It is no longer news that the home-based Super Eagles failed at the final hurdle of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) losing scandalously to the host nation, Morocco.
While many sports enthusiasts, ex-internationals and coaches have expressed their disappointment over the letdown, I however believe the essence of participating at this level should not be about winning. For me, I believe, it is a tournament that should throw up more talents and options for the senior national team in the future, hence my reason for condemning Coach Salisu Yusuf for naming some players that are above 23 years in his CHAN squad.
You may also wonder why no player from the MFM squad that placed second was not included in the CHAN team, especially someone like Sikiru Olatunbosun.
Another lesson which I must confess the home-based Eagles came short of is preparation. Playing in a Super 6 alongside rusty teams is not enough preparation for a tournament as rigorous as CHAN. In this regard, the League Management Company (LMC) and the Nigeria Football Federation must ensure our league calendar is structured in such a way that it will aid the performance of our teams in CAF competitions and other championships in the continent.
The Moroccans benefitted from a structured league and the dominance of Raja Casablanca in the continent. Given that our domestic clubs in almost a decade have exited CAF competitions prematurely, ordinarily one would have expected similar fate for the home-based Eagles but the team, despite its profligacy went all the way to the final, the nation’s best record in CHAN, so far.
Another area the coaches must work on is discipline of the players on the pitch. The home-based Eagles picked up cards needlessly in Morocco, a situation which almost cost us the semi-final win against Sudan and the scandalous defeat against the host. Some of the tackles that earned them yellow or red cards are needless. I have seen situation of a defender putting in a tackle when the opposing forward is backing the goal!
Again, no team wastes so much goal scoring opportunities and expects to win the same competition like Nigeria but the quartet of Anthony Okpotu, Rabiu Ali, Sunday Faleye and Okechukwu Gabriel did and the prize was that Nigeria came second best to Morocco.On a positive note, the 2018 CHAN is a tourney where Ikechukwu Ezenwa may have finally cemented his World Cup spot. Perhaps, leggy defender, Stephen Eze and Dele Ajiboye may also get a look-in the mainstream Eagles ahead of Russia 2018. Eze will not be a bad option on the substitutes’ bench for Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong and any day, I will prefer Ajiboye to the erratic Daniel Akpeyi.
