AFCON 2017: Congrats, Cameroon!

Two weeks ago, the Cameroon’s national football team, Indomitable Lions out-witted their Egyptian counterparts, the Pharaohs 2-1 in the final match of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, played at the Stade de L’Amittie in Gabon to emerge champions of Africa again.
The triumph marked the fifth time and since 15 years that Cameroon would win the continental championship and rule Africa. In fact, the manner of the Lions’ victory was impressive and worthy of note despite prosecuting the tournament with less than full strength squad.
Just at the eve of the competition, many of the country’s top players (about eight), especially those playing in the English Premier League opted to turn their back on their national team and pitched tent with their clubsides. With the development and recent record at the tournament, not many gave the Lions a chance to roar at the championship, particularly, in the final match with Egypt.
But just as true trojans they are, the young but highly motivated players not only beat all oppositions on the way to the final, they, against popular expectations defeated Egypt in the final to lift the trophy. That victory ended Egypt’s 24-match unbeaten run and exerted a sweet revenge over the Pharaohs for the 2008 edition’s final loss in Ghana.
It would be recalled that the last time Cameroon won the Nations Cup was in Senegal 2002, after which the Indomitable Lions virtually went comatose following a drastic down-turn of football administration in that French-speaking country.
That is why The Tide commends the impressive performance of the Cameroonian team at the 2017 AFCON in Gabon. We believe that their victory is worthy and well-deserved. As typical of the Lions, they exhibited dogged spirit of patriotism, determination and unity of purpose throughout the duration of the tournament.
The Tide believes that the latest Cameroon’s AFCON victory serves one or more lessons for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and indeed all football stakeholders in Nigeria as they work towards repositioning and re-launching the game and the national team in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
It is quite sad that for inexplicable reasons, Nigeria failed to even qualify for the past two Nations Cup competitions back-to-back at Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in 2015 and Gabon 2017 respectively. We therefore, urge the Super Eagles and football authorities to borrow a leaf from the Indomitable Lions and Cameroon’s Football Federation, FECAFOOT. There must be something exceptionally good that was done by them on and off the field to ensure the success attained in Gabon.
The era of players feeling too big to honour national call is gone as any team can do without the so-called non-committal big names as Cameroon has shown.
No doubt, the current squad of Super Eagles and officials seem to be taking positive steps to rejuvenate the national team. Recent matches have shown signs of improvement and the desire to do well in the team. More pragmatic steps, hardwork and commitment are needed to take the national team to the height the country truly deserves in the game.
We believe that with proper planning and focus, Nigeria boasts the potential to rule Africa and world football and that potential must be brought to light in the twin-race to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the next edition of AFCON that will hold in Cameroon in two years time.
As Nigeria prepares for her next World Cup qualifiers, which incidentally is a double header against the African champions, Cameroon, all steps must be pulled to cut the Lions to size and keep the hope for a ticket to Russia 2018 alive.
Even as we celebrate Cameroon’s exploits in Gabon, we urge the Super Eagles and the NFF not to be overwhelmed by them but to be battle ready to hold their own in the race for Russia 2018 World Cup and 2019 AFCON, respectively.