One of the staunchest advocates of the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) ‘Let’s do it again’ campaign was former Super Eagles captain Segun Odegbami.‘Mathematical’, as he is fondly called, predicted three things, but two came to pass while the third, and most important, went awry.

 

            Former Super Eagles captain Segun                                       Odegbami.

Odegbami bewailed the missed chance of a fourth AFCON title and revealed that Peseiro has reached his peak with the team

In a post on  Facebook, the 1980 AFCON winner said, he still couldn’t believe the Eagles lost to the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in last Sunday’s final.
“I don’t even understand it anymore,” Odegbami began.

“Nigeria was destined to win the 2013 AFCON. I believed it with all my being. Then it did not happen! It is very significant that the federal government still went out of its way to reward the team as if they won!

           José Peseiro, Manager of Nigeria National                      Team

“That is very significant because the Eagles were rewarded even for not coming first!”

Despite scoring first in the first half, two second-half goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller handed the hosts their third AFCON title.

Odegbami asked, “But why?

“I was there at the stadium in Ebimpe. We were cruising to success. Then it happened! [Jose] Peseiro? Okay, fate has determined his fate.
“He is leaving with adequate rewards for his effort. But no more! Let him go! He is not good enough for the future. No sentiments, just the bare facts.

“Now, I have learnt of six Nigerians who died from watching the semifinals and final matches of the AFCON. It is unheard of in my entire relationship with football.

“Six persons, and still counting, from the tension of Nigeria not winning? What does this sacrifice of innocent lives mean? We will never know!

“In the past 24 hours, I have learnt that a teacher in my own school, a gentleman we all call ‘Ten-Ten’ because of his love for football, died as he was watching the Eagles start to lose to Ivory Coast.

“I also lived in the house of Chief Labiyi in Oke Ado, Ibadan. He was the former principal of Ibadan Grammar School. Wale and Jide were Chief Labiyi’s children. Wale died last week while watching the Super Eagles lose to Cote d’Ivoire.

“I learnt about these two deaths in the past 24 hours. This adds to the four other Nigerians who were reported to have died whilst watching the disappointment of the Super Eagles’s performances between the semi-final and final matches.

“There is something about those matches and the seeming ‘sacrifices’ made by these six (and possibly more) Nigerians that loved their country so much, and died under the pressure of wishing for the country’s success.”
The Super Eagles won five of their seven matches at AFCON and moved up the FIFA ranking table to be the third-best team in Africa.