BY AFOLABI GAMBARI
South Africa had quaked in the past decades at the mention of Nigeria as far as competitive football goes. The Rainbow Nation always had the organizational expertise, but would fall short on talent when it came face-to-face with Nigeria and got its deserved bashing. However, that was before; not anymore. So it now appears. In the last four years, the South Africans seemed to have found the antidote to the Nigerian national soccer team’s menace. Just when everyone expected the Super Eagles to ride easily on Bafana Bafana to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON finals, especially playing before a capacity home crowd at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, the visitors stunned the hosts with a 2-0 lead and looked capable of imposing a humiliating defeat on the Eagles. It took a hard resolve and a bit of fortune for the Nigerians to level scores, although an outright victory was required. In the end, the Nigerians paid dearly for their poor performance ultimately missing the opportunity to defend the AFCON trophy they won in South Africa in 2013. The draw at Uyo was a boost the South Africans that felt that their days of ‘servitude’ to Super Eagles of Nigeria were effectively over. It mattered very little to South Africa that Nigeria was also stopped by Egypt from attending the 2017 AFCON finals, making it a record two consecutive conspicuous absence of the Nigeria side in the last stage. Bafana Bafana returned to Uyo to hunt Super Eagles once again with both finding themselves in the same group as the race to AFCON 2019 kicked off late last year.
It could well be that the South Africans were underrated, the Nigerians apparently not learning much lesson from the 2-2 draw between the two teams three years before. However, Bafana again scored two goals past Eagles and held on to the score line till the end, earning a famous win that would again threaten Nigeria’s appearance at a third straight AFCON finals. What made the win even more glorious was that Bafana Bafana Coach, Stuart
Baxter predicted the 2-0 win and it came to pass. In a group that also has former powerhouse Libya and virtual minnow Seychelles, none of the four teams needs to be told that nothing should be left to chance as only two tickets are available for picking. Thankfully, the Eagles picked up fast, earning expected victory away over Seychelles and back-to-back wins over Libya, a situation that puts the North Africans at odds as Nigeria now leads the group on 9 points while South Africa is in the second position with 8 points.
As the AFCON 2019 qualifiers resume this week, the battle ground will be FNB Stadium in Johannesburg where Bafana Bafana lay ambush for the Super Eagles. The hosts need outright win to leapfrog the visitors on the group table while the Nigerian side needs just a point to land in the finals billed for Cameroon next year, with victory assured when they host Seychelles in the final group game in Nigeria next March. Every indication points to one hell of a match in Johannesburg on November 17. Reports from South Africa reveal a conscious mobilization for a mass home support for Bafana Bafana. Although the team is beset by injury as three key players that include captain Sean Furman may not be fit for the match, one report claimed the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) had ‘released a killer squad’ against the Super Eagles. That
was surely a mind game, but the fact is that the Nigerians have become less feared by the South Africans after the aforementioned couple of remarkable results. Yet, the Eagles know it is a must-win game in Johannesburg if Nigeria must guarantees herself a first AFCON finals appearance since its inglorious outing in 2013. Nevertheless, it has increasingly appeared that the Johannesburg encounter would not be a tea party for Super Eagles. There are key players that won’t be in the Gernot Rohr squad. Inimitable Victor Moses is still adamant on retirement. Captain John Obi Mikel is out due to lack of match fitness while first choice goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, who cupped a rib injury in the Spanish league match and was ruled out of action for five weeks, will not travel to South Africa. Reports hint at goal keeping crisis in the team with the duo of Ikechukwu Ezinwa and Daniel Akpehi haven since lost out of favour prior to the FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia. Sad news also came from China that resurgent striker, Odion Ighalo, has been ruled out for four weeks after sustaining a knee injury in a league game last week. He too will be out of the trip to South Africa. Dependable holding midfielder Wilfred
Ndidi had already been ruled out of this match after bagging his second yellow card against the Libyans last month. Coach Rohr is condemned to dig deep into his arsenal if he hopes to come out of the FNB Stadium unscathed. It is just as well that every match these days has put the Franco-German’s expertise to test. It remains to be seen how he would pass this latest test.
Afolabi Gambari, Journalist, Environmentalist, Social Commentator; Lagos, Nigeria; Tel: +2348064651922, +2348116706849
