The Super Eagles finished the group stages with a perfect record and looked to be cruising until they bumped into Tunisia in the Round of 16 and crashed. Nobody expected Nigeria to be out of the competition this early; they were amongst the favourites.
The large contingent of Nigerians in Cameroon had a hard time holding back their disappointment and will be looking to better use their 1xbet promo code on the other teams still in contention.
Hosts Cameroon, one of Nigeria’s fiercest rivals alongside Egypt, are still in the competition, while the team they are going to face in a few weeks for a place in the World Cup, Ghana, crashed out in the group stages.
The Nigerians were always within reach of trying times after sacking their head coach Gernot Rohr just a few days before their first match in Cameroon.
He was replaced by Augustin Eguavoen, who was able to guide the team to an exciting group stage highlighted by a 1-0 defeat of title favourites Egypt.
Back in Nigeria, the healing process and forward look to the World Cup qualifiers have already begun, albeit in difficulty.
According to team captain Ahmed Musa, it is still a heartbreaking and painful reality that has made the Super Eagles better and even ready for future challenges.
Musa’s leadership and words will be sure to rub off on his teammates as they navigate a delicate time with a crucial World Cup qualifier coming up.
Musa made his presence felt in Cameroon on and off the pitch after donating over $1000 to a local mosque.
But for one player, Moses Simon, who was arguably the best player for the team during the tournament, the pain is still very much real.
According to his Nantes head coach, Antoine Kombouare, Simon is not over the exit and has been given extra days off to regain his mental strength before returning to club action.
Turning their sights to Ghana and World Cup qualification, the Super Eagles will face the Black Stars twice, with the winner securing a berth in the 2022 World Cup, a tournament the Nigerians have only missed once in the last seven editions.
Despite their current turmoil, the Nigerians will be confident of handling a Ghanaian side reeling deeply from a disappointing group-stage exit from the AFCON.
The Ghanaians lost two games out of three, drawing the other. The Black Stars also showed a worrying lack of discipline, receiving red cards in two of their three matches.
In March, the Super Eagles will face the Black Stars in what is always a very competitive match driven by more than just victory on the pitch.
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