An Owerri based football enthusiast and lawmaker representing Isiala Mbano State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Sam Osuji, has expressed misfeelings over the performance of the Super Eagles in the on going Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) taking place in Ivory Coast, especially as they lock horns with their archrivals, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon Saturday.
According to him,” Having watched their group matches against Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast and Guinea Bisau, I can’t bet on the Super Eagles to beat Cameroon. I am not impressed with their performance so far but if they beat them, fine and good. It is not about goal scoring but playing good football, so that anybody that watches them will beat his chest and say he’s watching good football from these boys.”
He blamed their lacklustre performance so far on lack of cohesion, seriousness, and patriotism.
While comparing the Super Eagles with their Senegalese counterparts, the lawmaker warned that if the country’s senior men National team want to go far in the competition, they must change their attitude for the better.
He said, “If you watch Senegal, you will understand that they are playing to bring home the trophy or at least come second but for the Super Eagles, I don’t know where to place them.
“They lack cohesion. Without cohesion, how would they score goals. They have top notch players with skills plying their trades in different clubs in Europe but unfortunately, they are not using those skills to achieve something in the Eagles. Look at Osimhen who is Africa’s Best, best in Italia Seria A and one of the best in the world. People are expecting much from him but he has been missing some glaring or unpardonable chances. I expect them to be one of the high flyers in the competition by being serious with what they have come to do.”
Hon Osuji made it clear that if they continued with what they did in the three group matches,they would find it difficult to click against the resurgent Indomitable Lions who had shown enough seriousness and steady improvement in their matches, especially in the way they qualified for the Round of 16 in their last group match.
However, Osuji’s view is different from that of Super Eagles and Orlando Pirates player Olisa Ndah who posited that the Nigerian side can lift the trophy in Ivory Coast.
“I think we can win this Afcon. I think a lot of people are not looking at us as the favourites to win it and that can work in our favour because we don’t have any pressure.
“Senegal and Morocco are the favourites, according to many people but as the Super Eagles I think we are more than capable of surprising them by winning it”, he told Sowetan Live.
The Orlando Pirates star was part of the Super Eagles team in the last edition of the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
