We will massacre Ethiopia, spell Addis Ababa

Pius Ayinor
| credits: File copy

Nigeria could never have had a better draw for the final playoffs in the run-up to Brazil 2014 World Cup. I wonder how Nigerians would have reacted if it were to be Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt or Senegal as the playoffs opponents. This is not to say that the Ethiopians are walkover but at least, psychologically we are better off facing them than any of those mentioned above.

Even though I see the Ethiopia draw as the smoothest, I was shocked by the initial reactions of Nigerians to the fixture including some Super Eagles players. I read articles and overheard conversations like ‘We will massacre Ethiopia’. I waited this while before reacting on the draw to gauge people’s view of the upcoming match. I have observed that Nigerians have gradually changed their perception of the clash; many now see the game as dicey as any other fixture until the match is won.

If there’s anything to say about the change in perception, I guess some people have refreshed their minds to way back in 2006 and remembered that Nigeria did not qualify for that World Cup. When the draw was made for Germany 2006, Angola was the closest in football hierarchy to Nigeria in that group. Many people including myself were so sure we were heading for another World Cup until the Angolans visited Kano and dried out our Mundial hopes.

Many had sufficient reasons to believe that the ticket was for the Eagles. The Angolans were known then majorly for basketball and Nigerians like me believed they would continue to play the second fiddle to Nigeria but the southern Africans were also desirous to enjoy the fun and glitz of World Cup appearance. Since then I have learnt my lessons.

The basic fact is that any team that has reached this level should not be treated with kid gloves. I view this stage like the English Premier League where even the team at the bottom of the table can spring a surprise against the top four. Ethiopia beating Nigeria will be described as an upset but by whatever name it is called, it can’t stop them from being in Brazil. The Tunisians are still in the race after gaining a backdoor entrance at the expense of colourful Cape Verde. Very few people gave the islanders the chance to get to that level but they ended up thrashing Tunisia 2-0 in Tunis.

For those with screaming headlines about beating Ethiopia, kindly take it softly. My satisfaction comes from the fact that Stephen Keshi has spoken professionally about the game. He hardly has a choice with the big opportunity before him. If he leads Nigeria through to Brazil, he would become the first African to qualify two different countries for the World Cup. He got Togo through to their first World Cup ticket with Germany 2006 but painfully he got the boot before the flight to Europe. I am very positive that Eagles will surely fly over the Walya Antelopes but I am not going to sip any wine until it is over. The crucial leg is the one in Addis Ababa which comes up first. If we take the fight to them like it is only a single game, then we’ll surely return to Calabar to have a party.

After what I saw of the FIFA Confederations Cup in June, I am hopeful that teams can’t run over Nigeria if we work steadily towards. And in other words I am very confident that we will qualify for the World Cup. But until then, let’s be careful of the banana peel called Ethiopia.