All those empty seats in the National Stadium Abuja which were unoccupied as the Super Eagles laboured to beat lowly Mozambique last Sunday says everything one needs to know about the current Super Eagles.

As fans, we have lost faith in the team, are resigned to missing out on South Africa 2010 and are gradually getting used to the fact that Nigeria is no longer a footballing power. At the start of the qualification series, every Nigerian thought we would take the series by storm but subsequent events proved that this optimism was unfounded.

Personally, I lost faith in the current team being world beaters after the first few games in which we laboured to beat minnows such as Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Sierra Leone. We were winning games by scoring last minute goals after playing very uninspiring football for 90 minutes.

If anyone was in doubt about how poor we were, such hesitation should have ceased after the nil, nil draw in Maputo where fortunate refereeing denied the Black Mambas two legitimate goals. Things have got progressively worse since with every performance being more of an eyesore than the previous one.

It took the draw with Tunisia in Abuja for it to dawn on the majority of Nigerians that this team is nothing to write home about but some of us have been saying this from the word go. I for one have always maintained that Amodu Shaibu was given a job far above his capabilities and as such had failed even before taking charge of the first game.

Our players will tell anyone interested in listening what they think of the man’s technical know-how and how glaring his limitations are. Unfortunately, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) apparatchiks responsible for making decisions about Amodu’s role decided to be deaf to reason.

They and they alone were convinced that we had the right man for the job in Amodu Shaibu even when all the evidence pointed to the contrary. What I found most amusing about the whole charade was that they somehow miraculously expected things to change and the Eagles to start playing like a well-drilled and well-coached side.

Obviously, our NFF leaders have not heard the saying that you cannot make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear. Expecting a team coached by Amodu’s Shaibu to start playing like Holland, Spain, Brazil, England or Ivory Coast is tantamount to expecting a miracle of biblical proportions.

Amodu has given his best but as we can all see, it is woefully short of what is required and as such, we face the prospect of missing out on Africa’s first World Cup. I find it hard to believe that those who appointed him in the first place were not aware of his limitations from the word go.

As things stand, we are praying for miracles. We need to beat Kenya in Nairobi and pray that Mozambique do us a favour and at least draw with Tunisia in Maputo. For me, the latter of these two scenarios is the more likely to happen.

I have more faith in Mozambique securing a point against Tunisia than I have in Amodu Shaibu picking up a win in Nairobi. Just looking at how poorly we have played so far, the fact that we did not look like winning in Maputo or Rades and how makeshift we are as a team, makes the thought of winning on the road appear utopian.

If Nigeria was serious as a nation, we would never have appointed Amodu in the first place. Even after the initial mistake was made, we have had ample opportunities to correct it by replacing him with a world class coach after several blunders but alas, we have refused to do what is right.

Leaving Amodu in place after the fiasco in Maputo just shows how unserious we are about making it to South Africa. Cameroon in contrast has wasted no time in doing what was right and doing it ruthlessly and efficiently too. After one match, Otto Pfister was sacked and Thomas Nkono was also shown the door after a draw against Morocco.

Since they have appointed the right man for the job in Paul Le Guen, it has been three straight victories. If we had acted similarly, we would not be in this predicament now.

I last made this point in 2005 before we played Angola in Kano, pointing out that Christian Chukwu did not have what it takes to win that match but alas, no one heeded the warning. Four years down the line, we risk making the same mistake again.

We have an outside chance of qualifying for South Africa but it is dependent on us winning in Nairobi. Amodu Shaibu is clearly not up to the job of delivering that and if we leave him in place for the task, we deserve whatever punishment comes our way.

Robot  # 1 | 14.10.2009 08:22

...Read the full article.

Ebe  # 2 | 14.10.2009 10:03

As things stand, we are praying for miracles. We need to beat Kenya in Nairobi and pray that Mozambique do us a favour and at least draw with Tunisia in Maputo. For me, the latter of these two scenarios is the more likely to happen. The above can't be correct. A draw in Maputo sends Tunisia through even if we win in Nairobi because we'll be level on points and they'll go to head-to-head. In the head-to-head matchup between them and us, their two away goals in the 2-2 draw in Abuja will see them through on the away goals rule. We need Mozambique to beat Tunisia, which is unlikely but possible, while we take care of Kenya in Nairobi. The author seems to be working with the old rule, in which goal difference came before head-to-head. Actually, in addition to the Amodu problem, I think that Nigeria currently suffers from a lack of talent at the senior (maybe even Junior) level. Let's acknowledge that and begin to rebuild. I mean, how many of our senior players are starting for their teams consistently and performing at their peak? And how many of them are in competitive leagues and playing regularly in them? There's only so much that a coach can do if the talent pool is not there. Another problem is the commitment of the players--their utter lack of patriotic zeal. These guys play international matches so casually it's as if they're in a practice session with nothing at stake.

