By Uzor Odigbo
Following the dramatic twist in the event at Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Porto Novo in which the Nigeria Super Eagles scored an injury-time goal to reconfirm their qualification for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations, a newspaper in Benin has tagged Nigerians as being cruel!
The publication, La Nouvelle Tribune remarked that both teams should have settled for a goalless draw which would have seen both qualifyings since the Maseru tie of Lesotho and Sierra Leone had ended in a draw.
The French publication translated into English remarked that the ‘lights were green for both teams at the beginning of the match.
“But, at the final whistle of Moroccan Rédouane Jiyed, it is the Nigerians who leave with two certainties. They are qualified for the next AFCON and are sure to finish at the top of the group.
“But how cruel these Nigerians are! They maintained the suspense in a match where they did not force their talent. Because, opposite, Michel Dussuyer, the Beninese coach has aligned a defensive team as if the objective were a draw.
“Not surprisingly since he has accustomed everyone to this way of developing his team without ever seeking to take any risk.
But, what is distressing about this Saturday’s game is the attitude of the players on the pitch. The Squirrels appeared timid and showed no desire to seek a result. Individually and collectively, they lacked courage and were very nervous.”