Why Nigeria’s loss to Ivory Coast is a National Pain

By Soibi Versatile

Nigerians have been going through a lot since the coming of President Bola Tinubu’s government. First with the removal of fuel subsidy and the rise of the dollar to 1500 Naira in the stock market. The new year had begun for most Nigerians in a very harsh manner as prices of goods had gone overboard and protests around the country were beginning to pile up, first with Northern Nigerian states and then the South West. What gave Nigerians a glimmer of happiness was the African Nations Cup as they watched their team win game after game and advance to the final.

The tournament began with a game against Equatorial Guinea where the Super Eagles played a 1-1 draw before defeating hosts Ivory Coast in the second match and then seeing off Guinea Bissau to clinch qualification for the Round of 16. In the Round of 16 they faced Cameroon and won the game 2-0, thanks to Ademola Lookman bagging a brace. The expectations were beginning to soar high as Nigerians around the world were developing interest in the tournament and the Super Eagles were gaining worldwide applauds.

Next came Angola in the Quarter finals. The Nigerian side led by coach Jose Peseiro did not disappoint as they squeezed past the Angolans courtesy of a wonderful goal by Ademola Lookman. Nigerians were then paired to face their rivals South Africa. The eagles led in the game before conceding a late penalty which was dispatched by T. Mokoena sending the game to extra time and then penalties.

Before the penalty shootout began many Nigerians were apprehensive as South Africa had survived a penalty shootout against Cape Verde with their goal keeper Ronwen Williams making four saves out of five breaking a FIFA record in the process. However as fortune will have it the Eagles made a heroic performance scoring 4 penalties with their goal keeper Stanley Nwabali saving two before senior man Kelechi Ihenacho scored the winner to send the Nigerian side to the final.

Nigerians were ecstatic and Twitter now X  was trending with banters of Amapiano and other ridiculous jokes. Most Nigerians expressed their optimism as the draws for the final was still awaiting.

” Ivory Coast again ” most Nigerians were hopeful. Some were skeptical as the manner of the Ivorians success in the competition was scary having qualified as best losers to reach the round of 16 before sending Senegal parking. In the quarter finals they went down to 10 and still beat Mali who were one of the favorites to progress to the last four before beating DR Congo despite being second best for most of the game to book a final with Nigeria.

Ivory Coast were the host and they quickly did themselves a favor by raising flight tickets from Nigeria and raising the cost of stadium tickets too to deter an increase in Nigerian support. The President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu was almost in attendance before Nigerians had begged him not to come for fear his presence would spoil the victory chances. He did stay back home. However the Vice President Kashim Shettima who was in the Semi final also came for the final.

The Super Eagles took the lead in the 38th minute  through skipper William Troost-Ekong despite being second best for most of the first half. The second half saw a spirited Ivorian comeback thanks to former Barcelona man Franck Kessie and Broussia Dortmund’s Sebastian Haller. The Super Eagles were defeated. Ivory Coast had had become African Champions against all odds.

In the midst of a severe economic hardship most Nigerians had at least shed the weight of the burden using football and there was some level of great unity spread across the nation. There was also some sort of national pride in being a Nigerian in a time most Nigerians had fled the country ( japa) because things were getting worse. The defeat brings Nigerians back to their reality of a dead economy and a nation ravaged by kidnapping and inflation. Should Nigeria had won? It would have been an anaesthesia that would have rubbed through the injurious last 9 months of the Bola Tinubu regime.

Soibi Versatile is Daily Memoirs’ Chief Writer

They send evil men as federal government delegates to go and disturb the players. Today we have seen the results. Their presence made supper eagles to stop flying. Can anything good come out of this trial and error APC led government's?