AFCON 2023 Flicks!

Is history about to repeat itself?

There’s always something to cheer for, each time Eagles of Nigeria beat Cote d’Ivoire. Fourty years ago, in 1984 when they hosted their first Nations Cup, Nigeria beat them and played in the finals. That match was hosted by Cote d’Ivoire at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan. Incidentally, Nigeria’s last match against Guinea Bissau will also be at the Stade Houphouet-Boigny. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?. In the final match on March 18, 1984, goals from N’Djeya, Abega and Ebongue condemned Nigeria to a 3-1 loss with Lawal’s solitary goal not enough.


In 2013 in South Africa, the Super Eagles beat Cote d’Ivoire, played in the finals and lifted the trophy. Most of the matches in South Africa were played on a Sunday with one home-based player, Sunday Mba living up to his name by making Nigerians happy. That was the third time Nigeria won the AFCON, first being in 1980, then 1994. The smell of victory is in the air.


The price of victory is high but so are the rewards. Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan. Coming out victorious from the intimidating crowd of 49,517 at the 60,000 Alhassan Quattara stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan, Nigerians were a delight to watch. Back slaps, banters and the victorious song of Ose, Ose oo, Ose baba took over. The Ivorians, though with long faces, after a public holiday declared turned out to be in vain, were ‘magnanimous’ in defeat.

There were no incidents, accidents or skirmishes after the match. They took their pain and began a long journey back home in the night.

Victory took the Super Eagles to joint-first in group A, only behind Equatorial Guinea on goal difference, while the Elephants sank to third position and must beat Equatorial Guinea on Monday to guarantee a place in the Round of 16. Indeed, the wheel of fortune turns round incessantly. A person who has been happy will suffer much more from misfortune than a man who has not been happy. In their words, I can only say, ‘’accepter la defaite de bonne foi(Take defeat in good faith).
Wise word for Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali

From nowhere, Stanley Nwabali has shot himself into the reckoning of Nigerian soccer fans. He earned it through his agility and uncommon mistakes which enveloped Francis Uzoho and deposed him from the number one position. Nwabali should not act the hero. We saw him earn un-necessary yellow card against Ivory Coast. He should remember what Patrick Dempsey said about fame. ‘’Fame is a delicate and dangerous creature. I saw people who didn’t honour it, who refused to take responsibility for it, get destroyed by it. I also saw that stardom in and of itself was empty. A word is enough for the wise.
Rev Ikpea laughs last

Before the battle on the pitch, there were greater spiritual fights between the supporters of Cote

d’Ivoire and Nigeria. Moments after Nigeria ran away with the 1-0 victory, Supporters club chairman, Rev Sam Ikpea called and said, ‘’what God cannot do does not exist. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. UP SUPER EAGLES!
The miracle in Sadiq Umar’s injury

The saying that everyday holds the possibility of a miracle truly comes to mind on the raging controversy over Umar Sadiq’s fast recovery once out of the Super Eagles camp.


Questions have been asked as to why a player who allegedly had a thigh injury that would rule him out for the duration of the AFCON would be seen up and running, jumping for his club, Real Sociedad.



Many others have asked about the competence of those who dismissed Umar and let Paul Onuachu take his place. Nature like Aristotle said ‘’abhors a vacuum,”. But, the rapid response at which Umar got ‘healed’ proves there are exceptions to the rule. Could it be a matter of natural healing or are there undercurrents to the miracle?

It’s confusing. The Portuguese coach of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro who is cut in-between the medical magic has confessed that much. “I am confused,” Peseiro said. ‘’I received a report from the medics that he is injured and cannot recover in 15 days at least”.

The whole scenario is looking more like the healing of the crippled man beside the pool of Bethesda. Many who saw him earlier crippled threw coins at him. Seeing him later jumping, running and kicking can be as confusing as Peseiro was. It is impossible to be sure when the miracle occurred but it happened. We all saw Sadiq Umar play for his club after he was sent packing by the Nigerian team. It happened! Happy to see the ‘rejected’ stone become the cornerstone in his club.
Salami’s transformer

It’s easy to know a Nigerian for the first time. I’m not talking about the great academic feats or the


alluring lyrics of our musicians that have held the world spell-bound, or those other eye-scratching deeds that have diminished our image as a nation.

Adekunle Taoreed Salami is here in Abidjan for the Africa Cup of Nations. He came prepared. The size of his Power Bank gave him out easily. He’s used to carrying the ‘transformer’ to ensure he remains active and connected to his many devices. The moment he brought it out, eyes trailed him. All the eyes in the hall were moving in his direction. Some gazed, glanced, glared and security officials scanned. The Director of Communications, NFF, Ademola Olajire could not hold himself when he said, ‘’Slam, this is heavy”.

Salami smiled. One thing is sure, though. He’ll not need to carry the burden about as there’s regular power supply in Cote d’Ivoire.
Mr beggar has no town’s man

Before now, it was shameful to be called or identified as a beggar. It was at par with being called a thief or a liar. Growing up, we detested begging, stealing and lying.

Not only are they crime, they’re also a sin. The Cathchist struck fear into us narrating what the Bible says about stealing: Let him who stole, steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. With his whip on his left hand, he also said regarding begging: ‘’I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread”.


With the fear of the Lord and a mind so clean, we grew up detesting begging and stealing and all the other vices. Growing up, I realized that charity bestowed upon those who are worthy of it is like good seed sown on a good soil that yields an abundance of fruits. The emphasis is on those who are worthy of it. If you have travelled outside Nigeria and encountered the men and women at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, you’ll weep for Nigeria. Men and women with well starched uniforms dragging the image of Nigeria in the mud.

I thought they said that beggars have no choice. Not these ones. These ones are bold and daring. The sweet song of Sweet Breeze titled Mr beggar has no town’s man does not apply to the airport beggars. In the song, it said ‘’when you see him in the market begging, you turn your face the other way, you try to walk the other way, you don’t take the course again”. They don’t go to the market to beg. They stay in their cozy offices with tax payers money harassing, embarrassing and insulting those who do not part with their cash. The beggars look better than those begged. The picture of one exchanging words with a traveller because what he gave was small was disgusting.

Beggars can’t be choosers in our airports.
Hordes of Nigerian Journalists

Trust Nigerians when it comes to football, they go all out for it. The love, passion that Nigerians display for the round-leather game is amazing.

At the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, Nigerian journalists here outnumber the host nation’s scribes. The foreign journalists with a sizable number from outside Africa are made up of Nigerians. A Tanzanian Journalist shocked with the hordes of Nigerians asked; ‘’how many media houses do you have in Nigeria? I left him wondering with my reply, ‘’more than the number you’ve seen here”.