Mikky jaga  # 3 | 14.10.2009 11:21

The writer of the article could not hide his disdain for Amodu. He succeeded in railing against a man that is doing his best with whatever he had while offering no clue as to the way forward apart from his sack Amodu monotonous cry. Cameroun did not sack Pfitzer, the guy resigned when he felt he could not work with Cameroun's football federation and Nkono was just a stand in, not a substantive coach. So, nobody sacked anybody. Cameroun's initial fate in the qualifiers was as a result of personality clashes among the players which they quickly resolved when it was clear their WC hope was at stake. Nigeria lacks quality players. No good strikers that one can rely on to put the ball in when it mattered most. There is nothing much a coach can do with ordinary players. When Man City wanted to compete with the top 4, they were not looking for world class coach. They went for world class players and the result is showing. Whether Amodu qualifies for the WC or not is immaterial. Whether he can do a thorough search to get us good strikers apart from these ordinary ones we are used to is my major concern. That is where we should emphasize rather than crying for a change of coach. If Alex Ferguson takes these set of players to Angola we will definitely not go very far. Nigeria needs good players not good coach. Amodu is doing great at the moment. He has not lost a game so far in about 20 WC qualifying games. He could have done better with better players.

demurlee  # 4 | 14.10.2009 12:41

I agree entirely with You Mikky Jaga. I was wondering if change in personel at the helm can be done successfully within 5 weeks and then get the result desired?. Every point raised about Cameroun is spot on...It takes a lot to educate an average Nigerian Football fan who wants to see win win win all the time with an agitative coach on the touchline. Amodu have not lost any game so far and quoting the ESPN Don Peters about the 2 Teams( Tunisia and Nigeria)..."The pressure is clearly telling on these African heavyweights, with both sides still unbeaten and both facing away games next month for their dates with destiny. If the Carthage Eagles triumph in Mozambique, they will automatically qualify but any North African slip-up in Maputo - where Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal have all been held in recent years - will clear a path for the Super Eagles". Amodu has been crucified, condemned and killed off...while there are enough breathing space to cling on. If I were Him...get the world cup ticket either by accident or serendipity...quit!!!. Let someone else come in and start fighting to beat his records. @Ebe: Yea he is right on one point...Goals Difference determines world cup tie this year, not head to head

THE VOICE  # 5 | 14.10.2009 13:04

Enough  of  this  Amodu  bashing  please.  The  main  culprits  are  the  players ,  who  have  been  consistently  inconsistent  in  their   performances.  A  team  does  not  necessarily  needs  a  world  class  coach  to  play  good  and  winning  football. Josep  Guardiola  of  FCBarcelona  is  a  good  example. The  problem  is  more  of  administrative  than  coaching ,  NFF  or  whatever , needs  to  have  a  progressive  orientation  without  this  any  other  coach  be  it  foreign  or  extraterrestial  will  definitely  fail  given  the  current  orientation  of  our  football  administrators.

Big-K  # 6 | 14.10.2009 14:21

=Ebe;395827>The above can't be correct. A draw in Maputo sends Tunisia through even if we win in Nairobi because we'll be level on points and they'll go to head-to-head. In the head-to-head matchup between them and us, their two away goals in the 2-2 draw in Abuja will see them through on the away goals rule. We need Mozambique to beat Tunisia, which is unlikely but possible, while we take care of Kenya in Nairobi. The author seems to be working with the old rule, in which goal difference came before head-to-head. Actually, in addition to the Amodu problem, I think that Nigeria currently suffers from a lack of talent at the senior (maybe even Junior) level. Let's acknowledge that and begin to rebuild. I mean, how many of our senior players are starting for their teams consistently and performing at their peak? And how many of them are in competitive leagues and playing regularly in them? There's only so much that a coach can do if the talent pool is not there. Another problem is the commitment of the players--their utter lack of patriotic zeal. These guys play international matches so casually it's as if they're in a practice session with nothing at stake. Ebe, you mean even if we spell KENYA with goals and Tunisia gets a draw, we are still out? On the bolded portion, I couldn't agree with you more. WIth the exception of Osaze and Shittu, all the other players played as if nothing matters. In fact I have a pet theory that most Nigerian soccer players just play enough to escape poverty. Once they enter into some European contract, they think they start big-man soccer.

mathelize  # 7 | 14.10.2009 16:57

=Ebe;395827>The above can't be correct. A draw in Maputo sends Tunisia through even if we win in Nairobi because we'll be level on points and they'll go to head-to-head. In the head-to-head matchup between them and us, their two away goals in the 2-2 draw in Abuja will see them through on the away goals rule. Do your research very well before you make any comments. There's no head-to-head this time around. A one goal win will see the super go chickens through with +5 goals difference. http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/soccerstar/2009/jan/08/soccerstar-08-01-2009-002.htm

Ebe  # 8 | 14.10.2009 17:29

Mathelize, In the qualifiers for Germany, head to head was the factor of first recourse. Perhaps they're using goal difference as a first recourse this time around as someone here suggested. I did not realize that they switched back to the old system. I thought it was a permanent change from goal difference (which was the rule until the last WCQ cycle) to head-to-head. It may be that they alternate between the two, which would be fair. Thanks for providing the news report of the change. The correction is taken.

olivio  # 9 | 15.10.2009 04:45

=Ebe;395827> Actually, in addition to the Amodu problem, I think that Nigeria currently suffers from a lack of talent at the senior (maybe even Junior) level. Let's acknowledge that and begin to rebuild. I mean, how many of our senior players are starting for their teams consistently and performing at their peak? And how many of them are in competitive leagues and playing regularly in them? There's only so much that a coach can do if the talent pool is not there. Another problem is the commitment of the players--their utter lack of patriotic zeal. These guys play international matches so casually it's as if they're in a practice session with nothing at stake. i agree with these observations

Ayo Akinfe  # 10 | 15.10.2009 06:28

First of all, head-to-head was a one-off that was only used for Germany 2006. If we beat Kenya and Tunisia draws with Mozambique, we qualify. Secondly, the argument about talent is just plain untrue. How much talent do Tunisia and Mozambique have? Did they not both succeed in out-playing us? If you gave Amodu 11 Zidanes, the team would not be any better. Just look at England. Fabio Capello has exactly the same players that Steve MacLaren had. Look at the difference in the performance of the team since the change of manager. As per the players, in football, it is the job of the manager to motivate them. Had Nigeria been coached by a man like Capello, wwith these same players, we would have qualified for the World Cup with two games to spare!

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