…No Card or Injury Wahala in Eagles Camp.
In 1978 at the Accra Sports Stadium, the Black Stars of Ghana was to meet the Ugandan Cranes at the AFCON final before a crowd of 80,000 spectators and Ref Yousef El Ghoul of Libya.
The Ghanaian Government flew the Black Stars into the stadium in helicopters in spectacular moments. Legendary Joseph Carr was in goal for the Ghanaians captained by Awuley Quaye James when Opoku Afriye got a brace in Ghana’s 2-0 win to lift the cup.
On Sunday 11th February 2024 the Super Eagles of Nigeria will file out before hosts, Cote D’Ivoire at the Alassane Outtara Stadium, Abidjan at 8pm with black arm bands mourning five Nigerians that died during their AFCON 23 semifinal match against the Bafana Bafana (BOYS) of South Africa of cardiac arrest.
Billionaire Business man, Osondu Nwoye who hails from Anambra State and the richest Igbo business man in Abidjan slumped at the stadium and that was the end.
Former House of Representative Member and Agbor High Chief, Hon. Cairo Ojougboh had an attack at the penalty shootouts and died. Deputy Bursar of the Kwara State University, Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi got worked up on rejection of Osimhen’s goal by the Egyptian Ref just like that of Business man Okoye. He was buried on Thursday according to Islamic rites.
Youth Corps member, Samuel Peter Yunana slumped at the Sports Viewing Centre, Numan in Adamawa State.
Adamawa NYSC Coordinator, Jingi Dennis confirmed the passing away of the Corper.
The case of 43 year old Mikail Osundiji who died at the Oloomore Viewing Centre in Abeokuta was more pathetic as the father of two children 12 and 7 years still has both parents alive at his home place at Okuku in Osun State and could therefore not have his body taken to Okuku.
Questions were asked what could have happened as Nigeria has played many matches without these record deaths. Consultant Cardiologist at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ramon Moronkola attributed the deaths recorded to heart attack and warned hypertensive patients to avoid watching the final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast on Sunday.
This Reporter recalls being at the 1980 Challenge Cup final (now FA Cup of Nigeria) as a reporter of OGBC, Abeokuta when Bendel Insurance of Benin defeated the Flaming Flamingoes Stationery Stores of Lagos by a lone goal at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Juju Maestro, Sunny Ade was guest of Honor. The control of the gates were not well managed and spectators trampled on themselves with over 20 fans dead, I, with my heavy UHER Midget recorder, had a young boy die in my hands and I was in my early 20s then. The Police came to my rescue.
The Super Eagles and their Back Room Staff led by their Captain, Ahmed Musa had a prayer session for the Nigerian distressed supporters that passed away. Patmos Media Line learnt that the Super Eagles have requested CAF to allow them wear black arm band on Sunday.
A report came for Nigeria’s Channels Television South African fans have threatened Nigeria’s Goalkeeper, Stanley Bobo Nwabali not to come back to his club, Chippa United in South Africa. Former Eagles Goal tender, Peterside Idah who disclosed this stated that there is no violence against Nigerians there as expected but for Nwabali. Chippa United Boss, Siviwe Mpengesi on Thursday congratulated Nwabali for his heroic acts against South Africa in the semifinal.
Ivorian Defensive Midfielder and Nottingham Forest player, Ibrahim Sangara who has Nigerian blood in his veins as the Father is Ivorian and his mother is from Ejigbo in Osun State will be on duty against Nigeria on Sunday. He paid for four buses to transport Nigerian Journalists and some Nigerians living in Abidjan, his birthplace for the semifinal against South Africa in Bouake.
Ironically Frank Kessic was part of the Ivory Coast team that beat Kelechi Ihenacho and others in the 2013 U17 AFCON final. Eleven years after, the two will meet again on Sunday at the senior level final at the 60,012 capacity Stadium built by Beijing Institute Architectural Design and opened on 3rd October 2020.
In form defender, Frank Onyeka picked a yellow card against South Africa but an amended CAF rules two years ago canceled that as he is available for the finals. Same for on field captain William Troost-Ekong, Moses Simon, Ola Aina and Calvin Bassey while injured left wing back player, Zaidu Sanusi who had thigh injury and missed the South Africa match is fit to play.
