Every time Nigeria fails to do well at major tournaments,
the fans are quick to cry out to the administrators to pick a team of players
hungry for glory. So it happened that this year their prayers were answered and
the theory of hungry players is being put to test in South Africa.
Nigerians are quick to formulate and hold on to theories
before they are tested. When they are tested though, the result leaves the
Nigerian coming to terms with his hastily reached theory. Nigerians for
instance thought a man who did not have shoes to play football or rather go to
school would make a good leader, they have been wrong and now they are wrong
yet again on the hunger theory.
Just what is the hunger theory you might ask. It is the
theory that: players who have not achieved much will take to the pitch ready to
do battle and would die making a name for themselves. It sounds good to the
ear. It even looks good to the eye but then it does not stand up to the test of
confrontation. Steven Keshi, head coach of the Super Eagles decided to leave
out experienced players: Taiye Taiwo, Obafemi Martins and Osaze Odenwinge. He assembled
a largely hungry set of players.
But the results from their opening two matches at the
on-going AFCON 2013 has resulted in the hungry players fainting under the
strain of hunger at the closing moments of the games. In the opener against
Burkina Faso’s Stallions, the team could not concentrate in the dying moments
thus throwing away two silly points. Only Joseph Yobo was experienced in a
defence that featured Elderson Echiejile, Godfrey Oboabuna and Efe Ambrose. It
was Yobo who took the brunt of that equalizer though he was in no way at fault
for the goal.
The second game though saw Zambia take the match to
Nigeria and created good chances. They could not capitalize though and then out
of the blue Nigeria through Ahmed Musa won a penalty. Mikel Obi had taken only
two spot kicks for Nigeria at senior level before. He stepped up hungry to eat
it. He couldn’t find a spoon though despite his appetite. Nigeria managed to
get a lead when a starving Emenike finished well. It was the same conclusion
when in the end the hungry players dizzy from exhaustion conceded a soft yet valid
penalty. They had no energy left to fight for a winner.
This hunger theory might get the Super Eagles out of the
group stage if they get a good result over Ethiopia and hope for a good result
elsewhere. This team though needs to be fed to make it beyond the quarter
finals. The man to feed this team is Stephen Keshi but when he said the team’s
penalty player was Mikel because there are no special penalty players, one
wonders how much technical depth such a man has to feed a technically malnourished
and hungry Super Eagles.
Hunger for success is a good motivation but it is not
enough. The Super Eagles need experienced players to drive the team but Coach
Steven Keshi and his assistants opted for a largely hungrier side. The team is
also hungry in certain departments, creativity, set-pieces and stamina to see
out matches. The Ethiopians are considered minnows but they are also hungry,
very hungry they refused to lie down and let the satisfied Zambians eat their
meal.
The team has been picked though and they are hungry. Their
hunger has let them down thus far but then we must feed them with our support,
they should not be hungry for that at least. Lastly, our coaches must feed
their technical hunger for the team is obviously too hungry to think on its
feet and had little to feed on in terms of preparation.
Ethiopia will pose a huge threat considering they might
have nothing to lose when they file out against Nigeria in the last group game
but then, we must realize that our chances of progressing beyond the
quarter-finals are limited to a starving team who will need more than their
hunger to advance beyond then. Whatever happens, up Super Eagles.
Comments