Let’s Go To Brazil…

 

These Eagles will fly...I can feel it!

In three days, just three days, the World Cup kicks off again. Who would believe that it’s yet another four years after the last edition in South Africa that seems like just yesterday? How time flies!

How else can one go to Brazil if not with the emotion embodied in our Super Eagles? Of course, there are great players and teams gearing up to exhibit their overflowing talents and tactics in the Samba nation. But dear Super Eagles remains our focal point until the inevitable happens.

 

Carrying the hopes of over 100 million Nigerians, the Stephen Keshi-tutored lads know the ernomous expectations heaped on their shoulders.

But are these tojans really ready for the Mundial?

The three friendly matches they played  in readiness for the McCoy do not really suggest they are.  A lethargic come-from-behind 2-2 against Scotland, drab 0-0 with Greece and a hugely disappointing 1-2 loss to USA tell the story of a team that could break millions of hearts in just a few days from now.

From Keshi’s 23-man list that generated deserved controversy, to seemingly poor tactics exhibited in these three games, no real follower of the game would be crucified for dropping his/her high hopes.

But shave it... I’ve seen enough of Nigerian teams to ever judge them from just friendly matches. Even when we had great foreign Technical Advisers, the Super or even Green Eagles never was a team to take friendly games seriously. In fact, if judged by just those games, the reigning African Champions would be below the 100 mark in FIFA Ranking. Prior to winning the AFCON in South Africa, the Eagles didn’t encourage their fans during the warm up games either.

Besides, this very World Cup has a very ugly peculiarity about it – players getting injured and missing out on hourly basis! Who would blame any Eagle that took it easy? We lost Elderson Echejile in the process. Kenneth Omeruo is still recuperating while Efe Ambrose momentarily stopped hearts in that game against the USA.

That team won the Nations Cup … if Joseph Yobo stays out of the line up, we’ll only be missing the doggedness of Sunday Mba but if Osaze Odewinge could stop trying too much to impress and put his experience into play, Mba’s absence may not really matter.

Keshi is street-wise and smart. He’s intelligent too. I’m very positive the Eagles that will take Iran will be quite different from the one we’ve been seeing. Emmanuel Emenike has been playing with handbrakes and so has Mike Obi. Perhaps, only Victor Moses  and Ogenyi Onazi have been truly exhibiting the real stuff they poses. Efe Ambrose too and of course, Vincent Enyema. But come the real thing and all the Eagles will certainly fly.

So, let’s go to Brazil!