Former Nigerian midfielder, Austine Okocha believes the Tunisians outsmarted the Super Eagles tactically in Sunday’s round of 16 game of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Recall that Nigeria crashed out of the tournament after losing 1-0 to the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.
However, Okocha, who described the result as disappointing, added that it was a life lesson to football lovers.
Speaking on Super Sports after the game, Okocha said, “It’s a disappointing night for us, but we have to say congratulations to Tunisia. Well deserved victory. I think they outsmarted us tonight tactically.
“They came with a good game plan and they executed it. And you know, it’s a lesson to every football lover. Football is always the winner…a game has to be played first.
“We didn’t do enough to win this match and we were taught a life lesson today. So, we just have to pick ourselves up, find positives and build from there.”
22 Comments
The problem is the blanket instruction: feel free to express yourselves. Winners work on specific strategies.
The legend have spoken…..
Feel free to play football most stop.
We can’t continue this way….
The most annoying part is the fact that the assistant coach is the person in charge of the game…. Not even their first team coach and players….
Do we have such assistant coach I’m the SE???
Well thats what you get when you have no game changers on the bench and an NFF president causing confusion before a crucial game. Which kind Country are we frm. You waste space on a Musa when Victor Moses is a AFCON specialist. How can Emma Dennis have been overlooked initially and Lookman paper still sorted. Thank God Nathan Tella is willing. But Knowing Nigeria 3 months is long when The dust settles on this tournament, we will revert to our Normal routine of clamouring for Rubbish and saying Musa experience is vital to come and encourage the boys. Smh!!! Nothing we no go see for this Country. Chai!!
@Ugo Iwunze you are part of the rubbish you detest. Did we not warn you all that it is not by over hyping players from useless league to play for Super Eagles. Will your Izuchukwu have fared any better now.
You were part of the people that named rubbish players like Nwakali and co. Bia, how market.
We were eliminated by an assistant coach and a depleted Tunisian squad at the stage of a tournament we haven’t been eliminated for the last 28 years of Nigerian football.
Now you are saying it was because of the likes of Ahmed Musa being in this team. How many matches did Musa play again.
Lunatics everywhere.I am waiting to see what that one that is saying “Are you seeing what I am seeing ke”,To come and type here.
Idiots of the highest order.
I never Clamoured for Nwakali so Much and yes he should have been utilized yesterday. the problem is a player i.e. Vic Moses a proven Afcon specialist doing well this season on form overlooked for a Musa a rubbish player didn’t kick a ball the entire tournament = wasted space in the team that is just 1 example coupled with Lookman papers, Calvin Bassey being Overlooked, Dessers a goal scorer being overlooked for Olayinka I mean bro come on How can you want to win anything in a tournament with such poor planning tell me? Nigerians are living in the clouds .
Go and Look at my rants prior to kick off to their tournament @Ben I had no hopes for this team going in as I new we were merely there to come back early if..
If you don’t believe me pull up the threads and see for yourself, But you guys think ypu know pass me after 1 month @Ben you and your Crew will start Singing justification as to why Musa is captain for March Knock outs against Ghana. You guys are really the real problem not me.
Like I said Prior to this Tournament a team Parading a Mediocre Man Ahmed Musa as Captain will only have a Mediocre Ora around them and will get what they are asking 4.
You guys said we needed Nwakali, olayinka, awoniyi, umar and e would win the nations cup. How far now? We’ve failed woefully. I categorically said that rohr tried coming 3rd in an expanded AFCON. We missed two consecutive afcons and came third only for us to be bundled out at the knockout stages with a depleted Tunisian side. Again, rohr qualified for the World Cup with a game to spare so let’s see how we qualify.
Ahmed Musa has the experience needed in that game, captain of the bench until 5minutes to final whistle. A star player Sadiq that scored very good goal and played well in the last match before the knock out game also bench. Then, how do we explain that ? We reap what our coach sow
We must pick up from here. It takes a sound coach to study your team and come up with a winning strategy. The Gambians did it against Tunisia. We failed tactically. We must stop buying this idea of ‘Nigeria thrives on wing play’ Now you get your two wingers caged and you appear powerless. One shot on target…no way we were going to win. These set of players are good, but will all come to nothing without world class coaching. I do not mean big name coaches…but world class coaching. Rorh left a good foundation. Now is our time to plan better and qaulify for Qatar. Well done boys. You can go back to your clubs and come fired up to face Ghana. NFF must now put on their thinking caps…talk less and do the right thing. We can qualify for Qatar.
@Ogo I love your piece. This whole idea that Nigeria thrives on wing play is what has eliminated us from this competition at the 2nd round stage. I never saw this coming. A good coach should be able to understand the strategy of his opponent and change pattern to take them by surprise. Eguavoen has done well, but I thought he should have come up with another plan in the second half when the Tunisians had succeeded in caging the wingers.
He talk about his Iwobi lol
*He didn’t talk about his Iwobi*
Iwobi was the reason we lost the game. Jay Jay should blame his Nephew.
His Iwobi didn’t do anything wrong it’s you that should enjoy what you created yeye people
I am waiting o……
Jealousy Jealousy. Iwo da? Come out na!.were
Mr troll. How market na? Your mouth do enter hole? What happened? Cat cut your tongue?
Abeg Iwobi no dey play anything. The red card was unfortunate though
I don’t know why guys always hit on that Iwobi guy, I willl start him in the team any day, not every midfielder will have the ability to dribble like Simon or Okocha, the guy has his own features but if you can’t do a fancy leg over then you are rubbish, common guys, we have 2 deadly players at both flanks but in the middle we Offer no threat, if the opponent pinpoint both flanks then we are stagnant. We usually have Finidi and Amunike pacing the wings and Jayjay dictating the pace in the middle, you can’t man mark these 3 at the same time. Well , all is story now, no sentiments, we have the materials ready made and available, all we need now is a real tailor and we are good to go
I agree with Okocha and I like the you said he Iwobi definitely deserves the red card.
Iwobi did that intentionally No doubt about it. I watched the replay over and over again, he did it intentionally and he deserves the red card.
I hope coach Eguavoen knows who is Dessers is by now.
Had he Mr. No nonsense took Dessers to Cameroon and used him in yesterday’s match, that chance Sodiq missed narrowly wouldn’t turned to goal had he Dessers was in that position who knows.
We have to put that behind us. NFF should retain Eguavoen. The combinations of Eguavoen, Amunike, Egbo, Finidi, Peter Rufai and Enyeama will be perfectly okay for the world cup qualifiers. NFF should give our own more time to get the job done. God bless Nigeria!!!
My mistake takes sorry. God bless Nigeria!!!