A look at the Super Eagles’ progress at the World Cup
Supporters of the Super Eagles, like Tunde Folawiyo, were no doubt relieved and delighted by their victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina last week. Peter Odemwingie was responsible for the goal which ended the team’s nine year spell of World Cup matches in which they failed to win. The game finished with a score of 1-0, which led to Bosnia being eliminated from the tournament.
Nigeria were given other opportunities to score, but their efforts proved fruitless, with a free kick taken seven minutes into the match failing to reach the net, and Onazi’s long-range attempts continually saved by Begovic. Commentators noted that, following Nigeria’s draw with Iran, Bosnia possibly made the mistake of underestimating the Eagles’ abilities. Their lacklustre performance during this first match, coupled with the absence of some of their star players, such as Sunday Mba, may have led their opponents to conclude that Nigeria simply weren’t up to the task – an error in judgement which could very well have been the cause of Bosnia’s defeat.
After the match, Odemwingie spoke of his team’s success, noting that the result is likely to have silenced their detractors. He added that it had been difficult for the Eagles to earn their three points, but that they were thrilled to have made such a comeback, following their somewhat disappointing performance against Iran. Nigeria’s coach, Keshi, also spoke of the victory, saying that he was thrilled with the ‘fighting spirit’ which his team had demonstrated, but was not surprised by how well they had done, as he had always been confident that they would reach the round of 16.
However, regardless of how far the Eagles go in this tournament, Keshi will be leaving them after it ends. Fans of the Eagles, like Tunde Folawiyo, are doubtless saddened by this news. It has been reported that Keshi will be transferring to the South Africa Soccer Federation immediately after the World Cup finishes, in order to manage Bafana Bafana for the next two years. This development follows the news that South Africa fired the team’s previous coach, Gordon Igesund, after they drew in the match against Australia last month. According to recent news reports, the South African club has been impressed by how Keshi has managed the Eagles, and are hoping he will be able to improve Bafana Bafana.
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