Posted by By Ademola Olajire on
From the depth of despair and agony over how things had come to a sorry pass, and from trading blames and passing the buck, Nigerian football is looking the bright side once again after a terrific performance consigned Algeria's Fennecs to their worst -ever home defeat.
From the depth of despair and agony over how things had come to a sorry pass, and from trading blames and passing the buck, Nigerian football is looking the bright side once again after a terrific performance consigned Algeria's Fennecs to their worst -ever home defeat.
Joseph Yobo led a new brand that swept Algeria aside 5-2 in Oran on Sunday, and said afterwards: "We simply wanted to win and went for it. It was no magic. There is nothing special or fantastic about the approach, other than that we wanted to win. The tactics that the coaches adopted were superb and simply fitted into the game.
"Everything went the way we wanted. We are happy to be back in the World Cup frame."
And it certainly must be for a team that was on the brink of elimination with only 10 minutes to go, as the score-line read 2-2 at the Stade Ahmed Zabana in central Oran, Algeria's third city.
But a couple of intelligent changes by the technical crew, plus the unwavering commitment to the cause, saw three goals in the last 10 minutes as Algeria caved under the weight of Nigeria's resilience and sheer guts.
Millions of writers were standing by across the world to pen the ‘obituary' of Nigerian football, after Angola barnstormed to a 3-0 defeat of Gabon at the Cidadela a few hours earlier.
The victory took the Palancas Negras to a seemingly unassailable 18 points, and with the Super Eagles never having won in Algeria, the funeral oration had been written and was only waiting to go to press.
In 80 minutes, the undertakers were rolling out their wares but Kazeem Ayila, Obafemi Martins and Christian Obodo shut down the home team with three quick goals and the song changed.
Nobody is sure what will still happen, but certainly, if Angola will torpedo the Nigerian Eagles and go to the World Cup finals in Germany, they would not have ridden roughshod over a Nigerian side that failed to perform. This new team, this New Nigeria, is ready to give everything it has into every battle, and that is the message that assistant coach, Samson Siasia is passing to all concerned.
"Football is serious business. We looked at the match and decided on the indices that would win and how we needed to approach it and the players who would accomplish the task. Football is not metaphysics; it only calls for a sincere and thorough appraisal of each and every situation, and for an honest and diligent approach.
"Of course, we knew it was a hard task. Not even once before had Nigeria beaten Algeria in Algeria. So, after landing in Algeria, we heard the usual talk about how much the Algerians wanted to win so they can keep pride and all that, despite the fact they were not going to qualify for the World Cup or the Nations Cup.
"But we kept to ourselves and knew what we wanted. I was never in doubt we were going to win. Even at 2-2, it was still pretty our game and I knew it was a matter of time for the goals to rain."
The doyen of sports writing in Nigeria, Uncle Bisi Lawrence (Bizlaw) told Saturday Vanguard: "What happened in Algeria has shown that a coach always has some contribution to make to the overall result of a game. You can have all the great players, and not know how to use them. The new coaches showed intelligence and good knowledge of the game and their players and utilized what they had to great effect."
Skipper Austin Okocha was nowhere, as he had been in four of the previous eight qualifiers (away to Angola, Gabon and Rwanda and at home to Rwanda), but unlike the previous four stunts, the traveling party was not put in disarray this time and there was self-belief in the camp.
One of the players said after the match: "This has been an excellent game. We did not miss anybody, believe me. This is the new Nigeria team. We can fly and touch the sky."
Okocha famously missed his way in London when the contingent was heading to Kigali for a very crucial game in June and his contributions to the June 18 clash with Angola in Kano were not of immense proportions, even though he scored Nigeria's only goal. He failed to whip up determination in his team-mates and certainly had an attitude about the game, saying after the match that the Nigeria Football Association had bungled it all by taking the match to hot Kano.
While analysts wondered whether the players should not have put in every effort and ensure victory before coming back to complain, Okocha insisted the pitch of the Sani Abacha Stadium was also bad enough to disrupt football. I was there; I don't agree with him.
While the Stade Ahmed Zabana in Oran was not too friendly and there was something about the weather that could have put some of the players ill at ease, the coaches told them to forget everything around them and simply concentrate on the football. "It was candid talking throughout", said another player. "They told us Nigerians would not forgive us if we failed to win in Algeria. After we heard that Angola had beaten Gabon 3-0, we knew we had no choice but to go in there and do the job."
That was the reason the Eagles started at a frenetic pace, earning the first goal after only 18 minutes. Karim Ziani appeared to have scored an own goal but Libyan referee Abdelhakim Shelmani insisted it was a penalty kick after Obafemi Martins was hacked down in the box. Martins himself got up from the floor to place it to the blind side of Algerian keeper Mohamed Benhamon.
And just a minute to half time, John Utaka rose like a rebellious horse to power a smashing header past Benhamon off a delightful lob from Stephen Ayodele Makinwa.
