The morning after Nigeria Vs Morocco, by Folabi Ogunleye

I hate to give excuses in these things, and generally prefer to see the events as (imperfect) games of chance – especially after the players have put up a fantastic performance in the series. It is why I don’t have a favorite club team. I cannot handle the heartbreak that follow losses in the beautiful game of football. Still, I cannot afford not to take a side when it comes to internationals.

However, it is undeniable that I saw so much stuff that is bound to affect the psychology of our players in that game, regardless of them being experienced or not. It wasn’t outright hostility metted against them, no. It was in the little things – including, but not limited to, the fact that Nigerian fans could not even register their presence at the venue to cheer their team. The presence of our usually loud and boistrous supporters was lost in the crowd, which may not be unconnected to claims that tickets were scarce for Nigerians to buy.

Anytime the ball went out of bound, the Moroccans made our players go pick it up by themselves, as opposed to the common practice where the ball is usually quickly thrown for football players to catch and continue the game. On one occasion, an official picked up the ball, and rather than hand it over to our player, he dropped it and stood back to watch our player go pick it up.

These many little things, including a refree that either felt intimidated or was co-opted for an agenda in favor of Morocco, contributed to the performance of the Super Eagles. At some point, Alex Iwobi fell to his knees in frustration after the refree called a questionable foul for the umpteenth time in favor of the Moroccans.

I leave criticizing the Super Eagles to others. Me, I don’t have the heart for any of it. For example, to me, the young Samuel Chukwueze merely seemed super nervous and sought to mask his nerves with an indifferent air. If his penalty shot had gone in, none of us will make an issue of his body language. So, as far as I care, our young men soldiered powerfully on that field of play, first for ninety minutes without conceding a single goal, and then for another thirty minutes of extra time, also without conceeding any goals.

They were workhorses. They are heroes. They stayed the course until the game ended in an unpredictable coin-toss, a.k.a. penalties, to determine a winner. Maybe that coin-toss should be abolished in favor of a later continuation of the game – a rematch of sorts at a later time to determine a winner in the truest sense. Maybe.

In the end, it is what it is: Our players went to battle in a war that they had prosecuted with gusto and finesse, and I am super proud of their effort. They deserve the collective honor of the majority of their fellow Nigerians.