At last, the African Cup of Nations kicked off in Equatorial Guinea without Nigeria. We always knew we wouldn’t be involved in the tournament but it was well rubbed in over the weekend as the continent’s best 16 teams resumed hostilities. Yes, the fact is that Nigeria is no longer among the best 16 teams in Africa. We can argue this but that is what our absence in this tournament means. Till a new winner emerges in this AFCON, Nigeria is the reigning champions of Africa.
But it is ironical to note that a team that ruled the continent only two years ago got so bad that it couldn’t even qualify for the next edition. What a colossal fall. The fact that our Super Eagles had six matches to right all wrongs and negotiate their way to AFCON 2015 but still failed to do so makes it more worrisome. It’s a bit understandable if a team ‘parks the bus’ and beat Eagles in a two-legged knock-out format but the team’s failure to pick a ticket in a league format qualifying series is like the proverbial rain that fell on a man long after giving signs it was going to fall. From the first match day when the team lost to Congo in Calabar to the last day when it forced South Africa to a draw in Uyo, the team was pathetic all the way. The opportunities beckoned every now and then to get the campaign back on track but the team was always headed for the exit. Frankly, the quality of teams in that group shouldn’t have posed any problem for even a very abysmal Eagles but after six matches, Stephen Keshi couldn’t find a solution to the team’s degeneration.
I thought I wouldn’t sulk any more about this AFCON absence. I thought I had written the last of this lamentation series. I had resolved to move on and look at the brighter side of life. By the way, as an incurable optimist, I always believe that the downfall of a man is not the end of his life. It is not how many times a man falls but how he picks himself up. But this applies to a man falling to the vicissitudes of life. But, I can’t fathom why a man will consciously fall into a big ditch without anybody pushing him. This wound that was gradually healing has been opened by this AFCON kick-off. I have looked at the quality of some of the teams on parade and am still embarrassed that Nigeria didn’t make it. You mean Cape Verde will qualify for AFCON and Nigeria isn’t there? Somebody, please wake me up! While the continent’s best were doing it in Equatorial Guinea, Eagles Team B was engaging Yemen in Dubai. The fact that Sudan and Mali pulled out of this friendly leaving us only with the Yemen option made it more sordid. Not even the team’s 2-0 victory over Yemen could serve as a fitting consolation. It was one of those weekends filled with bad memories. Earlier on Saturday, I listened to Larry Izamoje’s ‘Music and Sports’ on Brila FM and he titled it ‘the bad side of life’. We have really found ourselves on the bad side of life. Usually, Big Larry always paints the picture of a silver lining in the sky no matter the odds, but I could feel the pains he passed through trying to let us know that we could overcome this slide.
What I normally do in such situations is to take away the positives. I try to give myself the nudge and say ‘boy, you can still bounce back’. The motivation could come in the fact that we bounced back from the failure to qualify for AFCON 2012 to win it in 2013. But then, we did the needful. When the team failed to qualify in 2011, the changes were rung. Samson Siasia was jettisoned and Keshi was hired. Keshi’s arrival was like a new lease of life. As the saying goes, ‘a coach is as good as his last match’. Leaving Siasia on the saddle after that failure, wouldn’t have sparked that immediate resurgence. At best, Siasia could still have qualifier for the next AFCON but winning it would have been a tall order as he would be too cautious. But Keshi came with the new coach factor. There is the saying that the new coach wins most of the times. He rings the changes and there is a sort of revolution. When Chelsea’s season was stuttering in 2012, Roberto Di Mateo was hired as a less glamorous ‘fire fighter’. But he employed the much maligned ‘bus parking’ formation to win the Champions League. The team finished outside the Champions League range in EPL but emerged European champions. That was revolutionary.
But are we really desirous of navigating our way out of this football doldrums? How can we reward Keshi, the coach that brought this shame to this nation with a new contract? What message are we sending out? Failure to give Keshi the Siasia treatment is setting bad precedents. While Nigerians are still bemoaning Eagles’ absence at AFCON, Keshi is dictating terms of a new contract to NFF. I learnt new terms had been tabled before him with reduced wages but he sent the document back to the NFF and left for US to spend some time with his family. This is adding salt to an injury that is proving difficult to heal. It is bad enough that Amaju Pinnick and co lack the will to give the man the boot but it is worse to see him call the shots in the negotiations. From Shuaibu Amodu to Christian Chukwu and Adegboye Onigbinde most of our seasoned coaches have advised Keshi to take a walk because he doesn’t deserve a fresh contract but he is taking advantage of his closeness to some powerful personalities in government to hold us to ransom.
It is very shameful that as a nation we know what we need but a few are lording it over the rest of us. Keshi and his friends are well aware of how difficult it was ‘smuggling’ him out of the Abuja National Stadium after the Sudan game as the fans laid siege outside. The dominant placards on that day had one message, ‘Keshi must go’. That is the voice of the people. That should also be the voice of God. Those insistent on having Keshi remain on the saddle should note the inherent dangers. The Nigerian football faithful are not happy with him and it will take a lot to win them back. This could also pose security threats to the man. It becomes more provoking when the man goes about his contract negotiations with so much arrogance. He should know that his nuts have been cracked by the gods and should be humbled. He is not being appointed Eagles chief coach on merit, so he should spare us all these ‘posing’. He brought shame to this nation and should be seen to be feeling it as much as the rest of us.
