By Daily sports on November 16, 2020

I’m not going to dwell much on immediate and remote causes of the kind of result Super Eagles posted on Friday in an AFCON qualifier against the Leone Star team inside the main bowl of Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City Edo State.

The result has been on the public purview and tongues have been wagging. While some criticize Super Eagles’ performance, others point accusing fingers on the head of technical crew of the side, Gernot Rohr for being technically and tactically deficient.

However, this columnist will as usual be independent minded and tell it as it is. Yes, it was an unheard of like result but it is real that the Sierra Leoneans came from behind to force their host to 4-4 draw line and if you like call it defeat of Nigeria by the minnows. This result would boost the team’s rating next time and lower Nigeria’s.

If you go through last week’s write up on this page, l warned the Eagles on the need to be very vigilant so that the Leone Star boys would not cause upset and I went further to serially analyse the inherent danger of playing a minnow that is bent on denting the image of the big brother team. It partially came to pass and whether there is any lesson learnt would be revealed in near future.  

The home and bitter truth here is that aside Rohr’s lack of superior technical and tactical acumen, our boys also have their blame in the whole blunder. Yes, the bench has lots of role to make or mar matches, however, it is incumbent on the boys to show cause and seriousness each game deserves.

The resultant effects of the last week AFCON qualification match can vividly be attributed to the complacency on the part of the boys and it happened in their very eyes. The Nigerian team that has first rate legs in the lineup, struggled to contain their visitors in the second stanza of the game as the boys from Sierra Leone came all out to disorganise the three-time African Champs.

I WAS NOT THAT SCANDALISED ON THE OUTCOME, RATHER AS AN EXPERIENCED and widely travelled and exposed journalist, I don’t give any team clean bill of health until the referee’s last blast of the whistle. Further truth is that the Sierra Leonean coach critically read the match at the end of the first half and instructed his wards on how to make use of the obvious opening in Nigeria formation and pronto the fellow West African country played strictly to instruction, hence the now talks of town result.

I have written severally on the bond that conjoined the leadership of NFF and Rohr. I will continue to say it to high heavens and to those that cares to listen that the Franco German Eagles coach was imposed on the technical committee, then led by very savvy Barrister Chris Green part of which brought frosty relationship between him and Amaju Pinnick who not only influenced the process of the employment of the coach but insisted that it must be Rohr.

As a principled man, Green did not seek return to the executive Committee and he has since then distanced himself from the present dubious Amaju Pinnick led NFF.

You are aware that recently he was appointed into one nonsense committee of the NFF and the Rivers State born no nonsense football administrator did not waste time to haul it back at them. This convoluted style of governance is the way Nigeria is and so the absurd continues.

Rohr is technically short sighted no doubt. We saw this during the last World and Nations Cups. I am not belabouring about this, however, dear esteemed readers; Eagles will qualify for next edition of AFCON in Cameroun. The team will also do well in Freetown on Tuesday’s second leg. Though it has put itself in a very tight position, the Eagles will certainly put up sterling performance right before the eyes of Leone Star fans if something did not go wrong along the line.

Already, Musa and Osimhen will not be on duty during the crucial leg but Nigeria has other equally great players that would perfectly fit into their position to salvage the already low image of the Super Eagles.

All hands must be on deck as the clock ticks. The zero hour would zero in, come Tuesday inside the very magnificent football arena.

One still believes the Eagles will put up a showing that would further solidify the team’s qualification. Let us keep our fingers crossed and keenly watch. Our social media handles are open 247. Let us discuss this game. Keep shooting hard till next week as the struggle continues!!

Source Daily sports

Posted November 16, 2020

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