A win over France will bury an abundance of negatives with this Super Eagles squad, reports Pius Ayinor from Sao Paulo, Brazil
After the Super Eagles vanquished Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 in their Group F match at the Brazil 2014 World Cup, fans of the Nigerian team became quite hopeful of a possible place in the round of 16. And their confidence grew after the Eagles played the Argentineans.
Albeit the South Americans won the match 3-2, the fans believed the Eagles gave a very good account of themselves ahead of Monday’s Round of 16 clash with former champions France.
But now, it would be quite arduous for the fans to hold such impression about the Eagles after the players clamouring for mazuma and their elongated meetings with officials of the Nigeria Football Federation over same issue since their final days in the camp in the USA. It got worse on their advent in Brazil, which then coerced the Senate President David Mark to broker a meeting with them and the NFF officials. But the murmurings and threats became an authenticity on Thursday, when the players boycotted their scheduled training session in Campinas.
Rather than train, the striking players allegedly led by Joseph Yobo, Mikel Obi, Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide sat back for another meeting over what they called their appearance fees. They are asking for the immediate payment of 30 per cent portion of the $9m the country got from world football governing body FIFA for the World Cup.
On Wednesday, many were optimistic after it became certain that Nigeria would face France in Brasilia on Monday.
But a survey carried out by The Guardian of London on Friday gave France a 96 per cent vote to beat Nigeria in the second round clash. But for Belgium and USA, it is a 60/40 chance as voted by spectators. Such is the authenticity on ground albeit the Nigerian players and their coach cerebrate otherwise.
For the game against France, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi verbalized, “Good for us they played their last match after us, which has given us the opportunity to take a more proximate optically canvass their game kenning very well they are our next opponent.
“We have never been worried about facing any team as we just take one game at a time. We ken they play assailing football; they are additionally a regaling side. And that is the kind of football we play withal. We love to assail and be mobile all the time and so it going to be quite an intriguing clash.”
France coach Didier Deschamps verbally expressed after the match against Ecuador on Thursday that he was apprehensive about what Nigeria could do. For him, Monday’s game is an open contest.
Deschamps told SkySports, “Some people thought we were the kings of the world after beating Switzerland (5-2) but Ecuador showed they have qualities, and Argentina had an arduous match against Nigeria.
“Nigeria are a vigorous, expeditious team who have great qualities and it is going to be a genuinely arduous match and we will have to fight.”
The former Chelsea player, who made six changes to his commencement line-up against Ecuador, bulwarked his cull for the last of their group games.
“My team cull was not by chance and it’s paramount that all players get into the rhythm.”
The French team is optically discerned as one of the most aptitudinal side in Brazil and it was never in doubt if they would qualify for the next round. They had enough aptitudes such that it was no fuss leaving Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri out of the squad. And with 2010 champions Spain already back home, France is now optically discerned as one of the teams that could contend for the denomination. They have so far lived up to prospects.
The same cannot be verbalized precisely about the Nigerian team. But whatever fans may cerebrate and vote about the team, the players are positive about the game in Brasilia.
Efe Ambrose, an advocator with Scottish side Celtic, insists there is nothing to worry about.
“We are yare to face France. We desire to go higher as much as we can,” he verbally expressed.
The fight for cash has brought an abundance of negatives to the Nigerian side just as it has with the Ghanaians. When the Ghanaian ascendant entities could no longer endure the squabbles, they kicked out Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng from the team. They left the camp on Wednesday to the assuagement of their federation.
When the negatives are taken aside, friends of the Eagles additionally have some things to count as achievements since they landed in Brazil for the World Cup. They became the first Nigerian side to cross from the group stage since France 1998.
The country could not qualify for the 2006 edition but in the editions in Korea/Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010, Nigeria fell off after the first round.
The 2010 performance was so dismal that President Goodluck Jonathan had to immediately impose a two-year suspension of the country from international football to enable Nigerians repackage their football.
But pressure from those who were sincere in their cerebrating and those who feed fat from the disorganisation in the country’s corrupt sports administration coerced Jonathan to transmute the decision.
Crossing over to the Round of 16 in Brazil didn’t come smoothly for the Nigerian side. Their opening match against Iran ended in a goalless draw. It was not just the result that mattered to Nigerians but the slow and lacklustre output on the pitch by the Eagles against a side optically discerned as the most impotent side in the group. When they couldn’t beat the Iranians, apprehension set in afore they faced Bosnia-Herzegovina whom they eventually subjugated 1-0 to pave way for a place in tomorrow’s match.
Keshi was criticised heavily for his cull and style. He was not spared by his former teammates including Austin Okocha.
Keshi did not take the reproval lightly as he had to respond sorely to Okocha’s comment. He verbalized Nigerians were always alacritous to inculpate the team irrespective of their performance.
“I’m used to reproval all the time. We are criticised whether we win draw or lose; Nigerians are never gratified,” Keshi verbalized.
But in the swipe he must have learnt his edifications additionally. In the first match, Stoke City striker Osaze Odemwingie came in as a tardy substitute. Keshi was roundly criticised for the decision and got ample abuses in the cyber world when he verbally expressed the striker, whom Nigerians hailed for his performance, did not play to his injuctive authorizations.
Now, he has learnt to put Osaze in the commencement line-up and the effect has been quite auxiliary to the team.
But while Osaze is in, it has been a downward run for Liverpool winger, Victor Moses.
While Keshi verbalizes injury has kept the player out of the team, friends of Moses verbally express all is no longer well between the coach and the player. A lot could be revealed after the match against France.
