My Kigali Diary: Day 10 - Eagles Fail To Fly Plus Oliseh's Outburst

As the crucial game against the Guineans drew closer, there was a seeming wave of optimism from Nigerians that got me a bit worried. I don’t know if it was the Chisom Chikatara inspired Niger win or the near defeat at the hands of the Carthage Eagles. I just didn’t share that same feeling. Even among us journalists in Kigali, I can’t remember anyone openly admitting we could get knocked out.  I remember praying for a Guinea loss so as to pave a smooth path for us. After watching the Sylli Stars battle to get a point against Niger some days earlier, I knew we were one defeat away from me rescheduling my flight ticket back to Nigeria.

On the day we beat Niger, Rotimi and I had an interview with Chris Green, the NFF’s

Nigerian Rwandese

Technical and Developmental Committee Chairman. He revealed that Oliseh had got his job for as long as he wants and that his job wasn’t determined by whatever happened at CHAN. However, following my experience of how fickle the average football fan can be, I wanted to know from coach Oliseh what his message would be to the Nigerian fan if for any reason he failed to get the desired result. To be fair to the coach, I missed out two phrases that should have been in my question. I should have added that Green noted that his job wasn’t determined by the performance at CHAN and I should have also noted that the 90% percent I meant was callers into my show. Notwithstanding, Oliseh’s response ( https://soundcloud.com/stream ) was very aggressive and showed someone who probably was pissed off by something else and just saw a good excuse to lash out. Truth is, as he was replying me, I just typed a text message and showed the Super Eagles media manager Toyin Ibitoye who was just behind me. In it I said, it seems coach didn’t really get what I asked. Toyin was quick to send a DM to me saying “maybe he didn’t get right context of your question. These things happen. Just take coach reaction the shin like a man.” And that was what I truly did.

Sylli Stars Overpowered Eagles

But my patience almost ran out when in reply to another journalist’s question just after, coach Oliseh said, “What this boys have gone through, at the end of the day when you find out, you will go there and shake them…. So that’s why when I heard the other question that is so negative I asked myself, ‘what the hell is he doing in Rwanda, he should go back home”

Like seriously? What the ….. ! Jeeeeeez!

I almost said that out loud. Did he pay my flight down to Rwanda? Has he been responsible for my welfare? My first instinct was to interrupt his speech and ask him these questions cos that just felt so wrong and below the belt. First off, I only asked a question and if he didn’t like it, there were better ways to respond. But I just said to myself, No, Ufuoma, it isn’t worth it. Truth is, according to some who were sitting in front, the CAF coordinator Aisha Falode kept tapping Oliseh asking him to calm down. Almost immediately after the presser, Oliseh’s technical assistant Tijani Babangida walked up to me and muted a few words. He just advised me not to take Oliseh’s comments personal that he probably misunderstood my question. I just smiled back at TJ as we all call him and told him not to worry.

As all the Nigerian journalists stepped out of the presser to go watch the team’s training which was scheduled to start almost immediately, we all made an editorial decision: there was no point using the reaction from Oliseh cos it was bound to generate controversy which was the last thing the team needed on the eve of a crucial game. We all recalled the Vincent Enyeama situation a few months ago and didn’t want a repeat of that.

Game Day: Toyosi and I Ready

And so, game day came. Nothing much happened apart from a little disagreement between us which was promptly settled. We all arrived at the stadium about 1 pm cos Aisha had warned us the day before to be punctual so we can get our press tickets on time. For the first 20/25 minutes of the game I didn’t really concentrate on what happened on the field of play. I was busy putting finishing touches to the previous blog. But as soon as I started watching, I saw a different team from the one Kelechi, Toyosi and I had sat down to watch train the previous day.  As soon as Guniea scored on the stroke of half time, I said to myself: God abeg make dis people no lose ooo. Cos na my head dem go put everything. Lol

You can blame Nigeria’s ouster on the Sports Ministry/NFF for not providing funds or Oliseh’s tactical decisions (as some are saying) etc; but as far as I am concerned, Nigeria lost to Guinea cos about half of the first team on the day had an off day. Just imagine how the Chelsea team played in the first half of the Premier League season with about 6/7 of them in poor form; that’s exactly how the Eagles played on the day. Poor touches; misplaced passes; a seeming weak midfield for most parts of the game; non-creative wingers; you name it. This much was confirmed to me later that night by at least 3 of the players who said they just couldn’t explain what happened.

At the post match presser, we saw a subdued and calm Oliseh responding to questions. It almost seemed like there was an unwritten agreement among the Nigerian contingent not to bother Oliseh with too many questions. We were all sad at the outcome of the game maybe. I didn’t stay that much for the second presser from the Guinea coach. After answering about two questions, I left to catch up with the bus back to Kigali which we heard was already waiting.

By the time we got outside, we heard the bus had ferried the Nigerian Supporters’ Club plus the acting High Commissioner back home. We had no other option but to join the buses provided by CAF which were on standby. The first bus we were told was for the Guinea media exclusively. Ehen? So where Nigeria own na? When we got to another bus, there were a few journalists inside including some of us who had got there early. I looked for a seat close to one Cameroonian lady. And then, she just decided she wasn’t going with the bus anymore. We didn’t know she had gone to report to the one of the CAF officials that people who didn’t come with the bus in the morning had crowded it. Next thing the CAF woman came and asked us all to give her our accreditation tags. She went on to talk about how priority would be given to those who came with the bus in the morning bla bla. Our Ugandan friend, Clive told her some of the journos who came with the bus were staying behind. So, in essence, the bus should be ok for everyone present. But as at that time, some of us were already pissed off. We were

Rubavu - Kigali Road

trying to battle with fact we just lost a game and then this unnecessary CAF politics. So most of us angrily got down and demanded for our tags. By the time I saw it was a unanimous decision, I got down too. To be honest, I already told the crew in the morning that we should stay back cos the sharp corners plus hilly slopes along the Rubavu-Kigali route would scare the living daylight out of you during the day talk less of at night.

Lake Kivu Towards Evening

We headed for the Super Eagles hotel, Gorilla Lake Kivu which was just opposite the lake. We got there on time as they were heading for dinner. You could see from their faces how dejected they were and how much of a missed opportunity this was for them. I talked with 3 of the players, Paul Onobi, Stephen  Eze and Okemute Odah who confessed that it was indeed an opportunity lost for them. Thereafter, we went to book our hotel for the night and after settling in, headed to Lake Kivu to go unwind after a hard day’s job

A day earlier, I retired early cos I was very cold. The guys came back with so much

Lake Kivu in all its Splendour

tales that is enough to fill this page and maybe just maybe ….. Never mind! With all the tales from the day before, there was no way I was going to miss out on this night. So to Lake Kivu we headed….

To be continued…

My Kigali Diary is an account of my activities of coverage of the 2016 Africa Nations Championship in Rwanda. There are a few blogs preceeding this one.

-Ufuoma