11th October, 2014
Taiwo Adelu
Minutes after Nigeria’s Super Eagles were disgraced by the Sudanese team in Khartoum on Saturday in the ongoing African Cup of Nations qualifying series, hundred of football fans took to the social media to call for the head of coach Stephen Keshi.
Nigeria failed to meet the expectations of their fans in the crucial match which they were expected to win, having lost to Congo in Calabar, Cross River State and drew against South Africa in Cape Town.
But fans were left red-faced and shell-shocked when the African champions were overpowered by a more determined Sudan in a match that ended 1-0 in Khartoum courtesy of a goal by Bakri who scored Sudan’s first in the qualifying series. The result however condemned Nigeria to the bottom of the table with only one point.
Reacting to the shameful defeat on Twitter, Former Super Eagles’ captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha in his tweet believes the problem of the team comes from the woes that has befell Nigerian football, saying “Anyone that blames Keshi or the boys is short sighted. Our football is long dead and gone. This is just the confirmation,” @IAmOkocha tweeted.
Ejabefio Daniel tweeted “Before we even say anything, let Keshi go first and its not just today, its a culmination of results since after the AFCON 2014.”
To @4eyedmonk: “this is a done deal, by Monday he should be sacked while @MrSawyerr’s submission was no different. “Keshi’s record in the last 11 games: 1 win, 5 losses, 5 draws.”
@Omaakatugba had a go at Keshi and his squad. “A team without real leadership, both on the bench and on the pitch cannot do great things. Obafemi Martins too old for the Eagles, Kelechi Iheanacho too young for now. Only a DPO can say this.”
Sam Houston was more modest in his call. “He should resign honorably,” he simply tweeted.
Sports journalist, Nurudeen Obalola wrote on his Twitter account @NurudeenObalola: “So Nigeria needed goals and who did we bring on? Aaron Samuel, Sunday Emmanuel and Raheem Lawal. God is watching Keshi and his ‘scouts'”.
Abiola Kazeem corroborated Obalola when he tweeted on @biolakazeem: “Other managers will be busy plotting tactics, Keshi will be busy playing politics amd starting fire fights.”
Temi Okomi was of the opinion that Nigeria does not deserve to be at the Nations Cup. @temiokomi that “A team that can’t defeat the weakest team in its group does not deserve to qualify for #AFCON2015”
@olaleyedada said that he saw the defeat coming: “I told @mekus_mekus and @genakhena on Tuesday that I had a bad feeling about this trip to Khartoum. We don chop am o! From Sudan?! Chaiii!!!”
Elsewhere, @4eyedmonk wants the team to be disbanded, saying “The entire Super Eagles team today played like amateurs. Their game was painful to the eye. I concede the Super Eagles should be disbanded.”
@ebikagboro says Keshi got it worng this time, “I make no excuse for Keshi. When he won, I celebrated him. In the AFCON 2015 qualifiers, he got everything wrong”
Toyin Ibitoye, a sports presenter and analyst believes that divine intervention is required for Keshi to remain coach. “This surely is the all time low for @NGSuperEagles. The knives are out…only God can keep Keshi on his job.”
Keshi as coach of the Eagles has played 54 matches winning 23, draw 20, lost 11. Under him the national team scored 82 goals and conceded 51 goals.