Daily Independent (Lagos)
4 June 2011
Since Samson Siasia took over as the chief coach of the senior national, the Super Eagles has been on the upward swing. On Wednesday, the team reaffirmed its desire to return to the centre stage in African football when it defeated the visiting Argentina’s La Albiceleste, which means ‘white and blue sky,’ in a friendly encounter in Abuja. In this report, PIUS ANAKALI asks if the Super Eagles can re-ignite the form that made it one of the most feared team in the world.
Buoyed by its 4-1 bashing of Argentina’s national side on Wednesday, the Super Eagles should have no problems confronting the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia on home soil as the race to the 2011 African Nations Cup (ANC) gathers momentum.
The Samson Siasia-tutored side proved that it is still a force to be reckoned with in international football with its complete dominance of the friendly encounter reminiscent of the Eagles of yore.
That is the euphoria that the new look senior national team will ride on when it files out against Ethiopia in the second leg of ANC qualifier at the Addis Ababa stadium side in a must-win encounter for Eagles which is currently number two in Group B and the host team which may also qualifier as the best loser.
With players like, Ike Uche, Mikel Obi, Joel Obi, Taiye Taiwo, Obinna Nsofor, Emenike Emmanuel, all finding their rhythm once again, today’s encounter is a match that will put football fans back home in Nigeria and Ethiopia on the edge of their seats throughout the 90-minute duel.
But if history is anything to go by, the Siasia boys need to tread softly if they hope to come out of the encounter triumphantly. Though Ethiopia has struggled in recent times, it has a long history of football tradition.
Ethiopia national team was among the pioneers of international competition in Africa, playing its first international match in 1947, when it defeated a French Somaliland selection by 5-0. The team also took part in the inaugural African Nations Cup in 1957, and won the African tournament on home soil in 1962.
However, the increasing number of national teams in Africa left Ethiopia as one of the lowest-ranked African national football teams. Ethiopia hosted the Nations Cup tournament in 1976 (but failed to progress to the final four) and last qualified for the tournament in 1982.
Ever since, it has struggled to qualify for Africa’s biggest football tournament, the Africa Nations Cup, missing out by three points in 2004 after losing the final game in Guinea. In the 2008 qualifiers, Ethiopia finished bottom of its group after losing their last two games.
These is a motivation of some sort as it hopes to rewrite history in today’s match as it prepares to battle back to reckoning and there is no better time to do that than now.
Beating the Nigerian side will be a big boost to the dream of Ethiopian and that is why, the players, the coaching crew, the fans and even the governments in the war-torn country are looking forward to today’s encounter on a positive note as reports has it that the match will be prosecuted using home- based players.
On paper, the Ethiopian team is no match for the almighty ‘Super Eagles’, but in football, anything is possible and that is why the Eagles should watch their guard against a desperate Ethiopian that has just three points to show for its participation in the ANC qualifier.
Ethiopian lost its first home match to Guinea by a margin of 1-4, trumped Madagascar by a lone in far away Antananarivo before being walloped by Nigeria in the first leg.
The question therefore is: Will Ethiopians lose both legs to Nigeria?
This is perhaps the question, Tom Saintfiet will be asking his lad in the run- up to the match. Aside that, the sacking of the erstwhile coach, Iffy Onuora, is an indication that Ethiopian is not taking things lying low in the dream to make the 2012 Nations Cup.
On the other hand, their opponent in today’s match has had a respectable good show beating Madagascar by 2-goals to nothing, losing narrowly by a lone goal to Guinea before walloping Ethiopian 4-0 in the last encounter.
That is perhaps why today’s match is being regarded as a revenge mission for the home side. But does the Super Eagles have what it takes to stop a rampaging and desperate Ethiopians?
Well, if what the team let out on Wednesday is anything to go by, then one can safely say the team has what it takes to withstand any opponent. Though some have also argued that the Argentine team the Eagles played on Wednesday was not a true reflection of the South Americans’ ability, there seems to be a sense of make-believe among the players.
‘This can be a distraction because it breeds complacency and that is the area the coaching crew should work on before filling out later today. If that is done, then it will be victory on a platter of gold for Nigeria.
While Nigeria will be sweating it out in Addis Ababa, Madagascar will be guest of Guinea in Conakry.
Winner in each of the group will automatically berth in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, hosts of the 2012 Nations Cup.
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