Football Nigeria -- Eagles Etcetera

Garoua -- After so much hope with a masterful display at the group rounds, Nigeria was bundled out of the AFCON by a Covid-ravaged Tunisian team that could barely dress a full team. The score was 0-1 but the reality was the Tunisians were masterful strategically, shutting down the wide areas with double triple teams that silenced the rampant Nigeria display from wide. ___________________________________________ After so much hope with a masterful display at the group rounds, Nigeria was bundled out of the AFCON by a Covid-ravaged Tunisian team that could barely dress a full team. The score was 0-1 but the reality was the Tunisians were masterful strategically, shutting down the wide areas with double triple teams that silenced the rampant Nigeria display from wide. ___________________________________________ Yet, Nigeria could still have won the game. They were the more adventurous for most of the game. Aribo had an 11th minute opportunity rubbed off Then Nigeria called for a penalty k...

Garoua -- Nigeria beat Guinea Bissau 2-0 to finish its Group games with a perfect record of 9 maximum points for the second time in its AFCON history. The first time was also under the current manager, Augustine Eguavoen. This time in Garoua, Nigeria began the game already assured of first place because of a tie breaker win over Egypt but Nigeria did not take its foot off the pedal. Guinea Bissau paid the price against a team significantly loaded with reserves that Nigeria unleashed on the day. Guinea Bissau provided a fight with Troyes' Mame Balde's speed creating difficulty for Nigeria's right side of the defense. Ebuehi was having difficulties with Balde's pace. In the 10th  minute Balde again left Nigeria's defense for dead, this time it was Ajayi panting behind , but Uzoho was quick of his line to save Nigeria. But Nigeria quickly adjusted with Ajayi playing a superb role in keeping the Troyes attacker at bay. ___________________________________________________...

CAMEROON -- Nigeria came in today against Sudan behind an exhilarating win over Egypt in the previous came. With high expectations, Nigeria put in a different performance in taking apart the Sudanese 3-1 to maintain a stranglehold on top of the group table. The Nigerian fans must have been disappointed by the play but certainly not the outcome. Nigeria knew Sudan needed points from this game to stay alive. Nigeria was not prepared  to grant those easily and stayed very disciplined staying back and waiting to pounce on opportunities. It was a stark difference from the previous game where Nigeria took the initiative. But by staying back and inviting the Sudanese forward, Nigeria was very fortunate to score very early within the first two minutes as Chukwueze, who drifted early to the middle and left scored off a deep chance.  Although Sudan, invited forward, did very little it was left for Nigeria to create the better opportunities. Sudan's only meaningful first period chance ca...

Garoua -- In an explosive display, Nigeria sent a warning to opponents who had claimed the "Eagles are dead" by claiming all three points in beating Mohammed Salah's Egypt 1-0. Nigeria, listless in a string of recent games under former Manager Gernot Rohr, looked a different side in its first official game under interim Manager Augustine Eguavoen. Egypt bore the brunt of it all.                  With 15,000 spectators cheering on, Nigeria was on the front foot for most of the game and could have won by a wider margin as it pinned down the Egyptians whose coach Queiroz had been quoted as having high hopes of Egypt returning as African champion. But Egypt's hopes did not materialize against Nigeria. Instead, it was the West Africans that were on the front foot for the most part. Moses Simon, explosive down the flank, was a nightmare for Egypt as he tormented Egypt repeatedly. It was telling that in one of his forays down the left, he left a de...

Lagos, NIGERIA – Gernot Rohr convinced Nigerians that his team was under no pressure against Cape Verde in a World Cup qualifier at home in Lagos. He was right. All the pressure was on the visitors. Cape Verde needed to win in Nigeria, a long-feared fortress of the Super Eagles. But the Islanders had no fear. After all, little Islanders from Cape Verde demonstrated that the invincibility of the Nigerians at home was now a relic of the past. Thus, they came ready to conquer and they nearly achieved their goal. ___________________________________________________ Cape Verde needed to win in Nigeria, a long-feared fortress of the Super Eagles. But the Islanders had no fear. After all, little Islanders from Cape Verde demonstrated that the invincibility of the Nigerians at home was now a relic of the past. ___________________ _______________________________ The disappointed home crowd left after a shock 1-1 tie with the consolation that a World Cup qualification is still within sight. Th...

Tangiers, MOROCCO – Nigeria stayed in the driver’s seat on the road to the final round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers with a workmanlike production against Liberia that ended 2-0. The reality is that the final score line did not reflect fully the play on the field and the losers may have felt hard done by.  Nevertheless, Nigeria was the better side and deserved the win albeit by two opportunities from the spot.                     Weeks earlier, Nigeria’s Manager Gernot Rohr had raved about the magnificent playing surface in Tangiers and gave the impression that his team was about to explode and that Kelechi Iheanacho’s long stretch of fruitless ness in front of goal was about to be over. Neither happened. Although Iheanacho was left on until 4 minutes to the final whistle, much longer than Rohr had allowed him in recent times, Kelechi was still scoreless despite the surface. Then Rohr’s team huffed for long periods and even th...

Douala, CAMEROON -- Despite the general gloom that crowded the calamity in Lagos following a shock 0-1 loss to unremarkable Central Africa Republic (CAR), Nigeria was able to recover to win the rematch 2-0 in Douala, Cameroon today. It was enough to put a world Cup campaign back on track but it is questionable whether it has assuaged the anger of Nigerian fans. It was clear that Nigeria was determined to teach the Central Africans a lesson from the first whistle. Nigeria controlled affairs immediately and it was clear that the team was on a mission. The difference in seriousness was evident. In Lagos, Nigeria huffed and puff to create chances. In Yaounde, the chances came much quicker and the cuts more incisive. Manager Gernot Rohr, a septuagenarian, had been feeling intense pressure from Nigerians after the disastrous image and home loss but he choose to make two changes. Bringing in the intense Chiedozie AWaziem to replace Ola Aina at right back and the ageing Ahmed Musa for Chiedoz...