Yes, the Super Eagles of Nigeria were woeful against the devils from Congo in the first match of the African Cup of Nations qualifying round in Calabar on Saturday.
The African Champions fell like a bag of carts, beaten in front of home fans, the continent and viewers from around the world by a team that made it to this round after Rwanda was axed by the Continent's football governing body.
From the blast of the whistle, it was obvious that the match would be a cracker, which of course got very interesting as the Home side took the lead in the 14th minutes of the match, much to the delight of the crowd in the stadium and Nigerians at large.
Thence, it seemed like it was going to be a stroll in the park for the reigning champions but the table turned around as the devils pulled their asses together and pounced on the Eagles scoring three times before the Stephen Keshi side managed to reduce the lead later in the match as a result of their relentless effort.
However, from the stand point of an enthusiastic and passionate Nigerian, it was a disappointing outing.
Since returning from Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Super Eagles have not been engaged, same would be said for other teams that represented the continent at the world stage as well. But crucifying or condemning anyone would be wrong at this point as the team have more matches ahead to ensure they make it to the competition in Morrocco next year.
Some say, the Eagles underestimated the Claude Le Roy tutored side, others say Nigeria is simply not an excellent side going into that match in terms of quality, in fact some say the crisis rocking the nation's football body affected the team's performance. More reason include the Keshi's new contract talks.
Frankly speaking, defeat is part of the results you sometimes get in football and the Congolese had the other side of the coin (Victory) in their favour. If only Nigerians will accept the fact that the team can lose and can also win games. Let's not pretend like the team has not got some unresolved issues. Let's not feel like we are African Champion therefore we should win every game. Let's also remember that Nigeria has never had it easy against Congo and against their coach during his stint with other teams on the continent.
Going forward, South Africa is the next opponent the Eagles will confront before playing Sudan. It could be recalled that South Africa picked up an emphatic three points on away soil which means they go into this ties with every confidence that can be imagined.
It could be worse for the Eagles! For the Madiba nation, this is the best time to beat the Eagles, but it must be noted that it will not be an easy task based on historical facts.
Redeeming the situation is what should be in the mind of the players and coach of the Eagles at this point in time. The team must give their best to gain the backing of the fans for the remaining matches of the qualifying rounds to be glamorous
For the good of the nation, supporting the team in this trying time will go a long way to boost their confidence as they prepare for further games in the quest to be among the 15 teams that will make it through to Morrocco 2015, else, it would get worse.
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