The Flying Eagles quest for a record-extending eighth U20 AFCON title ended rather disappointedly last night in Cairo, where The Gambia edged past Nigeria to reach their first-ever Final.
Ironically, the Flying Eagles played their best game of the tournament on the day, but could not muster the result to reach the championship game on Saturday.
The team have been widely criticised for playing ugly and winning in Egypt, while some dubbed them as only lucky.
Such high expectations are not unfounded because the Flying Eagles have not only been one of the country’s most successful teams, but also one of the most exciting going by unforgettable memories they have delivered, like the Damman Miracle and going all the way to the World Cup Final in 2005 inspired by Mikel Obi and Taye Taiwo.
The target set by the NFF is for coach Ladan Bosso to qualify the country to the U20 World Cup.
That was the minimum target and anything short of that would have meant Bosso out of a job by now.
For a team with such rich and proud record, winning the U20 AFCON ought to always be the minimum target, and even if his employers stipulated a lower standard, Bosso should have set a higher target for himself.
In simple language, his team lacked ambition.
He personally scouted the bulk of his squad and was open for improvements when he dropped half of the team that topped the qualifiers last year.
The Flying Eagles were better prepared for the U20 AFCON and everything pointed to another Nigerian conquest at this level.
But strangely the team who dominated their opponents in test games were a pale shadow of themselves in Egypt.
The three-man attack in a 4-3-3 formation was to be their strongest plus, but it has ended up being the team’s Achilles Heel.
The team’s two main strikers, Francis Ayuba and Ahmed Abdullahi, have failed to score or even assist right up to the semifinals.
Bosso’s insistence on some players like Haliru Sarki and Ayuba even when it was very clear they were far from their best was as perplexing.
The midfield lacked creativity and failed to create chances upfront.
Most certainly the absence of Daniel Daga due to injury adversely affected this team.
The team now have about two months to be ready for the World Cup and so all hands must be in place to ensure they deliver a better representation for the exciting young talent available in Nigeria.
Bosso will again be open to make drastic changes for the Flying Eagles to soar high in Indonesia.
And this time he must set a higher target for himself beyond what the NFF expect.
