By Ori Martins
It was Lewis Obi, the journalist par excellence and former editor in chief of the then influential African Concord magazine, who wrote in 1985, that if you want to appropriately measure and comprehensively capture how every country of the world works or wobbles, you must fervently direct your search at the national teams of all countries, globally.
Obi, an exceptional and brilliant professional, noted that looking at the English national team would reveal the best of England in international diplomacy as the Three Lions were usually neatly dressed, sparkling with a gale of honour and discipline even in the face of a cruel and agonizing defeat. Recall that the British Empire which was dominated by England struck an Olympic gold in this art.
The award winning journalist, now a veteran, stated it in clear terms that the Azurris of Italy represent the true essence of power and might whenever victory is at stake. Mind you, the Roman Empire that thrived on might, power and war as the ultimate weapon of diplomacy is today an essential integral part of Italy.
Talking about the beautiful brutality of the German Machine as the Germany national football team is known and addressed, the respected journalist explained that the former World Cup champions did not show neither mercy nor sympathy when it concerned forcefully knocking down opponents for the simple reason of clinching a victory. Of course, Adolf Hitler’s infamous atrocities prior and during the World War II are still very much discussed till today. It’s same with Germany in football at the national scene.
Coming to Nigeria, the erstwhile editor wondered how the world would ever periscope Nigeria using the same standards in the foregoing analysis. According to him, Nigeria’s compelling and troubled complexities were obviously readable in the Super Eagles of Nigeria as well as her other undergrade teams.
In 1985, the Golden Eaglets lifted the maiden edition of the FIFA U – 17 Would Cup in China beating Germany in the final 2 – 0. Still in 1985, the Flying Eagles finished third in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in USSR.
Yet, in the same 1985, the Eagles, playing some of their worst games in history, failed horribly to qualify for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico after loosing undignifiably to Tunisia. In the same 1985, the Eagles posted what could be regarded as both a horrendous and horrific outing in the African Nations Cup qualifiers. Zambia knocked out Nigeria in the 1986 Egypt Nations Cup Finals in the qualifiers played in August in 1985! It was as shocking as it was irritating.
Now, in the just ended Nations Cup Finals in Cote D’Ivoire, most Nigerians and indeed African football pundits, never gave the Eagles any chance. Just as Obi said about the Eagles – unreliable and inconsistent – Nigeria, predictably, started on a shacky note by registering a 1 – 1 all draw against lowly rated Equatorial Guinea. After that, the Eagles seemed to have mastered the art of winning by scoring less goals and so, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Angola and South Africa bowed to Nigeria, a team lacking a formidable defence, suffering from midfield disaster and without any clear cut attacking strategy other than the skill potentiality of the of the front men.
When eventually a crucial Eagles – Elephants final was made possible, Nigerians of all walks of life gleefully forgot that their darling team was a composition of 11 men, each playing with determination and natural talent rather than the required team work, cohesion and discipline that overwhelm opponents and make winning easy.
After Eagles’ expected victory against Cameroon, Nigerian football fans developed a sudden love and started following the team with a crude and blurred passion of patriotism. In the process, no one remembered the technical and tactical ineptitude of the foreign technical adviser from Portugal.
Ridiculously, the confidence my countrymen and countywomen reposed in the otherwise kill joy Eagles grew in heaps and bounds after the fall of Angola. And when the Eagles survived the South African scare, the ever curious and largely Nigerian soccer fans forgot to ask some salient questions about the team’s formation and its technical approaches to games. And those who asked were shouted at as “non patriotic elements”.
For instance, why did the coach allow Alex Iwobi to be lasting that long when it was obvious he lacked the needed tenacity and flair to make things happen in the midfield?
Victor Osimhen can be compared to Mutiu Adepoju and the former is better, on air, why was he not fed with aerial balls by the players? The few minutes Iheanacho featured in two games indicated he was in killer mood, why was he brought in too late when too little would be achieved – if not nothing at all?
From the outset, the Nigerian coach played 3 – 4 – 3 and it brought remarkable and heartwarming results. But in the final, he played a strange 5-3-2 formation which brought pressure on the defence and and the team ultimately caved in and defeat was made possible. It certainly confirms Nigeria’s disorganized mannerism to issues across sectors – confusion, crisis and commotion.
You see, Eagles’ AfCON loss is dramatically Nigeria’s senseless way of doing things. The features of this art of infamy are: recklessness, impunity, shenanigan, ineptitude, lawlessness, etc.
As a matter of fact, Nigeria is like boy Tom who deliberately burnt his finger in a glowing flame and called it his luck. If not, can you rationalize why there is this ravaging hunger in the country and nothing practically is done to put it to a close?
Why are the prices of goods skyrocketing almost every in hours even in the face of joblessness? So, this dangerous and condemnable insecurity with its attendant devastating effects brought about by kidnapping, abduction, killing, armed robbery and other forms of criminalities has come to stay?
Yet, Nigerians seem to have been emasculated to the point they cannot even protest en masse to let the government in power understand their unimaginable predicament. This is why Nigeria’s loss at the Nations Cup is senseless stupid. It shows Nigeria and Nigerians non challant attitude – lethargic, lackadaisical and lax.
