They win a match, they get criticized. They draw a match they get insulted. They lose a match and they get MASSIVELY insulted, abused, condemned and cursed.

I imagine if Brown Ideye scored a goal, they will say “he did not score the goal well, I mean Suarez would have done better”. Nigerian fans are absolutely impossible to satisfy.

In any case, watching the Nigerian Super Eagles play against the World Champions and 2 times European Champions in Spain was an eye opener as to what the Nigerians are capable of doing.

Some salient (if you like) observations and questions I’ll like to make and ask respectively are
1. Nigeria actually had more constructive possession than Spain (54% to Nigeria and 46% to Spain). The question I ask is “how many countries have had more possession than Spain in ANY match? I haven’t seen this happen in the last 5years.

2. Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque was vividly agitated and on his feet the better part of the match. The question I ask is “when last did he get so agitated on the bench?”

3. Nigeria had the most cumbersome and gruesome fixtures entering into the Confederations Cup 2013. They were in Kenya and Namibia, Texas and South America in about 10 days. I ask “which team in the Confederations Cup had such a busy schedule?”

4. This team is just a couple of months old together. I ask “how many teams in the Confederations Cup 2014 have spent this little time together?”

5. The Super Eagles were without key players like Victor Moses (Chelsea), Emamnuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow), Ike Uche (Villareal), Victor Anichebe (Everton), Osaze Odenwengie (West Bromwich Albion – if you like) and Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio). I ask “Imagine Spain without Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Pique and Torres. How good will they play?”

Another last question I would love to ask is “when last did we watch a Super Eagles team play so cohesively as a team since 1994?

And the last observation is that, this same Spanish team beat Italy 4-0 in the Euro 2012 finals in July 2012. Its pertinent to note that at that point this current Super Eagles team had not even been assembled and neither had Stephen Keshi been appointed as coach of the team.

The truth is Super Eagles may have lost 3-0 to the World Champions Spain and 2-1 to South America Champions Uruaguay but indeed they did play very well and created good scoring chances the best of which fell to Mohammed Gambo who miscued his shot wide of the goal post.

Mikel Obi played a more attacking role compared to what we see of him in Chelsea. He even took shots and scored against Uruguay. The central back defense pairing of Godfrey Oboabona and Kenneth Omeruo once again held the likes of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani to ransom as they did Didier Drogba at the Afcon 2013. The midfield looked good holding up their own against Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas as they did Yaya Toure at the Afcon 2013. Indeed the Super Eagles almost took over the midfield (I actually feel they did).

All these have been achieved in months under Stephen Keshi whose tactically ability should not be in doubt for ANY reason. Though some may argue about his selection but whether he selected those players absent or not people will still complain about his selection just as they did at the Afcon 2013. We must also give him kudos for using home based players for if he hadn’t few would have heard of Sunday Mba or Azubuike Egwuekwe who I feel did brilliantly.

All in all, the Super Eagles showed great character, intent, ambition and of course great potential. The point is that the Super Eagles are a “work in progress.” My prayer is that the team is kept together under the same boss Stephen Keshi, the man we call the Big Boss.

Nigeria’s best ever team of 1994 reached the highest FIFA ranking of any African country at number 5 in the world in 1994. It was built over 5 years under the same man Clemens Westerhof.
I believe if this team is allowed to build and stay together like we had the glorious team of 94 do for 5 years, winning the World Cup in 2014 would not be beyond their reach and if it is, 2018 would not elude them.


http://www.soccerroomtoday.com/news/nigeria-out-but-all-is-not-gloomy-for-the-super-eagles/

May God bleSs whoever wrote this..