Anxiety as CHAN Eagles fight for survival against Togo’s Hawks
The Home-based Super Eagles of Nigeria also known as CHAN Eagles will this afternoon battle Sparrows Hawks of Togo in a must win 2020 CHAN qualifying match at the Agege township stadium in Lagos.
After a humiliating 1-4 defeat in the first leg in Lome on September 22, the CHAN Eagles are faced with a Herculean task and anything short of a convincing victory over the Togolese will spell doom for them.
The Total Africa Nations Championship called CHAN is played between the best national teams in Africa and only players who are active in national championships are eligible to participate.
Expatriate players, regardless of where they play, even in Africa, are not qualified to take part in the tournament. Consequently, the Nigerian national team is made up of only players plying their trade in the Nigeria Professional Football League.
Going by football profiles of the two nations in today’s contest, there wouldn’t have been much doubt as to where the pendulum of victory would swing as Nigeria is no doubt a powerhouse in African football and indeed the world, but recent performances of the CHAN Eagles have failed to inspire much confidence.
After the shocking 1-4 loss to the Sparrows Hawks, the Home-based Eagles again suffered another 1-2 loss to Togo at the just concluded 2nd WAFU Nations Cup in Thies, Senegal.
Without doubt, the back to back losses suffered at the hand of the Sparrows Hawks has cast a huge shadow of doubt on the abilities of the Home-based Super Eagles to deliver the desired result this evening. Consequently, many have written off the chances of the Eagles against the Sparrows Hawks.
Without doubt, it is going to be a tricky tie, but the Eagles are left with no option than to win with at least three-goal margin to book their flight to Cameroon 2020.
To push his team across the finish line, the Head Coach of the CHAN Eagles Imama Amapakabo who doubles as coach of the National U-23 team and Super Eagles assistant coach has invited more players to the camp of the team.
Top among the new players invited to beef up the squad are Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa also of Heartland FC, Kano Pillars burly striker, Nyima Nwagua, Enugu Rangers combative midfielder, Anthony Shimaga, Enyimba FC big defender, Ifeanyi Anamemena and Kano Pillars defender, Ifeanyi Nweke.
The decision to invite these players to camp has been applauded as a step in the right direction. And this is obvious because the squad that prosecuted the first leg tie in Lome was dominated by members of the Home-based U-23 players who lack the necessary experience
to compete at this level. The arrival of the new players who boast of continental football experience has helped in lifting the sagging morale in the team’s camp ahead of the win or bust match.
Speaking ahead of the crucial match, coach Amapakabo said “We have a big job at hand, and I have been drumming it into the ears of the players that we cannot afford to fail.
“The Togolese won 4-1 on their home ground; nothing says we cannot do better on our home ground.
“We have to be focused and determined. We must create chances and put them away because we cannot afford not to be at the African Nations Championship.”
Some of his players who spoke to Trust Sports also shared in his optimism as they unanimously said Sparrows Hawks won’t stop them at home.
According to them, morale in the camp is still high and they will go all out for a comprehensive win against their opponents.
Enyimba’s Ifeanyi Anaemena said “This may look like an impossible mission, but we are looking at it differently. We are encouraged by the ‘Damaan miracle’ of 1989 as we prepare to go up against Togo.
“Yes, they have the advantage going into this match, but we are ready to put our lives down to get the result that will qualify us for the championship.
“However, we are not going to throw caution to the winds as we go in search of the muchneeded goals. As a defender, I will do my best to secure our backline, if allowed to play.”
On his part, Rangers midfielder, Shimaga said “The match is ‘operation devour Hawks’. It’s a make or mar match so we are ready to put in our best to come out victorious.
“It is not going to be easy, but with God all things are possible. Nigerians should continue to pray for us. We need the support of everyone,” he said.
Kano Pillars striker, Nyima Nwagua believes only early goals will do the job for the Homebased Eagles. “Considering what is at stake, we have to score goals as quickly as we can.
“I believe early goals will unsettle our opponents. In Lome, we were the first to score so we would build on it. We won’t allow them to pin us down.
“It is teamwork so we have resolved to play for one another. If I don’t score, I will work hard to create opportunities for others to score.
Enyimba goalkeeper, Theophilus Afelokahi is also optimistic that the Home-based Eagles will soar high above Togo to land in Cameroon.
He, however, agreed that the odds are certainly not in favour of his team. “Given the result in the first leg, it won’t be wrong to say we are the underdogs in this contest.
“Our opponents hold a strong advantage, but we would topple them on Saturday (today). We are determined to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians,” he stated.
The confidence exuded by the players appears not to be convincing enough as some Nigerian football stakeholders who spoke to Trust Sports opted for cautious optimism in their support for the team.
A retired FIFA referee, Robert Aundugh said “Going by the scandalous loss suffered by the Eagles in Lome, it will be difficult for them to survive today.
“If they were good, they wouldn’t have conceded four goals. By conceding such many goals, they have made the return leg a nearimpossible task to accomplish.
“I can’t rule out the possibility of the team upturning the table against Togo but it won’t be a stroll in the park for them,” he said.
A former international, Barnabas Imenger also expressed scepticism over the chances of the Home-Based Eagles as he noted that the players can’t boast of the fitness they need to prosecute the match.
The former player of Al- quadisiya in Saudi Arabia, Arab Contractors of Egypt and FC Zurich in the Swiss League maintained that it will be a miracle if the Home-Based Eagles beat Togo to qualify for 2020 CHAN.
“I wish the team will qualify for the championship, but this can’t be attained by wishful thinking. This is something they must do on the field of play.
“We may have the players, but the major doubt is their match fitness. Are they in the right shape? The domestic league is yet to start so the players are not playing competitive football. I am not surprised that they have lost twice to their opponents.
“I will be surprised if they pick the ticket. I am not a prophet of doom, but their chances are quite slim,” he said.
Nigerian football fans are therefore waiting with bated breath to see if the Home-Based Eagles would match words with action.
The Eagles are in the hunt for their fourth appearance in the biennial tournament.
After missing out on the first two editions of the championship which began in 2009 in Cote d’Ivoire, the Home-based Super Eagles won bronze in their first appearance in 2014 in South Africa.
And at the 2016 edition in Rwanda, they ended at the group stage but stormed back to emerge runners up in 2018 when they lost 0-4 to host nation Morocco in the final match.
Cameroon who missed the opportunity to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, will host the next edition of the Africa Nations Championship, CHAN, in January 2020.