SPORT STONES: Thank God and Mozambique, we are in South Africa

The first person to

call me after the Super Eagles qualified for the World Cup was the

Chief Standards Editor of NEXT, Gbemiga Ogunleye.

A diehard Gunner, I

take pleasure in teasing Mr. Ogunleye each time Arsenal kids are taught

one or two lessons in football by Manchester United, Chelsea, or any of

the Cities, Hull, Stoke, Birmingham, or Bolton.

But Mr. Ogunleye is

also a diehard supporter of the Super Eagles. After our 2-2 draw

against Tunisia in Abuja, his number one concern was our chances of

qualifying for the World Cup. Each time he asked, I always told him

that ‘blessed are the hopeful, for they will not be disappointed’. I

was cocksure that the Eagles could not qualify after throwing that

opportunity away and was already thinking of 2014 World Cup.

Converted by a trip to Mozambican border

Penultimate week, I

was in South Africa for a training workshop at the University of

Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg. After the programme, a few of us

decided to travel to Mpumalanga province. The farther we explored the

province, the closer we got to Mozambique. At most bars and

restaurants, we foundd a lot of Mozambican tourists and immigrants, and

the only subject of discourse was the match between Mozambique and

Tunisia and how imperative it was for them to win the match and qualify

for the Nations Cup which is taking place in their region.

They told me the

Super Eagles were going to lose in Kenya, so they needed to win their

match to avoid the embarrassment of missing out of the Nations Cup and

watch Kenya on television.

The Mozambicans

could not understand how Nigeria escaped from Maputo with a point, and

how they left Abuja without a point after playing so well.

Given the zeal with which the Mozambicans played, I knew the best the Tunisians could get was a draw.

Back in Nigeria

When I entered the

newsroom last week and told my colleagues that the Eagles would

qualify, Nnamdi Okosieme said ‘Kay you don’t change, abi na you go pay

the Kenyan and the Mozambican the Gbalamu or you are now in charge of

tactical for NFF”. Many of my colleagues could not understand where my

optimism was coming from and they advised me not to come to work on

Sunday. It was the same story in the neighbourhood where I live, as

they all told me to pack and start looking for another accommodation.

During the match

when the Eagles were a goal down, Okosieme called me, “Kay, Kenyans don

score, your prediction has failed.” I advised him to relax, that the

game was 90 minutes and not 45 minutes.

At the end of the day, the Eagles qualified, and the Mozambicans also made it to the Nations Cup.

But apart from the

ambition of the Mozambicans and the crisis in the camp of Kenya, the

prayer of Nigerians, especially the General Overseer of the Redeemed

Christian Church Of God, Pastor Adajare Adeboye, were answered. Paul

Bankole wrote in Next last Tuesday that we would qualify because God

would intervene on our behalf.

What next ?

Now that we have qualified, the NFF and its spin doctors will go to town and start claiming the glory that belongs to God.

Super Eagles coach,

Shaibu Amodu, should be humble enough to admit that he has not got what

it takes to handle the Super Eagles. Amodu’s selection, tactics and

everything about the Eagles coach, are faulty. It is not enough for us

to qualify for the World Cup, we must go there and prove that we are

one of the best.

Our number one need

is a good coach. Many football buffs and fans would say that we don’t

have players again, that the last time we had quality players was

USA’94.

Check the pedigree

of the players we have today and the ones we used for the USA’94 World

Cup; you need not be an Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho to know that we

have better players today.

The Eagles, under

Amodu, are like England under Steve MaClaren. A bunch of uncommitted

players who are not giving their best because they are untouchable; who

will play for the national team irrespective of their form and

performances in training. The same set of players that could not

qualify for the EURO 2008, qualified for the World Cup with two matches

to spare.

With a Capello-like coach, the Eagles will make a huge impact in

South Africa. One hopes Sanni Lulu, Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Taiwo Ogunjobi

are reading.