By Jacob Ajom

Not surprisingly, the early exit of the Super Eagles from the ongoing Africa Cup of  Nations in Cameroon has thrown up a lot of theories and postulations. For a team that looked so promising at the start of the tournament and went through the group stage, scoring six goals and conceding just one to have slipped so cheaply to a covid-19 ravaged Tunisian side calls for a critical re-evaluation of not only the technical crew and its tactics but also the playing personnel.

For years now, the Super Eagles have been without a play-maker, a game changer and one who can dictate the course of a match. Such a player should be of great influence to his teammates. Every member of the team, the coaches and even the fans look up to him in times of crisis; when things seem to be going wrong.

In recent history, Nigeria boasted the likes of Christian Chukwu, nicknamed Chairman, by his teammates, the late Stephen Keshi among others. They symbolised the philosophy, the complex and texture of the team. They provided leadership on and off the pitch. They were captains indeed.

Chukwu, for instance, was a defender who did more than just his defensive duties. When he was on the

ball, even his opponents respected him. Chukwu was an organiser per excellence and dictated things for the Green Eagles and Rangers International Football club of Enugu, both of whom he captained.

Then came another era where a young libero from the defunct New Nigerian Bank Football Club of Benin, Stephen Keshi burst into the scene. Once Keshi became ripe for the Super Eagles first team, he showed early signs of leadership qualities.. Indeed, Keshi’s leadership role became more prominent during the celebrated era of Clemens Westerhof.

From his days in the Flying Eagles, Keshi’s presence on the pitch exuded confidence and authority and this permeated through the entire squad. That Keshi grew up to become a coach was no surprise to those who knew him as a player. Westerhof believed so much in him. Apart from his huge frame, Keshi was also a leader on the pitch.

Most observers believe the present Super Eagles squad lacks such a character. In Cameroon, one player came close to functioning as a star, unfortunately, not as a leader. Moses Simon, the electrifying winger whose pace, dribbling skill, technique and deliveries almost turned the Nigerian dream into an instant reality was indeed, the rallying point for his teammates in Garoua, where the Eagles played all their matches. However, the role became too big for his fragile shoulders when his trickery on the field failed him.

Moses’;limitations were so pronounced in the Eagles’ loss to Tunisia when the north Africans deployed two, at times three defenders on him and Simon’s wings were clipped. The Eagles were stuck. The Tunisians first cut off all the supply lines to the fast-playing dribbling wizard.

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Although he showed flashes of brilliance intermittently, Simon was not himself throughout the encounter. As his game suffered, so did the entire team. The Eagles practically struggled as it became clear that the battle was beyond skill; they needed a commander, a leader to propel them.

The technical bench had no answer. Eguavoen and his staff looked defeated and appeared helpless, particularly after Alex Iwobi attracted VAR’s wrath and was shown the red card. At that time, the Eagles needed a field commander who could have changed the course of affairs and made things happen .

And there was none. They lost everything after one mistake because an army without a commander cannot last in a war. That was why the Eagles were sent packing from a tournament they had registered a commanding presence. Another opportunity lost.

Most Nigerians watched with envy, when the Pharaohs of Egypt, a team that the Super Eagles made to look so ordinary, steered their way to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations. What the Eagles lacked, Egypt have in Muhammed Salah, a leader on the pitch. Salah took responsibility when it mattered most. He provided direction, stability and played the redeemer’s role. Each time the Pharaohs were literally sinking, Salah kept the ship afloat.

Senegal’s Sadio Mane, incidentally Salah’s teammate at Liverpool, is another good example of a leader who has done well for the Lions of Teranga and country. Mane played the full match against Equatorial Guinea even when his club didn’t want him to, following the head injury that resulted in him being replaced, 10 minutes after scoring against Cape Verde in the Round of 16 match. Mane has practically shouldered the burden of Senegal.

They have reached their second final in a row, after Mane spearheaded their charge against Burkina Faso in the semi final, Wednesday night. He led the Senegalese army to their first African title after beating Egypt in the final. He took the decisive kick that won the title for them.

Former Nigeria captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha while reviewing the performance of the Super Eagles in AFCON 2021 pointed out that the team lacked urgency and had no leader. “The major problem we had, if I may criticize the team, was a lack of leadership,” the Super Eagles legend said.

“At no point did I have the impression that there were one or two players that wanted to take the responsibility to talk to the other players, fire them up and get them going.

“They were all playing at the same pace and leaving each other to sort things for themselves.”

It is time the technical crew which, within three weeks with the team did a yeoman’s job started to mould a leader among the players. The on-field leader could be of immense assistance to the coaches who sit and watch from the sidelines.

He may not necessarily be the captain. Ahmed Musa for now does not command such carriage as he is in the twilight of his career and has become a fringe player. The likes of William Troost-Ekong, Wilfred Ndidi could assume such roles for the Super Eagles. Until then, the Super Eagles remain like an army without a commander.

Vanguard News Nigeria