Benin may have closed in on the Super Eagles in the race to the AFCON in Cameroon in 2022, but IKENWA NNABUOGOR warns that tomorrow in Freetown, Nigeria will not easy going…
The Leone Stars will come charging at their bewildered, even though more illustrious adversaries when they come calling in the return leg of the AFCON qualifiers in Freetown tomorrow.
Eagles will be guests of more confident and turbocharged Leone Stars who did the unthinkable by snatching a valuable draw in Benin City last Friday and Eagles will have their hands full again.
Coach Gernot Rohr and his men looked so ordinary especially in the second half where they appeared to have willingly surrendered the crucial half for the impressive visitors and “aided” Leone Stars remarkable comeback from 4-0 down.
A lot will surely go down in this crucial rematch and timely rallying back from Rohr and men will prevent another national disaster for the Super Eagles.
Leone Stars are still not forgetting their giant killing 1-0 win over Eagles in 2001 and further received massive boost by the scandalous scoreline of 4-4 in Benin and these will come into play at National Stadium in Freetown, the same battle ground the 2001 achievement happened.
What about the waters of Lungi linking Freetown?
That’s some experience first-time travellers to the erstwhile war-ravaged West African country would rather not want to go through.
Most of the players would be experiencing the sometimes stormy sea travel from Lungi to Freetown for the first time and the experience may affect some who have phobia for water.
The sea could be troubled sometimes and should the Eagles navigate the water when in troubled times, they could be affected psychologically going into the game.
The Sierra Leone government have yet to construct a bridge linking the airport town of Lungi to Freetown and so the Eagles have to be subjected to an hour-long sea voyage to hit the Freetown waterfront.
Hovercraft air travel over to Freetown was suspended following the air crash incident that killed some Togo fans some years ago and the ban is yet to be lifted.
The sea has also experienced a number of oil spillage from barges transporting crude oil products into the country and ferries and speed boats traveling on the sea would have to put off their engines to slowly navigate past the oil spilled spots before the engines would be roared back to life.
There was an incident of ship explosion in the sea sometimes in 2008 which claimed some lives.
The sea experience apart, Rohr will have to re-gig his tactical approach so as not to replay the unforgettable Benin debacle.
Germany-based central defender Kevin Akpoguma, who was played at right back in Benin City, roundly questioned the tactical competence of the Franco-German as analysts maintained the TSG Hoffenheim defender would have fared better at his traditional centre back position.
Another German-born diaspora player blooded by Rohr, young goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, was also singled out for blame for lacking enough international experience to stand between the sticks for the three-time African kings.
Okoye, who had kept goal in the team’s last three games, had got Rohr’s nod ahead of South Africa-based goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi who received lot of criticisms for Eagles’ semifinal loss to Algeria at last year’s AFCON in Egypt.
Generally, Eagles’ Benin showing was less convincing and even drew the ire of the NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, who heavily criticised the team and demanded they beat their hosts 4-0 to atone for their collapse in Benin.
Tall order and a mountain to climb for Eagles as it were and Eagles will have prove they can beat Sierra Leone roundly to put smiles on the face of troubled Pinnick and millions of Nigerian fans.
Achieving a victory in Freetown will indeed come with lots of sweat and a massive overhaul of the tactics, but it appears a 4-0 victory may well be a long shot.
This is the real test time for embattled Rohr and anything short of victory will certainly not go well with the ever-critical Nigeria fans or those who administer the game in the country.
Remember, a 1-0 loss to the same team 19 years ago had cost Jo Bonfrere his job.
