Guinean Official: “Super Eagles is Finished”

Oct 10, 2011 – Head of Communications, Syli Nationale of Guinea, Ndlaye Traore, has lashed out at the Super Eagles of Nigeria, saying the Samson Siasia-led team are ‘finished’ and are only living on their past football glory.

The star-studded Eagles failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations at the weekend when they could only draw 2-2 with their Guinean counterparts in Abuja, in a match they needed an outright victory to secure qualification for the Nations Cup.

Speaking after the tension-soaked encounter, Traore said other African countries no longer entertain fear when they want to play Nigeria, adding that it is high time Nigeria go back to the drawing board and rediscover their past glory.

“It is a shame that Nigeria can no longer produce the likes of Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Daniel Amokachi and other good players who were a force to reckon with in African football in the past. I think Nigeria are finished as they are no longer the Super Eagles they used to be and I am sorry for them,” said Traore.

He added that Nigerian football has moved backward in the last couple of years, adding that with the huge amount of financial rewards given to the Eagles, they still couldn’t stop his Syli Nationale from securing the Nations Cup ticket.

“If our players are able to get half of the money the Nigerian players are being promised they will be ready to win the championship in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. We only gave them $2,000 as winning bonus, but your players were promised $5,000,” he told Brila F.M. early today.

Meanwhile, Nigerians resident in the U.K said yesterday that lack of patriotism exhibited by the Eagles led to their loss to Guinea.

Some of the sports enthusiasts, who spoke to the Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in London, expressed displeasure with the players.

Some United Kingdom-based Nigerians said the reasons for the players’ attitude which led to their dismal performance must be looked into.

“While I am still angrily ashamed to identify with the Super Eagles upon their non-qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations, we must also look at the reason they crashed out,” Mr. Bolaji Lewis, a Network Security Manager, said.

“Our boys created many chances and converted only two. They did not lack technical coaching, but they lacked the hunger for glory.

“They lack the passion of patriotism, hence their lacklustre performance in converting their chances to goals despite dominating the game,” he told NAN.

Lewis explained that the situation which played itself out on Saturday was already on the horizon when it was clear that the team could not overtake the Guineans in the earlier matches.

“They failed to get more points from the earlier games, thus leaving themselves open to the situation that led to a ‘must-win’ game,” he said.—Bamidele Olowosagba