AFCON 2013: It’s The Cup Or Nothing, Nigerians Tell Super Eagles

As the Super Eagles of Nigeria file out tomorrow for the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations, nothing short of ending the country’s 19-year wait for the trophy would do for Nigerians, JONATHAN ISAIAH, Abuja, ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna, ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt, PATRICK OCHOGA, Benin City, MATTIAS NWOGU, Umuahia, ADEYEMI ROBINSON-ADEFIOYE, TAIWO OGUNMOLA-OMILANI, Lagos, SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri and ABIODUN TAIWO, Abeokuta report 
Although Nigeria’s national pride has taken a dent from several quarters, the nation’s dwindling fortunes in sports in recent years, which hit a new, embarrassing low with the medal-less showing of the nation’s contingent  to the London 2012 Olympics Games, appears  hard to swallow for millions of Nigerians.
It is against this background that tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Stallions of Burkina Faso is being taken by millions of Nigerians across the country and beyond.
To be sure, soccer-loving fans have been especially riled that the Super Eagles of Nigeria missed the last AFCON jointly hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Although many soccer analysts and fans did not give the Super Eagles any chance of doing well at this competition, a shock strong showing by the team that has taken them to the final match has engendered a new wave of belief in Nigerians, who are now asking the Super Eagles to break their 19-year jinx in the AFCON and bring home the cup.
A former captain and coach of the Super Eagles, Mr. Christian Chukwu, told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that “determination and team spirit brought the team to the final match of the on-going AFCON.”
Chukwu, who went by the sobriquet “Chairman” in his playing days, stated that the current crop of players in the national team play with “cohesion and not as individuals, which is what has been lacking from the team in recent years.”
Chairman Chukwu, who was captain of the then Green Eagles which won the AFCON for Nigeria for the first time in 1980, added: “ At this stage, the team has no other option than to win the final match and bring back the cup so that their names would be written in gold in the annals of Nigeria’s soccer history.”
Also, another ex-Super Eagles player and coach, Austin Eguavoen, has advised the ”team to avoid body contact” as they take on the Burkinabe tomorrow.
Eguavoen, who played in the national team alongside Coach Stephen Keshi, said: “You know the Burkinabes are very strong. Our boys need to prepare for a tougher game. I expect them to be mobile, have quick contacts with the ball avoid physical or body contact.  That will edge out the Burkinabes.
Another ex-Nigerian international, Paul Okoku, who spoke with LEADERSHIP WEEKEND from the United States, urged the team “to be more focused and be determined to beat the Burkinabes in the final this Sunday. They should be very careful with the bunch of talented players their opponents are.”
Also, Chairman, Nigeria Premier League Board, Chief Oyuki Obaseki, has urged the Super Eagles to be metally prepared for tomorrow’s final showdown.
Praying for the team’s success, Obaseki said “bringing the cup to Nigeria will lift my grieving heat because I am still mourning the death of my first wife who died in December, 2012.”
A veteran Sports Editor, Elder John Fwah, observed: “The qualification of the national football team, Super Eagles, has really brought back the glory of this country after many years of poor outings..”
A football coach in Kaduna, Isa Hassan, said ”what the team need to do, come Sunday against our West African neighbour, Burkina Faso, is to put icing on the cake by lifting the coveted cup. Nigerians are not expecting anything less than the gold, having come a very long, tottering journey from the preliminary rounds to the final. The great expectation of the teeming millions of soccer loving Nigerians from the Super Eagles is to prove that their qualification to this final was no fluke.”
Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, a football fan, Mr. Blessing Wikina, advised the Super Eagles “to use the traditional Nigerian slow build-up pattern to frustrate their opponents during the final match. The Burkinabes are very strong and they play fast football. So, the Super Eagles should not allow them to dictate the pace. That is the only way they can make it.”
In Abeokuta, Ogun state, Chief Imam of Oke-Ilewo Secretariat Mosque, Alhaji Toyyib Olatunji Ashiru, yesterday led  Muslim faithful in a special prayer for the team to excel in tomorrow’s match. He also predicted success for the Nigerian team.
