World Cup ouster: The way forward for Super Eagles

Nigeria's Super Eagles on March 29 disappointed their numerous fans when they crashed out of the prestigious 2022 World Cup qualifier by losing to the Black Stars of Ghana.

Although the encounter at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, ended 1-1, the Ghanaian team moved ahead on superior away goal advantage.

Both teams had ended the first playoff on March 25, in Babayara Stadium, Kumasi, on a barren draw.

Unlike the usual Nigerian spectatorship, the fans went berserk at the stadium after the Abuja encounter, destroying much of the infrastructure not quite long ago renovated by Africa's richest man and Kano-born industrialist Aliko Dangote.

In many parts of the country, Super Eagles fans went wild in their reaction to the inability of their darling team to appear at the Qatar Mundial later this year.

This would be Nigeria's second absence from the prestigious global competition since they made their debut in U.S. '94.

Nigeria altogether made six appearances at the World Cup: 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

Some fans in Kaduna, Enugu, Ilorin, Lagos and elsewhere were critical about the performance of Eagles in the Abuja qualifier.

Bashir Idris, one of them in Kaduna said: "The era of entertainment football is over. Playing and winning is what is obtainable now. It is unfortunate that we have players but we don't have a team."

He was however quick to point out that the vandalism of structures and property at the stadium was uncalled for.

"We must learn to be patriotic no matter the situation we find ourselves. The cost of fixing of vandalised property will still be borne by government.''

A viewing centre operator in Kaduna, Francis Oche, said: "This is what you get when you do not invite natural, creative midfielders that will dictate the game pattern to camp.

"Such players should be feeding strikers with meaningful passes that could result in goals. Players should be more serious. They played the game as if nothing was at stake.''

Another enthusiast, Rayyan Ibrahim, a footballer with a local club, said: "Super Eagles don't have a coach, simple.

"Why did we sack Gernot Rohr that got us here and replaced him with an Austin Eguavoen that couldn't cross the group phase of the 2021 AFCON?

"His starting line-up on Tuesday showed him as a coach who works by public opinion and not his own tactical ability. For me, it was his fault. I knew he would not qualify Nigeria for Qatar.

"All we need to do now is to overhaul the team, the technical crew and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).''

Abdulganiyu Zubairu, another fan said: "The coach is not tactical; he does not know how to read a game.

"As a result, we didn't come up with a good game plan right from the first leg in Kumasi, where we played 0-0.''

Football enthusiasts in Enugu also called on the NFF to begin to rebuild the Super Eagles before their future competitive engagements.

Some of the enthusiast said that the better team (Ghana) won the match and that the Nigeria players lost because of over-confidence.

Norbert Okolie, Rangers Media Officer, said the Super Eagles performance was not what most Nigerians expected as Nigerians expected a `massive win`.

He said the visitors' early goal gave them confidence and put Super Eagles players under pressure and Super Eagles did not overcome the pressure after equalising the game.

"After the equaliser, we had opportunities to win the match, but the players decided to play as if nothing was at stake.

"It is painful that Nigeria is not going to the World Cup, but all the same, all we need now is to go back to the drawing board.

"We have to rebuild the team; get them ready for future tournaments to avoid the same story,'' he said.

Okolie said the team should be blamed generally for performing below expectation.

Christian Oduma, Chairman, Enugu State Grassroots Football Managers Association, said the players' woeful performance made him to doubt if they were the ones that played the first leg in Ghana.

"I do not know what came over the players because they did not even play up to what they played at the first leg.

"Well, it has come and gone and there is no need crying over spilled milk. We need to move on by grooming good players that will make the country proud in future tournaments,'' Oduma said.

Ibuchukwu Nwodo, former Chairman, Rangers Supporters Club, said the players tried their best but luck was not on their side.

"The players know that they have offended millions of their supporters. While we needed to be at the World Cup, let us remember that it is not our birth right,'' Oduma noted.

Mutiu Adepoju, a member of the glorious 1994 Super Eagles' squad, described Nigeria's loss to Ghana in the World Cup qualifier as sad and unfortunate.

Adepoju said that Nigeria must return to the drawing board and rebuild the national team.

"It is quite unfortunate that we miss going to Qatar 2022, I have said it that it was a 50/50 chance for us to go to Qatar 2022, but the match didn't go our way.

"Unfortunately for us, we conceded an early goal and everything went horrid. It is quite sad and unfortunate, but that is football, you lose some and win some.

"In this situation, we have to move on, we can't dwell on the past and I don't want to go into the technical area because the coach, Austin Eguavoen, has been there before.

"Eguavoen has the capacity, but everything went bad, it is not a time to apportion blame on anyone, we need to move on," he said.

Knowing the damage done to the national psyche, Super Eagles Vice captain William Troost-Ekong apologised to Nigerians on behalf of the team for their failure to qualify for Qatar 2022.

Troost-Ekong posted the apology on his verified Facebook page on Wednesday.

"To all Nigerians, on behalf of the team, we want to apologise for not securing the World Cup ticket.

"Despite giving it everything possible, it wasn't meant to be.

"First and foremost, as Nigerians, we share your emotions and we take our responsibility as a group.

"We sincerely thank the Nigerian fans for their overwhelming support, the NFF president who did everything possible to make the qualification happen and of course the minister.

"A bitter pill to swallow, but believe me, we will be back, better and stronger."

Prior to 1994 World Cup, then Nigeria's technical Adviser Clemence Westerhorf threw the Eagle's camp open and gave chance to all talented footballers to be selected. The result was an impressive outing at the U.S. Mundial.

His assistant Jo Bonfrere did same in the U-20 team selection for the Atlanta '96 Olympics and the team came home with the Olympic Gold after defeating Brazil and Argentina in tough semi-final and final respectively.

Over the years, subsequently, the team's sweat merchants have had to rely on only foreign based professionals to adorn the nation's jerseys, notwithstanding the abundant local talents in the national league (NPFL) and criticisms from pundits.

Now that the Super Eagles fans and ex-internationals have called for an overhaul of the national team and the country's sporting architecture, it behooves on the authorities to do the needful in order to return the national team to their once winning paths.