The exit of the Super Eagles in the round of 16 against Tunisia in the 2021 Total Energies African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon after maintaining a flying start that guaranteed they topped the group in Garoua, was a bitter pill to swallow by Nigerians.
Though a game is constrained to two outcomes, win or lose, Nigerians were bluntly not happy with the 1-0 loss to the North African side who held the Super Eagles to concede a red card.
However, there was an opportunity to redeem the image of a team earlier projected to reach the AFCON finals before sports-loving Nigerians. Opportunity to feature in the world football event where the global football community converged every four years to showcase their talents and level of development of football in their respective countries.
Accordingly, the Super Eagles of Nigeria need to undergo a qualifier like every other country eager to participate in the finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and were slated to play their final double-tie playoff with Ghana.
Hopefully, Nigerians were expecting a better outing from Augustine Eguavoen-led Super Eagles to capitalize on the golden opportunity to win the confidence of Nigerians who have lost faith in the Nation’s football senior team.
Read Also: Firm launches multi-billion naira estates in Lagos
Like a recurring decimal, the Super Eagles of Nigeria were unable to make it to the World Cup after the Black Stars of Ghana defeated the senior men’s football team at the MKO National Stadium in Abuja on goal aggregates to send them packing before their home fans.
However, the captain of the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa, has appealed to Nigerians to see a rejuvenated Super Eagles under the new head coach Jose Peseiro who is determined to win the next 2023 AFCON tourney in Cote d’Ivoire.
Musa, who is the most capped player in the senior team, noted that the tactics, patterns and style of coach Peseiro is unique and would yield useful results in no distant time.
“I will ask Nigerians to still believe in the players because I know we have the best of players that can do that,” Musa appealed.
“So it’s left for us the players to prove him right that with what he saw we are going to deliver
“So for me with the kind of training I saw I believe the Super Eagles will be very different from what people saw before. I think with this manager a lot of things will change,” the captain assured.
Musa stressed that with Peseiro having the mindset and belief of winning the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, there is something special with the team that must have narrowed the decision.
