By Barrister Fabian Awhen

The Nations Cup has a rich history dating back to 1957 when the first edition was held in Sudan. Three countries namely Sudan. Egypt and Ethiopia participated in the inaugural championship.

As it were then, it was purely a regional affair.

However, it has grown over the years to become the most treasured soccer event among African countries.

Indeed, the importance and magnitude of the competition caused it to continue to attract renewed interest and importance as the biennial tournament for the whole of Africa.

Records show that Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles has won the trophy thrice.

The first was at home in nineteen eighty and again in Tunisia in nineteen ninety-four. Its third victory was at the twenty-third edition in Johannesburg.

Since then, the trophy has remained elusive to Nigeria.

But can history repeat itself?

If Nigeria won the trophy in Tunisia and Johannesburg, why can it not repeat that feat a few years after in Cote d’Ivoire?

After all, the Super Eagles are a highly-rated team globally.

Soccer pundits however believe that the bane of our soccer excellence has remained the sickening syndrome of unpreparedness or shoddy arrangement for major tournaments.

Such shoddy arrangements find expression in the late arrival of key players to camping which in itself almost always leads to a lack of cohesion among the players.

Here the home-based players are excused from blame for late arrival to camp because they are always taken to the camp on time.

Be that as it may, all the identified lapses perhaps led to the dismal performance of the Super Eagles against less fancied teams which they lost to.

Nonetheless, the experience of the Eagles will serve as a lesson and a guide. 

The Super Eagles should realize that Nigerians are tired of watching lackluster matches that produce no good result.  

All the same, we wish them a good and fruitful outing in Cote d’Ivoire in 2024.

EteteOnline Team

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