Fielding questions from LEADERSHIP WEEKEND, the Chief Imam said the prayer session was necessitated by his understanding of a saying of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) enjoining Muslims to love their country as part of their belief.
Nigeria Vs Burkina Faso: Head To Head
African Cup of Nations 2013, Final tournament, Group C
21.01.2013  Nigeria  – Burkina Faso  1:1 (1:0)
African Cup of Nations 2000, Qualifying tournament, Group 5
04.10.1998  Burkina Faso  – Nigeria  0:0
Ouagadougou
World Cup 1998, Qualifying tournament, Africa, Second round, group 1
27.04.1997  Burkina Faso  – Nigeria  1:2 (0:1)
Ouagadougou
World Cup 1998, Qualifying tournament, Africa, Second round, group 1
09.11.1996  Nigeria  – Burkina Faso  2:0 (0:0)
Lagos
African Cup of Nations 1992, Qualifying tournament, Group 4
27.07.1991  Nigeria  – Burkina Faso  7:1 (2:1)
Lagos
African Cup of Nations 1992, Qualifying tournament, Group 4
13.01.1991  Burkina Faso  – Nigeria  1:1 (1:0)
Ouagadougou
West African Nations Cup 1987, Group 1
03.02.1987  Nigeria  – Burkina Faso  3:0
Burkina Faso
Coach: Paul Put
Paul Put left Belgium for Africa after being banned for match-fixing. And, after achieving success with the Gambia national team, he is now continuing his narrative of redemption with the Stallions. Put was manager of the Gambian national team between 2007 and 2011. He was appointed manager of Burkina Faso in March 2012.He had previously managed Belgian club sides Geel, Lokeren and Lierse,
Most influential player
Jonathan Pitroipa has been  the most influential player in the Burkina Faso team. He was controversially sent off in their semi-final win over Ghana on Wednesday, but has had his dismissal rescinded by CAF and can play  in the final against Nigeria.
Pitroipa, who plays for Stade Rennes in France, has been highly influential for the Burkinabe on their route to the finals, scoring twice including the winner in the 1-0 quarter-final extra-time victory over Togo.
Strengths
The strength of the Burkina Faso team is their team spirit at the beginning of the tournament they were not even among the first five Nations tipped to win the tournament but a belief in themselves has made them come this far. They must have been inspired with the performance of Zambia who won the last Nations Cup
Weakness
Burkina Faso are very physical in their approach so far. This has been one of their strengths and also a major weakness.Their style of play makes them prone to receiving, cards, which sometimes make them struggle.
Nigeria
Coach: Stephen Keshi
Coach Stephen Keshi is on the verge of history as he prepares his team to face Burkina Faso tomorrow. Should the Super Eagles win, Keshi will be the second man in history to win the cup both as a player and then as a coach. Keshi won the Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1994 as the captain of Nigeria and he is on the verge of winning it as coach. Egypt’s El Gohary  who died three months ago of brain stroke in Jordan, won the African Nations Cup as a player in 1959 and then coached the victorious Egyptian team at Burkina Faso 1998.
Most Influential player
Emmanuel Emenike
A pacy, powerful striker with heading ability, athleticism and a fierce shot Emmanuel Emeneke is the Super Eagles top scorer in the tournament with four goals and he is  on course to  winning the golden boot.,Wakaso Mubarak of Ghana is also on four goals. The Super Eagles will be counting on Emenike to bang in the goals .Since the era of the late Rashidi Yekini,Nigeria has lacked a  lethal  finisher but the Spatark Moscow forward has shown that he can deliver for Nigeria in a major tournament.
Strengths
The Super Eagles main strength in this tournament is their midfield and wing play, with Victor Moses in top form for the Eagles. The Super Eagles so far have been able to contain their opponent because of their midfield, Mikel Obi was able to limit the influence of Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita in the games against Ivory Coast and Mali.
Weakness
The Super Eagles major weakness has been the lack of concentration at the back, as the team has a knack of conceding late goals. This has been the team’s Achilles heels.