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The Super Eagles could seal AFCON qualification over the weekend with wins over Guinea-Bissau. So why does it seem like no one cares?
The last time the Super Eagles took the field in a competitive context, history was made in emphatic, ruthless fashion. That 10-0 drubbing of Sao Tome set a new record for margin of victory by the Nigeria senior men's national team, and saw quite a few massage their international goal averages in the process.
More pleasing than the result, however – for just how much could one get out of such an utter annihilation? – was the intent and mentality. Whereas previously the Super Eagles could be relied upon to vanquish canon fodder in the most boring manner possible, here there was a sense of a young team, borne of a new impetus, spreading its wings and seeking to make a statement. Enjoying itself, even.
And yet, ahead of Friday's meeting with Guinea-Bissau, enthusiasm is at an unmissable low. It is highly unlikely that the attendance on the day will make any sort of dent in the 60,000-capacity Abuja national stadium; many do not even know that the Super Eagles will be in action either side of the weekend, and this despite the fact that, all across Europe, Nigerian players are posting headline performances on a weekly basis.
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20:21 - 23.03.2023
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The root of this apathy, on a macro level, is of course the present state of the country as a whole. The fallout of the recently-concluded elections, disillusionment with institutions and a cash crunch have smashed the spirit of a nation, driving a young population to the brink of nihilism. For those who live and breathe within the bubble of competitive sport, it can be easy to lose sight of this but, at the end of the day, football is only, as Arrigo Sacchi once pithily surmised, the most important of the least important things in the world.
On a micro level, the problem is that the aforementioned drubbing, invigorating though it was, seems like it happened a lifetime ago. Since then, a World Cup has taken place, with Nigeria conspicuous by their absence. Not only that, but Jose Peseiro's charges have played three further matches, all of them friendlies, and won exactly none. They have shipped eight goals in the process too, and even though it is no great shame to be on the wrong side of results against Algeria and Portugal, the manner of the performances themselves have thrown up more questions than answers.
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It does not help that back-to-back meetings with Guinea-Bissau are unlikely to address those misgivings, of course. The last time these two sides met was roughly 14 months ago, in the group stage of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Nigeria won that handily, even rotating their starting lineup on account of having sealed top spot in the group prior. With the utmost respect, it would come as a monumental surprise were the Super Eagles to fail to garner maximum points over these two meetings, so outsized is their qualitative advantage.
Guinea Bissau staff reveals plans for Super Eagles stars Osimhen and Lookman
As a result, there is little to gain or glean, and as such little room for emotional or intellectual investment. There is not even the stimulation of watching new players blooded, as a thoroughly uninspired selection, occasioned by cost-cutting measures at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has served to alienate the fan base further. (Quite what has become of the many sponsorship deals whose announcements regularly rent the air under the previous administration is anyone's guess.)
What then is this all in service of? Any semblance of a meaningful project has been nixed by the football administration's ham-fisted new direction on national team invitations. For what possible project can be pursued with the inclusion of ridiculously under-qualified and over-promoted players like young Daniel Bameyi, a centre-back so out of his depth even at under-20 level that he was usurped in his natural position and then shunted out to right-back. If he is considered anything like the cream of that crop, then the milk has gone rancid; if he is an answer, what is the question?
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On the tin, the indication is that Nigeria is seeking to qualify for the AFCON in Cote d'Ivoire. In truth, with an expanded field and with such a weak group to contend with, it would be harder to fail to qualify. So there is no jeopardy. On the pitch, Peseiro's system might have been an interesting subject to explore, but again, what would the point be? Even Augustine Eguavoen, well-intentioned but out of step with the nuances of the modern game, managed to turn Guinea-Bissau over with a second string side; these are not the sort of matches in which shape and tactics will reveal or decide much.
How will Wilfred Ndidi handle playing within the Portuguese manager's more open tactical system, having been almost entirely absent to this point? Probably fine. Will Victor Osimhen keep up his goalscoring return on the international stage, continuing the inexorable march toward breaking Rashidi Yekini's record? Probably. Who will Peseiro pair the Napoli forward with? Probably Terem Moffi, to whom he has taken a shine and who is in strong form with new club Nice. Who will start in goal? Probably Francis Uzoho, as there is no real competition for his spot anymore. Who are the starters at centre-back? Considering the paucity of options and the strength of the opposition, does it even matter?
Nigeria Possible XI vs Guinea-Bissau: Osimhen in attack, Uzoho in goal but no Iheanacho
Does any of it? With no grand design, no clear blueprint for success – or even forward momentum – no stakes and no excitement, it is no wonder that the bloom has gone off the rose.
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