Learning from CHAN 2016

SIR: It is no longer news that home-based Super Eagles have crashed out of the on-going African Nations Championship (CHAN), 2016 in Rwanda after being beaten by Guinea in the third match of the group stage. What’s news to me is that a team that was topping the group with four points with three goals superiority was edged out by a team that had two points with zero goal difference. You might say anything can happen in football and that there are no longer minnows in football but how do you explain a situation where all we needed to qualify for the quarter finals was just a draw and yet we blew it.

Since home-based Eagles ouster I have heard and read a lot of comments, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Coach Sunday Oliseh (who used to be a good football analyst) likened the players to “ a car without petrol” because he believed they were not motivated enough to deliver. The question is, were they like cars with full tanks when they played against Niger and Tunisia? Were they motivated?

The statement was an afterthought. If there was no motivation how did they manage to wallop Niger by four goals to one and played draw against Tunisia. No Nigerian player should be complaining of lack of motivation because the problem has always been there and will continue to be there until we learn how to put round pegs in round holes in the football house.

It’s about dedication and commitment. Even some of the players are still being owed salaries by their parent clubs so lack of motivation is not a new thing in Nigeria. People should not get me wrong; I am not saying NFF is doing the right thing. The point is it’s an honour to be picked to represent one’s country at whatever level and when you are called upon you are expected to make some sacrifices. Wearing the national colours should be enough motivation to reach for the sky. Is it a small thing to represent one’s country? When an athlete represents the country well, the reward will always come.

There is no need crying over spilt milk because all parties must have learnt one or two lessons from the bitter experience.
• Ologun Freeman,
Utako District, Abuja.