I am still riling in total shock many hours after the little Crocodiles of Lesotho, 113 places below Nigeria in the FIFA rankings, almost had the mighty Super Eagles for dinner in Uyo.
The Super Eagles lost two precious points at home from their first step in the campaign to qualify for the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
They couldn’t even win ugly a match many had already given to them to do so at a packed Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
And now on Sunday they will be up against the Warriors of Zimbabwe on an artificial pitch in Butare in Rwanda and then you begin to fear that it could even get worse.
Zimbabwe, who are fresh out of a FIFA ban imposed in February last year, would have taken some confidence that the Super Eagles failed to go past their Southern African neigbours Lesotho.
The Warriors will equally by buoyed by the point they won on the road in Rwanda in midweek.
But before this Sunday showdown, the inquest has already begun to how Nigeria football has sunk to such shameful depths that we now stumble against the likes of Lesotho, Central African Republic and Guinea Bissau.
As a team, you win together, you lose together and yes, you draw together.
This is so with the Super Eagles and in this case the team includes the NFF leadership.
Peseiro was never a popular choice to head the country’s national team and even when he eventually qualified the team to the 2023 AFCON, it was very clear he was not the right man for this job.
The Portuguese coach was the highest paid coach in Nigeria with a salary of $70,000 before the poor finances of the NFF forced his employers to slash it to $50,000.
It must be noted that even though the Eagles qualified for the AFCON, they were far from convincing against the likes of Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau.
The record 10-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe only took away the fact that the Eagles have not been good enough.
Peseiro must take responsibility for part of this mess because he picks the players and he designs the tactics.
The players themselves have not justified the confidence Nigerians have in them and they too cannot be removed from the malaise that has befallen the national sport.
They may be showcasing their undoubted talents week in, week out across Europe, but they have not been at their best when they have come down to honour the national call.
Yes, they suffered some bad luck against Lesotho, but even at that they created enough chances to still get past the Crocodiles, like the sitter Taiwo Awoniyi fluffed in the first half.
But it must also be noted that the team also include the NFF led by Ibrahim Gusau that was not decisive especially as it concerns the future of Peseiro.
It is on record that the NFF executive committee unanimously agreed in a Zoom meeting to let him go, but in a sudden U-turn he was offered a new contract to cover the AFCON in the New Year.
Only a round of matches has been played in this marathon qualifying series, but in the event that the Super Eagles again fail to qualify for the World Cup (God forbid), it will not be enough for the NFF to come up with the usual apology to Nigerians, they must also take the fall, after all they are very much part of the team.
What did you expect from a team that has always been the same in pattern of play that is seemingly not convincing. We don’t have ppl who can talk to these guys that the world has left all that sluggish, incoherent and annoying pattern of football. Even the premier League left the volleyball kinda football years ago. Please they should tell these guys..else it’s not going to be surprising…they are not going to be in the world Cup🏆, come 2026.