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| Osaze Odemwingie of Nigeria |
ITwas like it never happened but the reality is with Nigerians now that when 16 nations gather in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next year Nigeria’s flag will not be flown. And as Nigerians struggle to find a way forward from their elimination from the 2012 Africa Nations Cup final, Super Eagles striker Osaze Odemwingie has asked Nigerians not to cry for him or the likes of Joseph Yobo or Vincent Enyeama. He does not need the wailing as he is weeping for his younger teammates in the Super Eagles like Joel Obi, Ahmed Musa.
The West Brom attacker says his heart is torn apart because of Nigeria’s failure to get a berth in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea finals. The pain, according to him, doubles when he thinks of the anguish of the younger players who had dreamt all year of their debut at Africa’s biggest football competition.
He said, “I weep for the likes of Joel and Ahmed who were heading for their Nations Cup finals. I feel pained that the whole race ended just like this. We never thought it could happen this way; We gave it all we had but it is unfortunate that things turned out this way.
“I was young like them when I had my first experience and it was a big deal for me. I was really excited. It may not be as exciting when you have been there over and over but I know how it feels when you are that young and showing up at such a big gathering.
“These young boys may not get such early opportunity that can make them feel like me. It is sad but what can one do at this stage; we have to move on. I feel very sad because of them and wish that I could turn back the hand of the clock for them.”
The West Brom attacker was about 22 years when he stepped out for Nigeria in Tunisia 2004 for his first African cup. He had a celebrated outing by scoring a goal against South Africa in his first match in Tunisia. The Eagles who were then coached by Christian Chukwu lost at the semi finals to the host team but left Tunis with the bronze medal. The team did not get rave previews on the road to Tunisia but their improvement over the course of the competition gave them a warm welcome at home.
But as the Eagles attacker bleeding heart doubles in pain for Joel and others, fans of the team may not be too harsh if they ask Osaze to weep individually for the more than 150 million Nigerians that had their hopes dashed with his personal display against Guinea on October 8 in Abuja.
Osaze, who had won the heart of Nigerians as the most dependable striker in the Eagles squad was a shadow of himself for that outing. He practically forgot his scoring boot in England as he missed many chances – opportunities that he would have buried in the past. He was slow, lacked creativity and indeed all the marks that endeared him to Nigerians such that he had to be pulled out in the second half. Eagles coach Samson Siasia was criticised for keeping him much longer on the pitch than necessary.
Former coach of the Gambian national team and now director of the Pepsi Academy Mr Kashimawo Laloko rated Osaze and his performance low.
He said, “Today, (October 8) Osaze was not himself; he only gave a little of what we know of him. But it’s not clear exactly what went wrong. Could it be that he was injured; was he paying us back in a way or it was just a day things didn’t work well for him?”
It is hard to explain what went wrong but on the match against Guinea the attacker said impatience may have cost the Eagles victory.
“We were a bit impatient trying to score and win the match. The fans too were impatient. Perhaps if we took it easier and were a bit more careful, things could have turned out differently,” he said.
Nigeria needed a simple win to get a ticket based on the results from other centres for the event starting in January in the Central African countries but the game ended 2-2 and the country dropped out. But the sad road to defeat had been created when Nigeria played 2-2 against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa in one of the qualifying matches.
At the time that game was played Osaze was the hottest Nigerian striker in Europe and with the national team but was dropped on the account of disagreement with Siasia. Many followers of the team believe that even though the Eagles lost 1-0 to Guinea in Conakry in an earlier fixture, that damage could have had no effect if the Ethiopians were beaten in Addis Ababa. The Guineans defeated Ethiopia 4-1 when they played over there. It was the disagreement in the Nigerian team that caused the Eagles the needed full points.
“But it was not a case of indiscipline; I just had some minor misunderstanding with the coach,” Osaze says of the situation then.
“I like coach Siasia and I have come to agree with him as you can see. For that matter we simply disagreed and it blew out of proportion. I think what made the difference then was the way we both saw things.
“As a young player I had to live by the word discipline but at 30, I believe my coach and I should reason together and iron out things. It doesn’t have to come any longer in the very strict and hard form for a 20-year-old. As adults we learn to agree on things together and I believe we have worked it out and we now understand each other much better now.”
The understanding was reached a moment too late for Nigeria football. Perhaps the understanding will work when the races to South Africa 2013 and the 2014 World Cup begin next year. Until then Osaze has to weep for his teammates while Nigerians weep at the thought of seeing Gabon 2012 as distant spectators.
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