Celebrity cleric, Dr Chris Okafor has given a rare insight into why the national football team, the Super Eagles are no longer as dominant and as formidable as their predecessors who were a global force in the round leather game in the days of yore.
Nigerians are wont to easily reminisce over the exploits of the Super Eagles of yesteryears especially against the backdrop of the constant floundering of the current team that have often flattered to deceive.
The Nigerian team only just managed to bag a play-off ticket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada in an African qualifying group analysts believed they could have won.
But the Eagles would confound many as they struggled to pick valuable wins against teams like Benin Republic, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In the end, they had to settle for a play-off spot albeit on the last day of the qualifiers as palpable suspense filled the air.
Now, they are condemned to fight their way through a maze of opposition in a play-off tournament involving teams like Gabon, Cameroun and DR Congo scheduled for Morocco in November to have a realistic chance of making it to the mundial the first time since Russia 2018.
But, according to Dr Chris Okafor, founder and senior pastor of the Grace Nation Church International, Lagos this arduous and long-winding journey to qualification ticket could have been avoided had the team been more passionate and committed to the cause right from the get-go.
He believes that the present Eagles team appeared not sufficiently driven to risk everything to settle their qualification early.
“The current Super Eagles appear not to have the DNA of the Eagles we used to know,” Dr Okafor began while emphasising on the role passion plays in helping people achieve their set goals in life.
“I remember that the Eagles which paraded such players as Daniel Amokachi, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Uche Okechukwu, Celestine Babayaro, Victor Ikpeba, Nwankwo Kanu, Julius Aghahowa, Sunday Oliseh, Rashidi Yekini, Dosu Joseph and a host other legendary names was a team the opposition always feared on the African continent and beyond.
“In those days, Nigerians were always confident that the Eagles would always overcome any opposition no matter how bleak their chances looked.
“The manner of the Dream Team’s conquest of the football gold medal in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics Games remains a stuff of legends. On two occasions against football powerhouses, Brazil and Argentina, the Dream Team came back twice to win enroute to making history as the first African team ever to win the Olympic football gold. Those players were not only committed, they were passionate.
“What about the quarter-final game between Nigeria and Senegal in the Africa Nations Cup co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria in 2000? I remember Sunday Oliseh braved the odds, offering to play when it looked like Nigeria was on the verge of losing despite being down with malaria.
“Well, it turned out that his introduction into the game despite earlier misgivings by coach Jo Bonfrere was the saving grace as it was Oliseh who gave the pass that enabled Aghahowa to level the scores with just five minutes of regulation left to play.
“These were occasions where our players showed an unquenchable passion to win and make their fellow countrymen and women happy. Such demonstrations of desire, drive and commitment amongst our players is quite rare these days.
“I am sure the present team would not have been huffing and puffing in their qualification campaigns for the World Cup if they exhibited similar traits as their predecessors. I can only see a few players like Victor Osimhen in the present team displaying the passion and zeal those other Eagles were known for,” he said.
