Monday, January 28, 2008

When Nigerian Streets are still Silent

Everyone in Nigeria know quite well that at this period when the African Cup of Nations is on, the Nigeria streets is always erupted with shouts of goals especially when our Soccer teams - The Super Eagles score goals. Those who are not aware that such soccer fiesta of that magnitude is on are jostled by such shouts, and it indeed adds glamour to the events.
However, in this year edition, reverse is the case, as the Nigerian streets still remain silent, two weeks into the events. Our soccer teams are yet to score a goal. We file out again tomorrow to face our neighbour - Benin republic and it is only a matter of time for us to know whether we are still participating in the event or not, most especially when our qualifications for the next round falls on Ivory Coast, whom we expect to help us beat Mali which we cannot do ourselves. Nigerians are good with permutations, they still expect to qualify when indeed Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast had said it openly that his wife came from Mali, even before Nigeria met Mali in that goaless draw. One would have concluded that, going by Drogba's utterances, his country's dilema is now made easier by Nigeria performance against Mali, as what they need to do is to play a draw since he said it earlier on that his wife hails from Mali and does not know what to do.
A friend of mine would never agreed that Eagles did not sold out their matches. He backed it up that, the betting syndicate that approach Benin Coach probably succeeded with either our own Coach or the Super Eagles as a whole because he cannot understand why the Eagles play without determination and as if nothing is at stake. That is football for you, football lovers do not take it lightly when their team did not perform.
Simply put, Nigeria is out of the competition, we should stop dreaming. What we however expect Eagles to do tomorrow is to score goals, as much as they can, that way, they will be saving their face and indeed the country a lot of agony of evictions at this early stage of the competitions. At least the Nigerians street will erupt in shout of G-O-A-L-S!!!!

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