A major challenge the Nigerian players will have on Sunday is psychological pressure because they had beaten Ivory Coast 1-0 at the group Stages in Group A and need to maintain that supremacy. In 1980 the Green Eagles then were under same pressure to win at home. I remember Segun Odegbami told me then he kept dreaming he scored many goals. Christian Chukwu kept looking straight into space. The Sports Psychologist there in camp, Robinson Okosun is capable and Ahmed Musa is doing a great job together with former Super Eagles players to keep the Eagles in focus unlike Politicians who are too distractive in camp.
The Ivoirians are a people who looks like “nothing spoil” if they lose because they wobbled and fumbled to the finals from the dead. There stand in coach; Fae is doing a great job restoring confidence. They have the home crowd to back them but must be careful in defence not to play like South Africans who were concentrating of Osimhen. Many teams committed that error against Brazil concentrating on Pele and forgetting Tostao on the right wing. Lookman and Simon may wreck the Elephants early. I see a Nigerian defender getting a goal. Nigeria will win.
To get to the final, Ivory Coast in Group A beat Guinea Bissau 2-0; lost to Nigeria by a lone goal; and slumped in a disgraceful manner to Equatorial Guinea 0-4 to qualify for the knockout stages as a lucky loser. At the Knockout stages, she dismissed the defending Champions, Senegal 8-7 via penalties after 1-1 at fulltime in the Round of 16; the Elephants stopped the Stallions of Mali 2-1 in the quarterfinal and piped DR Congo by a lone goal in the semifinal.
Nigeria played 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea; beat hosts Cote D’Ivoire by a lone goal; also beat Guinea Bissau by a lone goal at the group stages. At the knockout stages, she sent the Cameroonian Lions into their garden in Yaounde 2-0 in the Round of 16; piped the mouthy Antelopes of Angola by a lone goal at the quarterfinal and sailed over South Africa 4-2 on penalties after 1-1 at Extra Time.
The Eagles are going for their 4th title and the Ivoirians their 3rd title. Nigeria ranked 42 in the world and 6th in Africa is making her 26th appearance at AFCON. She is three times champion with some impressive podium finish. She got Bronze at Ethiopia 76 beating Egypt 3-2; bagged another Bronze in Ghana 78 beating Tunisia 2-0; won in Lagos at 1980 beating Algeria 3-0; got the Silver in three consecutive competitions – Ivory Coast 1984 losing to Cameroon 3-1, at Morocco 88 losing again to Cameroon 0-1 and Algeria 90 losing to Algeria by a lone goal.
Nigeria got Bronze at Senegal 92 beating rivals Cameroon 2-1; became champions at Tunisia 94 with a 2-1 win over Zambia; again lost to Cameroon when Nigeria/Ghana hosted in 2000 via 4-3 penalty shootouts after 2-2 scores to bag the Silver; Got the Bronze with a lone goal victory over Mali at Mali 2002; back to Tunisia in 2004 Nigeria won Bronze with a lone goal victory over Senegal; at Egypt 2006 Nigeria again beat Senegal 1-0 to win the Bronze; in 2010 at Angola Nigeria beat Algeria by a lone goal to win Bronze; she came back at South Africa 2013 under Stephen Keshi to win the trophy beating the Stallions of Burkina Faso by a lone goal scored by Sunday Mba and in 2019 she got the Bronze at Egypt in a lone goal victory over Tunisia. Please note that only podium finish records are presented concerning Nigeria.
This is Ivory Coast 10th appearance at AFCON semifinal along with Nigeria (15 times including this year), Egypt (13 times), Ghana 12 times and Cameroon 10 times. The last three occasions host nations reached semifinal they were eliminated without scoring a goal. Ghana in 2008 lost 0-1 to Cameroon; Equatorial Guinea in 2015 lost 0-3 to Ghana and Cameroon in 2021 drew 0-0 with Egypt and lost 1-3 on penalty kicks. The last host to reach Semifinal was Egypt in 2006.
Super Eagles
Ivory Coast is the first nation to reach the final of AFCON despite 4-0 loss in the tournament to Equatorial Guinea since Nigeria that lost 1-5 to Algeria in 1990 at group stages and faced same Algeria in the grand finale losing 0-1.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima is to lead a Nigerian Presidential delegation to the finals on Sunday. The Vice President was at the Semifinals live to watch Nigeria beat South Africa and his interaction video with the Super Eagles in the dressing room after the match went viral on social media.
Meanwhile the 3rd place match is at 8pm on Saturday at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan to determine who carts home the Bronze Medal between DR Congo and South Africa.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
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