Super Eagles at AFCON: Three historical perspectives, Eagles have another Moses
The recurring events that have occurred in AFCON triumphs and the presence of another Moses.
Footballers and the most fervent fans are largely superstitious, and they pick on recurring events, especially when the outcome is a win or triumph.
We have seen players hopping onto the pitch on one foot; we know players who will never step on lines; we also know those that wear the same pair of underwear because they believe it brings good luck. thus, as a superstitious Nigerian fan, I have picked (maybe myopically) recurring events through AFCON history when the Eagles have lifted the trophy.
Humour me by reading this with an open mind.
The Nigeria senior national football team, the Super Eagles, in their history of participation in the Africa Cup of Nations Cup tournament, have never won the Nations Cup after a complete sweep in their group matches. In 1980, the Green Eagles (as they were then known) topped Group A with five points (seven points in today’s equivalence) from two wins and a draw. They scored four goals and conceded one.
They beat Tanzania (West Africa) 3–1; drew 0–0 with Ivory Coast (West Africa) and beat Egypt (North Africa) 1–0.
In 1994, in a group of three teams, the Eagles beat Gabon (West Africa) 3–0 and drew goalless with Egypt (north Africa).
In 2013, they won just one match in the group stage, a 2–0 victory over Ethiopia-two penalty goals by Victor Moses. They drew 1–1 with both Burkina Faso (West Africa) and Zambia (South Africa).
Does this history portend a bad omen for the class of 2022?
Augustine Eguavoen is the nine-point coach. The last time he led the Super Eagles, in 2006; he claimed all nine points in Group C that had Senegal (West Africa); Ghana (West Africa), and Zimbabwe (South Africa). The team that had Austin Okocha and the emerging Mikel Obi fell to the Didier Drogba-led Cote d’Ivoire 1–0 in the semi-final.
