Grandmaster

There is something called “delayed shock” in boxing, you do not feel a well landed punch, until after a few seconds when the brain is jolted. When Guinea scored a dying minute equaliser that put paid to the ambition of the Super Eagles, not many Nigerians realised the enormity of the result.

Now that the 28th edition of the African Cup of Nations is underway in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, the grim reality dawned on me that for the first time since 1976, yours truly will not be at the venue of the continental football fiesta, no thanks to the dismal performance of the NFF, the Super Eagles and their coaches.

What a shame! From my television days, I led the crew that covered Ethiopia 76, Ghana 78, Nigeria 80, Libya 82, Cote D’Ivoire 84, Morocco 88, Algeria 90, Senegal 92, and Tunisia 94. Even after retirement, one still participated in the Africa Cup of Nations till the last edition in Angola 2010.

Majority of Nigerian Sports journalists will be generally disappointed that as a result of the Super Eagles failure, they are missing out in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

The media, in particular are the greatest losers in terms of patronage which runs into billions of naira. A big, rich and highly endowed country like Nigeria failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations is a big blow and those in authority should respond appropriately.