Nigeria soared past West African neighbours Guinea, at the ongoing Total African Cup of Nations (AFCON), ongoing in Egypt.
But many couldn’t understand why mighty Nigeria could not whip Guinea’s Syli Nationale silly.
It was a slur on Nigeria’s national pride — trust Nigerians, with unfazed superiority complex, when the subject is less endowed fellow African countries!
Indeed, some even boast, asking where was tiny Guinea, when Nigerian football Trojans ruled the African roast: Muda Lawal, Kunle Awesu, Haruna Ilerika, Baba Otu Mohammed, “Mathematical” Segun Odegbami and “Chairman” Christian Chukwu; not to talk of the real contemporary masters, epitomized by the late Stephen Keshi: Taribo West, Emmanuel Amuneke, Rashidi Yekini, Kanu Nwankwo, Daniel Amokachi, Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Uche Okechukwu (aka the gentle giant), at the back of the 1994 golden set that not only conquered all Africa at the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia but also went on to make an indelible mark at the USA 1994 World Cup.
Part of that generation would also win the Olympic gold in the football, first by any African nation, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Isn’t that enough proof that the standard of Nigerian football was crashing? Or how do you explain Nigeria not thrashing Guinea? Talk is cheap!
The fact is Nigeria had never had it easy with Guinea, even at the best of times. Out of 10 meetings, before the June 26 Alexandria AFCON showdown, Nigeria and Guinea had grabbed five wins a-piece. Though the Egypt win tilted the scale 6-5 for Nigeria, the raft of seven previous draws, between the two sides, shows how close they had been in football terms.
Indeed, though the then Nigerian Green Eagles pecked Guinea 2-0 to nick the gold medal at the 1973 2nd All Africa Games in Lagos, Guinea bettered Nigeria, to place second after champions Morocco, at the 1976 AFCON. That was the edition where Nigeria, powered by Christian Chukwu, Haruna Ilerika, Muda Lawal, Kunle Awesu and Baba Otu Mohammed (Awesu and Mohammed emerged the championship’s best left and right wingers), started making impact at AFCON.
A year earlier in 1975, when Nigeria’s Rangers International got to the final of the then elusive African Cup of Champions Cup (now African Champions League), Guinea’s Hafia taught Nigeria’s Rangers (of Chukwu, Kenneth Abana, Ogidi Ibeabuchi, Emmanuel Okala etc) the ABC of footballing skills, with the audacious “le petit souris” (little rat) and the razor-sharp Kamara brothers, running rings round the Rangers giants!
It was sheer celestial football, at the then thriving National Stadium, Lagos, where the Hafia boys came, saw and grabbed the cup, in the most audacious show of silky skills, contrasted to Rangers sturdy kick-rush-and-follow!
Why all this? Just to make the point that Guinea are not football innocents and are quite a force to reckon with in African football.
The Nigeria-Guinea AFCON match was no top-drawer in entertaining or explosive football, rippling with 90-minutes action, sending the fans roaring and bawling for more.
But it was a lesson in disciplined tactical play. Guinea was playing for draw, since that would have earned them the one point needed to go all out against debutants, Burundi, gross five points and fancy their Round of 16 qualification, perhaps after Nigeria, who had won their first match against Burundi. But if a win came, they would take it.
With Nigeria, on the other hand, a win or a draw would do. A draw would amass them four points before their final match against another debutant, Madagascar, en route to grossing seven points to top the group. A win — which Nigeria eventually got — would have made it even easier: for they would have hit the Round of 16, with a match to spare. That’s where they are now.
So, the match was not about any bragging right. It was rather about the correct tactics for qualification. Nigeria got its tactics right. Guinea got its wrong. So, give the Eagles some respect for, so far, getting the job done.
It’s morning yet on AFCON day in Egypt!
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