Chief coach Austin Eguavoen admitted afterwards: "We took a few risks, naturally. Life itself is a risk, and when things get to a level, you take risks. We had to introduce a new team, so to say, and adopt a new approach, and look to achieve what had never been achieved before. I was one of those who got the 1-1 draw in the World Cup qualifier in Algiers on October 8, 1993 and I knew we could go one better. The most encouraging thing was the support of my assistants. Remember we all played together and feel like a family.
"Current form was the yardstick, and I believe Nigerians saw the difference."
Wilson Oruma did not play as badly as he used to, but those who could not have been guaranteed shirts in previous dispensation, like Kazeem Ayila, Taye Taiwo and Stephen Makinwa started, with Seyi Olofinjana, Nwankwo Kanu and Garba Lawal on the bench.
"There is no need to single out any particular player, because everyone worked hard for the result. We now have to look forward to the clash with Zimbabwe in five weeks' time. We believe that by God's grace, we can still qualify for the World Cup finals", added Eguavoen.
For Nigeria to reach her fourth successive World Cup finals, Angola's Palancas Negras must not win in Kigali, where they face Rwanda's Wasps in a top-bottom clash on October 9. And the Eagles must win in Abuja against Zimbabwe.
New skipper Joseph Yobo said: "The Abuja situation is in our hands but we don't have control of what will happen in Rwanda. All the same, we pray for things to go our way because we now have a team that will fly Africa's flag creditably at the World Cup finals in Germany next year."
FIFA has shifted the match in Abuja against Zimbabwe to Sunday, October 9, same day as Rwanda and Angola's clash at the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali.
In the rest of the qualifying race, Ghana pulled the chestnut out of the hat by beating Uganda 2-0 in Kumasi, with Burkina Faso's defeat of South Africa in Ouagadougou a day earlier making sure the Black Stars will play at their first World Cup finals next year.
Although the Ghanaians can still be caught on 18 points if the Simba beat South Africa in Johannesburg and Ghana lose to Cape Verde away, the head-to-head rule favours the Black Stars, who drew 0-0 in Kumasi and forced the Simba to 1-1 in Kinshasa. Even in head-to-head, away goal will count double when there is such situation.
South Africa's hopes lay in ruins at the August 4 Stadium, Ouagadougou, where they were pounded 3-1 by the Etalons. The 1996 African champions failed to rise to the occasion and suffered savagery from the disappointed South African media.
As hosts of the 2010 World Cup finals, it would have been ‘meet and proper' for the Bafana Bafana to be present at the preceding tournament, in Germany next year. But they bungled it the moment they lost 2-0 to Ghana in Johannesburg in June.
The Stars, four-time African champions, simply dug their feet into the ground and would not allow the advantage to go. Though South Africa qualify for next year's Nations Cup finals, that is no consolation to a nation that appeared at the last two World Cup finals and believed she should always be at the global showpiece.
Togo took the step they were expected to take by hammering Liberia 3-0, all the goals coming in the second half at the Stade de Kegue. Sheyi Adebayor scored his ninth goal of the campaign, coming in as a substitute, and Cherif Maman Toure and Kader Toure Coubadja added goals in a happy-ending second period which was followed by scenes of wild celebration in the country's capital, Lome.
But a day earlier, Senegal rustled the script by beating Zambia away in Chililabombwe, meaning the Chipolopolo's World Cup dreams are truncated once again by Senegal. It can be recalled that 12 years ago, the Zambian team was flying to a World Cup qualifier in Senegal when the air force aircraft carrying them ended up in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Gabon.
Most disappointed was technical director Kalusha Bwalya, whose hopes of going to the World Cup as a coach ended belly-up.
Senegal, 2002 World Cup quarter -finalists, will reach Germany 2006 if they beat Mali in Dakar next month and Togo are beaten in Pointe Noire by Congo's Red Devils. Togo will qualify if they could get a draw in Pointe Noire, no matter the result in Dakar.
Cameroon truncated the Ivory Coast's hopes of a World Cup ticket, beating the Elephants 3-2 in front of a full house at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny. Poor defending and lethargy are to blame for the disaster, as Didier Drogba and Achille Webo exchanged goals at opposite ends until Daniel Ngom Kome punished another slack defending three minutes from time, to heave the Indomitable Lions into prime position for a fifth consecutive appearance at the global finals.
Cote d'Ivoire can still qualify, if Cameroon unexpectedly fail to beat Egypt in Yaounde's Stade Ahmadu Ahidjo and Cote d'Ivoire trample on Sudan in Omdurman in October. Egypt beat Benin Republic 4-1 the Pharaohs are only good for the Nations Cup finals that they host in January.
Tunisia and Morocco will go to the wire, after both won their matches against Kenya and Botswana respectively. The African champions have the advantage with 20 points, to Morocco's 19, and the Atlas Lions have to visit Stade Rades - venue of last year's Nations Cup Final between the two teams - on October 8.
Guinea have qualified for the African Nations Cup finals, as they jumped to 14 points after beating Malawi 3-1 in Conakry. Kenya, on 10 points, cannot now catch up with the Syli Nationale.