Sports
Oparaku Fumes Over Super Eagles’ AFCON Display
Despite the satisfaction in some quarters as to the Super Eagles of Nigeria winning bronze at the AFCON 2019 in Egypt, former Eagles defender, Mobi Oparaku has submitted that in as much as he would love to congratulate the team, they didn’t meet his expectations on a personal level.
The Super Eagles defeated the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia 1-0 to claim the bronze medal, courtesy of OdionIghalo’s 3rd-minute strike in Cairo.
Speaking with www.brila.net, Oparaku, however, noted while speaking with www.brila.net that individual play amongst the players, coupled with poor teamwork, hindered the Eagles chances to get to the final and possibly win the trophy.
“We just have to congratulate them first and then let them know that this is not what we expected from them. We just have to overcome all the obstacles that made us not qualify to the finals”.
“First, we did not concentrate on the team building and it killed us because everyone was playing individual football in the team, that is just my problem and observation. It’s a personal observation because I watched all the games differently”.
“I did not see the team cohesion and understanding which is why we did not come out flying like we expected from the team”.
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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