Super Eagles in blame game over Ethiopia draw

Super Eagles players were offering no excuses after a disappointing 2-2 draw against Ethiopia that only just kept them in the hunt for a place at the 2012 African Nations Cup.

Slowed down by a combination of exhausting travel arrangements, poor pitch and high altitude, the Eagles looked a bad photocopy of the team which so ruthlessly dispatched of Argentina just days earlier.


Captain Joseph Yobo, who scored the all important second goal, refused to take the easy way out.
”As a team we did not play well, and we gave away two sloppy goals, but we cant make excuses. It doesn’t matter what happens, when we get on the pitch we have to give our best, but today, our best was not good enough.”

Vice captain Vincent Enyeama equally put his hands up.
”Even though we were not at our best, they did not create any chances, but we gave them two goals. But we can’t make excuses. The game is over; we have to look forward to the next one and correct our mistakes.”

Striker Obinna Nsofor, who obviously suffered from fatigue with miscontrolled balls and mislaid passes, also took responsibility.

”The weather was fantastic, especially when it rained and we should have taken advantage. But we can’t blame anything; we have to accept that we should have done better.”

In truth it was a poor game overall for the Super Eagles until the last 20 minutes as they chased a goal.
With Victor Anichebe having fitness issues, and Emmanuel Emenike down with a fever, Peter Utaka was handed a start in the lone striker position.

But a midfield with heavy legs struggled to feed his supply line in a slumber-inducing first 10 minutes. It was the hosts who woke up first, a long punt over the top finding Saladin Said between Joseph Yobo and Efe Ambros after Ahmed Musa ceded possession in the middle.

The pacy forward raced past both center backs and hit a shot from pointblank range that was bound for the top right hand corner, until Enyeama somehow contrived a miracle one-handed save to his left that evoked memories of David Seaman.

Yobo reacted quickly to mop up the striker’s rebound.

The Nigerians were being overwhelmed and after another raid ended in a goal kick, Enyeama took his sweet time replacing his boots to allow his outfield players time to catch their breath.

It almost worked, as straight from there, Ike Uche won a free kick off right of Taye Taiwo territory. But the mental fatigue afflicting the players was evident as he uncharacteristically drove his effort weakly wide of the goalkeeper’s post.

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