bygone be bygone, and that Nigerians should go enmass to Nairobi to cheer the team to victory.

For the sake of Nigerians

England-based coach, Chukwuma Akuneto believes that the Super Eagles, going by Sunday's performance, don't deserve to be at the World Cup although he hopes they get to make it to South Africa for the sake of football-loving Nigerians.

"That team came close to giving me a nervous breakdown," exclaimed Akuneto on the line from his Manchester, England base. "They allowed their opponents to dictate the pace of the game and at some stage it was difficult to tell whether the game was being played in Abuja or in Maputo.

"If that is what they intend to do at the World Cup then I don't think they deserve to qualify as they could end up embarrassing the whole country, but I hope events work in their favour in the next round of matches and that they end up qualifying because a lot of Nigerians want to see them in South Africa," added Akuneto.

Speaking further, Akuneto, wondered how a country such as Nigeria, with a lot of "quality players scattered across the world", and with a great number of players plying their trade in the domestic championship, would be struggling to qualify for the World Cup against the likes of Tunisia, Kenya and Mozambique.

The former defender was also shocked by Shuaibu Amodu's decision to start Sunday's game with as many as three defensive-minded midfielders - Seyi Olofinjana, Yusuf Ayila and Oluwafemi Ajilore - and wondered if that was as a result of the unavailability of Chelsea's John Obi Mikel.