We arrived in Brazil as the Champions of Africa, the continent’s pride.
We travelled to Belo Horizonte and they draped us in flowers, celebrated our failings and cheered the every touch of our lowly opponents.
In Salvador—the capital of happiness—our hopes were curtailed by a veteran’s thunderbolt.
Then, the foray to Fortaleza, and a contest with the champions of Europe, the champions of the World, a team one day to be revered among the finest the universe has ever produced.
The narrative has been reversed; the crushing victory against Pacific minnows was greeted with indifference and inevitability, the narrow defeat to the Celeste of Uruguay met with shrugs of respect and respectability, and the 3-0 loss to Spain cradled by gushing glory and a renewed sense of belonging.
Only in the darkest of defeats, the confirmation of elimination has the world begun to believe in Stephen Keshi’s mission and the Super Eagles’ place at the international high table.
Against La Roja in Ceara State we met many familiar but forgotten figures of the African game; they were all there.
Ahmed Musa was the bright young thing, the prodigal talent, blessed with pace and promise, but lacking the noblest of all the virtues, a mind to capitalise on his twinkling toes.
John Obi Mikel was the talismanic hero. The midfield general, an absence lamented since the departure of Sunday Oliseh; spraying passes, prompting attacks and driving his side forward. They tell me that during the group stage no player completed as many passes in the final third of the pitch as the Chelsea man.
There was Vincent Enyeama, the final stand, the last line of defence, consistently strong, consistently resolute, but ultimately unable to cull the calculated offense that came his way.
In these men we recognised figures we have come to know and adore over the last 12 months, men who carried the Eagles to South Africa, who claimed a continent’s crown, and who were so defiant in defeat here at the Confederations Cup.
Dreams of the semifinal depart unrealised, but optimism is rife following such a bold defeat. Nigerians are now looking forwards, not towards a knock-out clash with Brazil, but towards a summer of promise back in this land of carnival and protest.
This competition may have ended in disappointment and elimination, but Keshi and his collective have made the most of their opportunity to demonstrate their burgeoning talents before a global audience.
Certainly, the attack may have been at times shambolic, the forward line lacking almost any semblance of cohesion, and areas of the squad proving to be wafer thin, but against Uruguay, and particularly Spain, the side showed that they have the requisite ability to trouble the elite teams; they don’t get much more accomplished than the Champions of South America, of Europe, and of the World!
The attack is an evident area of weakness, although Nigerians can take solace in the fact that the likes of Victor Moses, Emmanuel Emenike and Kalu Uche will return from injury in due course.
Beyond them, there is a whole swathe of attacking talents plying their trade across the world who could be primed to step into the squad ahead of next summer. Keshi need never feel forced to rely on the limited abilities of Ideye Brown, Anthony Ujah and Joseph Akpala again.
It is easy to forget just how young and relatively inexperienced this side are—it was a point Keshi was keen to convey in the wake of their defeat. While Spain have played together for over half a decade, and almost all have a career’s worth of top-end experience, Nigeria still have the capacity to grow together.
The assured centre back pairing of Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Oboabona are just 19 and 22 respectively; the aforementioned Musa and the absent defensive midfielder Ogenyi Onazi are only 20, while talented forwards Victor Moses and Nnamdi Oduamadi are each 22 and with great scope for development.
They may have received criticism from some quarters following their stuttering victory over Tahiti, but in defeat, perhaps paradoxically, the Super Eagles have shown that they know how to stand strong, they are capable of controlling a midfield and carving out chances, and—with a key inclusion or two up front—could well be capable of beating some of the world’s finest teams.
It will doubtless be another year of learning and development for Keshi and his young side, if they continue in their trajectory, expect them to stick around a little longer in Brazil next summer.
Culled from www.kickoff.com
