I am writing the first part of this article one and a half hours before Nigeria takes on Gabon in a make-or-break football encounter that will determine the fate of the Super Eagles in their quest to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

This is the first in a series of three huge ‘mountains’ that Nigeria must climb in order to berth successfully in the USA/Canada/Mexico World Cup.

It is extremely important that the national team wins today (and it will) because Gabon are not about to rewrite the history of the encounters between the two countries. The Central African country has never ever come close to defeating Nigeria in any football competition in history.

So, even as I am preparing to go and watch the football match with friends in Abeokuta, I am thinking about the unending poor management of the national team.

Why do we keep doing things wrongly and expect a good result? What is so difficult in making life easier for everyone, particularly the players that are expected to ‘fight the fight’ on our behalf on the battle field? Why can we not simply equip them adequately for every battle by treating them right and giving them their dues at the right time? Why do we always let them look bad with their ‘threats,’ their protests, downing their tools? Why do we always romance disastrous elements and tread the rocky paths to success?

Why? Why? Why?
Our football history is littered with too many episodes of unfulfilled promises by the administrators and government, of unpaid allowances and bonuses of players and wages of coaches, issues that are now engrained in Nigeria’s football DNA, a permanent fixture and an unwanted burden before crucial matches.

The players are forced to take actions that would eventually smear their image and that of their country in order to get what are their legitimate and well-earned dues? In the process, everyone becomes disillusioned and distracted by threats and protests before the rights things are eventually done.

Why do officials and government expect and demand patriotism of the players when they don’t demonstrate the same spirit in handling the issues of their welfare and unfulfilled promises? This must stop.

It is such a simple thing to take care of the players’ essential welfare. Their rights must never become promissory notes. Players must not be promised what cannot be immediately delivered.

Promises must not be passed from one football administration or government to the next. Some players are still owed unfulfilled promises from 40 years ago. Many have died within collecting them.

Nigeria can only demand total commitment from their ‘soldiers’ only when we equip them with the entire armory they need – physical and psychological.

On the eve of this match against Gabon, when the team should be focused on preparation, they down their tools and refuse to train because they had not been paid their allowances and bonuses for the two previous matches that they won.

The whole country is thrown into a frenzy of unnecessary debates, controversy, hypertension and good reason to fail. The players are right of course. They have no choice. Imagine what would happen if, by ‘accident,’ the unexpected happens and the team loses the match. That would be the end. Nobody would listen to them after that.

The call for sacks and disbandment will take over attention, and previous ‘bills’ will be buried forever in the ensuing crisis. We have such stories tucked away in the heart of every football player that becomes an Eagle. As national team players, we never forget. This distrust of administrators is engrained in our DNA.

So, we demand for entitlements whenever the opportunity rears its head, even at crucial moments when they become a burden and an unwanted distraction.

As expected and is wont, the matter this time around is settled 24 hours later. The outstanding allowances are paid. With only one training session left as preparation, the players’ performances will, inevitably, be affected.

It is important to note that in a game such as this, it is the small details that make the big difference, determining who wins or loses. In a spirit of hope, with all things been equal, the Eagles will sail through this first storm.

I am leaving now for the fan park to watch and find out how they will do it.

The post mortem
It is the morning after. Last night, Nigeria’s romance with avoidable crisis created a big scare. Gabon were not really a threat. They had never defeated Nigeria in any match in the history of the football matches between them. They were not about to start doing so last night. They were only going to be spoilers’.

The match lasted two and a half hours when extra and additional time due to injuries etc are added. The result at the end was flattering, not really reflecting the difficulty the eagles went through to secure victory.

Nigeria did not play very well. Most of the players, except for the two central defenders, Benjamin and Calvin, did not live up to their huge reputations.

Nigeria lost several goal scoring opportunities, were lucky not to concede an early penalty kick, and were gifted a very cheap goal that changed the entire match.

In the end, however, into the extra time period, the Super Eagles lifted their game and ‘killed’ the match with goals that buried any previous thought of a ‘poor’ performance.

Victor Osimhen redeemed what would have been a nightmarish performance for him with two late, absolutely brilliant goals. Ademola Lookman looked a shadow of himself. His endless crisis in his club showed negatively in his performance.

Otherwise, I say congratulations to the Super Eagles for winning despite romancing crisis, succeeding with difficulty, and marching on with hope.
I also wish them well for the next hurdle against DCR Congo in a do-or-die encounter.