As the Super Eagles take on South Africa for a place in the Afcon 2023 finals, the memory of their last title victory will serve as inspiration for their opponents to win their home games
A Facebook memory from 11 years ago led me to rethink Nigeria’s journey to winning the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa. The image the app conjured up was of me standing next to the pitch at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium as the Super Eagles practiced for their semi-final match against Mali on 6 February. Behind him were a large group of fellow journalists. 2013.
Nigeria’s road to victory at Afcon was a long one. The season opened in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga with a 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso. I arrived in the city a few hours before the game but was unable to secure a media accreditation badge. I was forced to buy tickets on the open market to watch the match. This result left many Nigerian fans dissatisfied.
Before the tournament, Stephen Keshi’s team had little confidence. He remembers riding a bus from Johannesburg with two Nigerians living in South Africa. One of the men was carrying a live chicken with white feathers painted green on both sides. It was emblematic of the “Super Chicken” nickname the team earned after a series of mistakes over the years.
For the next match against Zambia, I secured recognition and saw the Eagles again face Zambia at 1-1 after Ogheni Onazi conceded a penalty in the final minute and goalkeeper Kennedy Mwene converted. I watched the match tied at 1 from the media stand at Mbombela Stadium. John Obi Mikel missed a penalty in the first half, but in the second half he assisted Emmanuel Emenike which led to a goal.
In the mixed zone, I asked Keshi if there was a problem with the team’s discipline, given that they lost the lead in the first two games. The trainer was not happy with my questions and lashed out, accusing me of being one of the journalists who tried to ruin his job.
Next stop, Rustenburg
After two draws, Nigeria needed a win to avoid being eliminated from the tournament in the group stage. That would have been an unimaginable disaster. The last game of the group was scheduled to be against Ethiopia at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Victor Moses then stepped in with two goals to ensure victory for the Super Eagles. It was the game he announced to the continent.
Nigeria won and Burkina Faso each got 5 points. However, as the goal difference narrowed, the Eagles finished second in their group and faced Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals (note that Afcon was a 16-team tournament at the time). The Elephants won against Togo, Algeria and Tunisia in the group stage. They looked like the coming champions with his two wins and one draw.
The star-studded cast, including Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Yaya Toure and Gervinho, fled Nigeria in a panic. Everyone had given up on Poppy’s team, but the NFF issued return tickets to the players so they could return to their clubs after the match. Some members of the NFF board are already in talks with recently departed Zambia national team coach Hervé Renard about taking over Keshi’s job.
But that Sunday afternoon in Rustenburg, the Nigerian Eagles came back to life and played their best game of the tournament, winning 2-1. It was the day Sunday MBA replaced the Nigerian football legend.
There was a feeling of disbelief in the stands as the poppy boys showed their style by overtaking, overtaking and outdoing the famous Ivorian. I remember watching Calvin Emeka Onwuka in awe of the boys’ performance.
The road to Durban
The next day we left for Johannesburg with two journalists working for Complete Sports at the time. We stayed at the guesthouse for one night before heading to Durban on an overnight bus. In the city on the Indian Ocean, Nigeria faced Mali in the semi-finals.
The trip to Durban was interesting. This was the only time I traveled at night. It was a Misaki biplane that slowly maneuvered through the lights of towns and villages. The passenger sitting across from me was a Zambian woman who told me of her joy at her country’s early exclusion from Afcon. She said many Zambians died during the Afcon title-winning celebrations the previous year. She felt that a joyful celebration would save her people from needless death. She recalled the Yoruba proverb, “Iseki ipani, ayonipani” (Hardship does not kill you, but enthusiasm does).
We found accommodation in an old motel in Durban. It was very different from Nelspruit, where I lived with a local family. Durban’s seaside skyscrapers have given the city a different, cosmopolitan feel. Life there was different. As fast-paced as it was in Port Harcourt, it was more hectic in Lagos.
Moses Mabhida Stadium lies like a majestic bowl, with its arches reminiscent of Wembley. It was one of the most beautiful stadiums I have ever seen in Africa. Mbombela’s pitches are dry and dusty, but Mabhida is home to PSL team AmaZulu FC, so it was lush and well-maintained. It is the venue where Yakubu Aiyegbeni famously left out the match against South Korea that sealed Nigeria’s exit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
When we arrived, Durban’s nightlife was subdued mid-week. The night before the game, the nightclub below our lodge was empty. However, there was a police raid nearby. From his seventh-floor window, we watched as scores of police cars surrounded the building, flashing red and blue lights throughout the night.
The game against Mali
Mali’s strength was in the midfield. Seydou Keita was their star. He wore the flashiest watch I’ve ever seen on a soccer player during his pregame press conference. The youngster, who shone with his Nigeria side at the 1999 FIFA U20 World Cup, also did well in Spain and was not afraid to show off his talent.
But Stephen Keshi knew this team well and tore it apart. It ended 4-1 on February 6th. After being cautious in the previous game against Ivory Coast, everyone was surprised to see the team finish with confidence.
As soon as this victory was achieved, we proceeded to the next match, the final in Johannesburg. And we all had a hunch that the Super Eagles would win their third Afcon title against Burkina Faso. It happened. It was hard, but it happened. They made history, even though many continue to look down on them and say they weren’t as good as the 1994 team.
And then comes South Africa
This Afcon mirrors Keshi’s team’s journey in South Africa 11 years ago and it is safe to say that Nigeria are in a good position mentally to beat South Africa at Bouake. Jose’s initial lack of faith in his Peseiro team and their struggles against Equatorial Guinea made his Eagles a dangerous team.
South Africa also has a very good team and has a goalkeeper in Ronwen Williams who could be selected as goalkeeper of the tournament. However, Nigeria will have too much in attack, as they have a compact defense and have conceded just one goal throughout the tournament. I think South Africa will win again this time since they won the title 10 years ago.
At the beginning of the tournament, I said that I had no confidence in this Nigerian team. But now I believe. Lord, help me with my unbelief.
