The Super Eagles Tanzania double-header is now a win-or-bust mission. With Friday’s first leg in Uyo looming, Sylvanus Okpala, Abiodun Obafemi and Sam Sodje have warned Eric Chelle’s men in the bluntest terms that anything less than maximum points could cost Nigeria a place at AFCON 2027.
Nigeria sit second in Group L with three points from two games, having beaten Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo before suffering a 3-0 defeat in Guinea-Bissau. Tanzania have already qualified as co-hosts, leaving only one ticket available from the group — and the Eagles cannot afford another slip.
Okpala: Win them all — and hope someone slips
Okpala, a member of the Green Eagles side that won the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations and assistant coach to the late Stephen Keshi when Nigeria lifted the trophy in 2013, said the team has no room for error. Nigeria trail group leaders Guinea-Bissau by three points, and with only one ticket available alongside co-hosts Tanzania, Chelle’s side must win everything in front of them and hope results elsewhere go their way.
“They should know that for them to qualify, they have to play to win all the games now and hope that someone will lose the game,” Okpala told PUNCH. “If they can win all their games, that means they must beat Guinea-Bissau, who beat them last time. It is tough, and it is crucial, but it is what they need to do.”
Obafemi: Thunder does not strike twice
Obafemi, part of the Nigeria team that won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996, pointed to the pain of missing the World Cup as the warning the current squad must heed.
“Thunder does not strike twice, but we have to be very careful. We know how we lost out in the World Cup, and we have to be very careful here so we do not miss out here,” he said. “Nothing less than 100 per cent, so we can qualify for the AFCON and not experience a repeat.”
The Super Eagles Tanzania preview makes the same point: without the injured Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze, Chelle must find goals from elsewhere, with Ademola Lookman, Tolu Arokodare and Taiwo Awoniyi leading the available options.
Sodje: Super Eagles Tanzania woes start with the NFF
Sodje went further, blaming the Nigeria Football Federation itself for the mess. Speaking to The Nation, the former international said poor preparation — not talent — is the sole reason Nigeria keep struggling through qualifying campaigns, pointing to several invited players arriving late in camp after flight disruptions.
“The only reason we are having problems with our qualifiers is based on our preparation. We don’t prepare properly. There is no structure. Lack of preparation has put us in the position we are now,” Sodje said, reacting to the late arrivals.
“When you walk into a structured place, you’ll be well behaved. The players can do what they want if there’s no structure,” he added. “If we get our NFF sorted out with the new people coming in, and get a good structure and clear information on how we want our things done, no player will be in camp late.”
Sodje also dismissed claims that Osimhen is faking his knee injury to avoid national-team duty, arguing instead that poor preparation is why other strikers have failed to step up in the Galatasaray star’s absence — even though the same players score regularly for their clubs. Despite his concerns, Sodje backed the Eagles to win on Friday, predicting a 2-0 or 3-0 victory in Uyo — while admitting he is unsure whether the familiar Super Eagles or the unprepared version will show up.
The good news for Chelle is that he finally has his full squad to work with. All 24 invited players are now in camp in Uyo, and the full squad trained together for two hours ahead of the tie. Chelle is due to address the media at his pre-match press conference today, before the Super Eagles Tanzania first leg kicks off at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Friday, November 13, at 5pm WAT, with the return leg in Zanzibar on Tuesday, November 17. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0, Hadassah Photostorie group) — collage by SportsBuddy
