BY PAUL BASSEY
Waking up by 2a.m. to watch a match can be exciting if the team or person you support goes on to win. If the result is on the contrary as it happened on Monday morning, then you wish you had not missed your sleep. However as a sports commentator you are condemned to the benefit of a first hand information and knowledge which can only come from watching a match live.

Five minutes to the end of the Nigeria and Brazil match I sent a text to Sports Editor Tony Ubani telling him that the better team won and that we not only surrendered the midfield, but were goal shy.

Isaac Success of Nigeria goes around goalkeeper, Jean of Brazil to score his teams first goal of the game during the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 Group E match between Nigeria and Brazil held at Stadium Taranaki on June 1, 2015 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. (Photo by FIFA

Before now, the media, stakeholders and even the Flying Eagles Technical crew had made us believe that all we needed to win the U20 World Cup in New Zealand was to make an appearance.

We had no respect for Brazil, while they played mind games selling the opinion that they were scared of us.

I sensed trouble when I saw the team list. Coach Manu Garba had said he was going to present a team on merit and that if Ihenacho and co believed they could just walk into his squad, then they were day dreaming!

The team list against Brazil did not reflect that opinion. That those who played and won the African Championship were sacrificed for the “big names” ran contrary to the famous football dictum of not changing a winning team.

Five minutes into the match, Brazil drew blood, menacing from the porous left back position. That our boys woke up and drew level, even going ahead 2-1 was a miracle of sorts as they could not hold on to the lead allowing the Brazilians to level up at half time with intelligent cut to measure passes that left our defence bewildered. It should be noted that goalkeeper Enaholo was pathetic in the handling of aerial balls.

Mention must be made of the goal shyness of the Nigerian attackers no thanks to the tendency to waltz in with the ball, fluffing a number of incredible chances that came back to haunt them.

The second half saw the Brazilians in total control as the Nigerian midfielders could not support the attack, ending up with faulty passes most of the time. A strikers goal by the over age looking Gabriel Boschilla and the amateurish blunder by Enaholo completed the regrettable rout of a team many believe will win the cup.

Panic changes in the second half, including the withdrawal of Iheeanacho did nothing to change the situation as the clock ticked perilously towards full time

On Thursday June 4, the Eagles have the luck of the draw when they play a Korea team humiliated 5-1 by Hungary. It is a match that will afford them the opportunity or righting all the wrongs…..shots at sight, compact midfield, water tight defense, confident goalkeeper.This will be a chance to come back into contention, wary of the result of the match between group leaders Hungary and Brazil that will go a long way in determining the fortunes of the Group going forward