By Mark Baber
June 12 – A busy weekend of international football saw African Cup of Nations qualification under way in earnest, with all 48 teams in contention having now completed their first game in the Group stage, whilst European qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup have passed the halfway stage.
Its early days yet, but Africa’s most populous country finds itself in third place in Group E after suffering a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of South Africa, leading to Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung to schedule an emergency meeting with the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Dalung issued a statement saying: “This is a temporary setback which is surmountable. We need to sit with the technical Committee and crew to find out the immediate and remote causes of this setback.”
“We have very young talented players in the Super Eagles and we trust that with more hard work and determination, this result can be reversed when we go to South Africa.”
In an example of wishful thinking the minister added: “The Super Eagles will definitely be in Cameroun because we can’t afford to be absent at the Africa Cup of Nations for a third consecutive time.”
Meanwhile, the NFF administration faced further embarrassment as it emerged that the match balls provided by the Confederation of African Football for the game in Uyo had somehow gone missing, with officials having to borrow balls for the game from the visiting South Africans.
Whilst maladministration within the NFF is hardly anything new, the lack of finishing ability of the young Nigerian team will be the cause of major concern, with South Africa’s manager Stuart Baxter offering some constructive criticism following the game to the effect that: “I will still say kudos to the Nigerians because they stretched us and made some dangerous movements. But if I may sound very respectful and modest, their attack was not the very best they could have presented.”
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