By Osasu Obayiuwana

In Libreville, Gabon, where I am writing this piece from, we are just a day from knowing who will be the champion of the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

It has been an educative three weeks in this central African country, which has more foreigners than it does citizens, who have been less than interested in the tournament. And not just for the reason that the national team, ‘Les Panthers’ (The Panthers), did not reach its knockout stages.

As I do not need to remind any Nigerian, the Super Eagles are the most notable absentees from this tournament, as they were from the one before it, in Equatorial Guinea.

It is a fact that colleagues from every part of the continent have never failed to remind me of, since I got here. Their painful jibes, about Nigeria’sfour-year absence (which will, hopefully, end in 2019) from the Africa Cup of Nations, do not fail to grate.

But the ones that were the hardest to swallow were from a person very familiar to Nigerians – Cameroon’s Joseph-Antoine Bell, the former Marseille and Saint Etienne goalkeeper, who won the Cup of Nations with the Indomitable Lions in 1984, in Cote D’Ivoire and four years later in Morocco – both at Nigeria’s expense.

Bell is working as a tournament match analyst for Radio France International (RFI).

“Jojo,” as he is fondly known, was with me in in Franceville, where we both watched the very terse quarter-finalbetween his country and Senegal’s Lions of Teranga, which took a penalty shootout to resolve, in his country’s favour.

After the match ended, we sat together in the shuttle bus that took us back to Franceville airport, in order to catch my 1am flight back to Libreville.

“Jojo” began to boast that Cameroon, with just two points in the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifiers, while Nigeria’s Super Eagles have SIX – will still snatch the ticket.

Bell

He began to remind me of how many times Nigeria has been bested by Cameroon. The great Roger Milla, who was also in the bus, smiled as Bell talked.

This bus was full of Cameroonians, including former Real Madrid player GeremiNjitap, excitedly listening to all Bell said, in English and French. (He speaks both languages excellently).

Senegal’s El HadjiDiouf, who was still feeling the pain of the defeat to Cameroon, was in the bus too, poor chap. The embrace that Milla gave him was little consolation.

Besides myself, Colin Udoh– who needs no introduction – was the only other Nigerian in the bus. But Colin decided to keep quiet, while Nigeria’s football honour was under attack and being rubbished by Jojo.

But I could not be quiet and I had to answer back. The disrespect to Nigeria was too much to swallow.

“Yes, you have beaten us in three AFCON final games,” I told Jojo.

“But you know, very well, that only your victory in 1984 was clean.

“The second, at Morocco 1988, we were cheated. Roger [Milla] tricked the referee (Idrissa Saar of Mauritania) into giving him a fake penalty. And the clean goal of Henry Nwosu was disallowed as being offside,” I told him.

“As for the 2000 Nations Cup, the Tunisian referee (MouradDaami) denied us a penalty goal that Victor Ikpeba scored. We have been cheated many times in the AFCON final,” I reminded Bell.

“We are in the World Cup qualifying driving seat now and you will never take over. We beat Zambia away and Zambia disgraced you at home. And we will do the same to you,” I said to him.

But Jojo did not let up, telling me that Nigerian players always tremble when they face the Indomitable Lions and they will never get over this mental block.

“Any time Nigeria face Cameroon, they are scared. They have an inferiority complex that they cannot overcome and we are going to use that to beat your team, at home,” Jojo said.

That was a stinging insult to Nigeria, which I was certainly not going to let go. “August will soon be here and you shall see,” I told him.

Let anyone tell me that football is just an ordinary game or that national pride and honour is not at stake, when games are played.

The Nigeria Football Federation – and Amaju Pinnick particularly – better not tell me – or any Nigerian for that matter, any cock and bull story about Russia 2018. We MUST be there.

After failing to qualify for two successive AFCON finals – our worst period since making our debut, at the 1976 finals in Ethiopia – and with none of Nigeria’s teams, including the U-20 and U-17 teams – playing in any African or FIFA competition this year, Nigeria and Nigerians have suffered enough football humiliation.

I believe that with the players Nigeria now have and with the serious-minded coach that we also have, in Gernot Rohr, we shall beat Algeria and Cameroon to the ticket – AS LONG AS THE NFF DO THEIR PART and ensure the coach and players are given what is required to deliver.

What happens if we don’t qualify?  Let’s not even think about that… Failure is not an option for Nigeria.There will be no place in Nigeria that will be big enough to hide Pinnick and the current NFF board, should we fail to get to Russia.

A six-year absence from competitive international football, for the Super Eagles – which will happen, if we do not make it to the 2018 World Cup finals – is a possibility that cannot be contemplated.