Some soccer coaches and enthusiasts is Awka have said that the Super Eagles lost to a superior team, the Barea of Madagascar in their third group match in the ongoing Nations Cup in Egypt.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Eagles lost the match 0-2 to the Southern African team.
The enthusiasts said the Super Eagles lacked the fighting spirit and that their their Achilles Heel was exposed in the game.
Victor Nwangwu, a seasoned football administrator identified three reasons why the team lost the match.
Nwangwu faulted the Gernot Rohr’s technical crew as lacking tactical formation and don’t have the capacity to manage a competition of the Nation’s Cup magnitude.
“He has no antidotes for a team that chokes the middle as we saw on Sunday, it appeared that only Odion Ighalo, Oghenekaro Etobo and Winifred Ndidi had some fight in them.
“This shows there was poor mentality, we may have been over rating our boys, afterall.
“The match was not a fluke, Madagascar had a game plan we could not deal with, yet they took everything we threw at them, so they beat us fair and square,” he said.
On his part, Obinna Dike, a FIFA Grade A coach, said the rear of the team was a huge suspect.
Dike, a Catholic Priest and the Administrator of DOSSAD Academy, Awka, said the Eagles were both tactically and psychologically unfit.
“Any game that the right and left backs are not firing up the entire touch lines is most times drab, so, for the Eagles, something is not really right both on and off the grid.
“Without being disrespectful to them, the Eagles showed the way not to play modern football given the supposed `quality’ in that team, something was amiss,” he said.
Also reacting, Jude Atupulazi, Editor in Chief of Fides Newspapers, said the team needed to buckle up or be shown the way out of the competition.
Atupulazi said Rohr has failed and should take a bow as he has got nothing more to offer.
“I had earlier thought the boys were playing this way because they were not serious, but now I know it’s because they can’t offer more than they are doing.
“Madagascans were not better, per se, but were tactically superior, they completely nullified our attack and this game could have gone on for a week without us scoring.
“Rohr should be replaced by Samson Siasia who is attack minded, if he handles these guys you’ll see a different team.
“It is unfortunate that we have e blown away our chance to stay longer, the consequences is that we will play a strong team and it may likely be our last.
“This match could have gone on for three days without us scoring, the team lacks the basics in midfield and attack; no movement, no fluidity, no bite,” he said.
Emeka Okeke, a sports broadcaster, said the Super Eagles did not show they meant business in the match.
“Madagascar played better than Super Eagles because of our over confidence and complacency. We meant no business from the blast of the whistle.
“Matches are played and won on the bench,” he said.
Nnamdi Kalu, a fan, congratulated the winners saying they were the better side.
“Madagascar was very well drilled and organised, their energy was unbelievable from start to finish, they are on top of the group and qualified for a reason,” he said.
Another strong supporter of the Eagles said only luck can make the team progress far in the competition.
According to Okafor, with little luck they can qualify besides the coach can rearrange the players by placing them on their natural wings.
“If a man who is a natural left footer is forced to play from the right flank, you can’t get result from such arrangement, you don’t experiment players during matches,” he said.
