Ex-international and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) silver medalist, Folorunso Okenla, has expressed optimism that with the performance, teamwork and determination exhibited by the Super Eagles so far at the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast which climax today in Abidjan, three-time African champions can rule the continent once again.
Sporting Tribune recalls that Nigeria emerged as African champions in 2013 (11 years ago) in South Africa under the guidance of the late Stephen ‘Big Boss’ Keshi when the Super Eagles pipped Les Etalons of Burkina Faso by a lone Sunday Mba’s strike.
To get to today’s final, the Coach Jose Peseiro-led team drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea, defeated host Ivory Coast 1-0, and dispatched Guinea Bissau by the same goal margin all in the group stage. In the round of 16, the Eagles soared over perennial rival, the indomitable Lions of Cameroon by 2-0, and roasted Angola’s Palanga Negras by 1-0 in the quarter-finals before a 4-2 penalty shoot-out triumph over the Bafana Bafana after a 1-1 after extra time.
But to Okenla, the boys have ticked all the boxes, showed resilience, displayed the true Nigerian spirit in them and deserve nothing but the cup. He commended the boys for the spirit of togetherness in the camp and lauded Coach Jose Peseiro for the tactics he has adopted and which has taken Nigeria to the final.
The former Birmingham City of England player added that winning the AFCON will be a good turnaround for Nigerian football that will herald a new beginning and a new dawn for the round leather game in the country.
“Thank God we are here now at the finals. As I said, Nigeria seems to have played so many finals before getting to the final. We beat Cameroon, we beat Cote d’Ivoire, we beat South Africa. Those are the matches that would have been the finals of AFCON. But now we have made it. It is Nigeria’s turn to bring the cup back home.
“Football is coming home this time around 2024. We have done wonderfully well in this tournament. You can see the togetherness, the unity among the boys. The captain has been great. I will also give credit to the coach who has kept the team together. We saw the Iheanacho’s saga and it has been profitable for Nigeria. He came and delivered the goal that took us to the final.
“I’m confident that this is the year for Nigeria to win the Nations Cup tournament as everything seems to be working perfectly well for us. We have been able to weather the storm when it was difficult when nobody gave us the team a chance. The boys have played for themselves, their families, and the nation. Everybody that had the opportunity of putting on the green-white colour delivered on the expectations of the Nigerian nation. I don’t see any reason we should be too worried about it (today’s final) because I know fully well that the guys would play their hearts out and I believe the support will be there from 200 million Nigerians and others from around the world.
“Never mind the support the Ivorians will be having at home, we are more than them in numbers, we’re more than them in confidence, we are more than them in ability and I know we also have the experience to deliver on the day. The Super Eagles of this present time happen to be greater than any team in this tournament and they have been able to do what is expected of them to get into the final. Concerning the tactics, we have to give it to the coach. He’s done so well by getting the team up to this point. They started very slowly but have been able to get to the level they are playing as real champions where you expect them to score at every opportunity.
“The semi-final (Nigeria and South Africa) was a very shocking game for me for the first time in my life. I saw a goal scored disallowed by the referee and a penalty given on the other side. I hope such does not happen in the final. Having said that, we have found ourselves in the final, we are prepared to bring the cup home and you can see from the way the players have been playing and the way the officials have also managed the situation.
“And I want to believe that it’s going to be a good turnaround for Nigerian football and I hope when we eventually win, it will be a new beginning, a new dawn and we should be able to take advantage and leverage on the opportunities that will along with winning the AFCON. It has been long overdue and I’m looking forward to the super captain lifting the cup in Cote d’Ivoire today and bringing it back for all Nigerians to see and welcome it back home including the President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
“I’m optimistic, I’m highly expectant, I’m confident just like every other Nigerian is and I want us to win. It doesn’t matter how many goals this time around. One goal is enough but if we do get more that will be great. But I think that it is the time for Nigeria to rule Africa once again in the game of football,” Okenla, who was a member of the Green Eagles at the 1988 AFCON in Morocco, exclusively told Sporting Tribune.
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