Super Eagles, be wary of Mambas of Mozambique

The last matches in Group F at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were of immense interest to Nigerian football fans because they knew that their darling team, the Super Eagles, would play one of the teams in the Round of 16. Before the Group F matches on Thursday night, both the defending champions, Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon, were on four points, with the Mambas of Mozambique on three, which meant that the Super Eagles would end up with any of the three top teams.

However, in the course of the matches, most Nigerian football fans were more interested in the contest between the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and the Mambas of Mozambique, with most of them praying for Mambas to lose to Nigeria’s perennial rivals Cameroon.

Nigerian fans wanted Cameroon to beat Mozambique because they did not want the Super Eagles to clash so early with the Indomitable Lions. It is an open secret that anytime Nigeria plays against Cameroon, it is usually a “clash of African Titans” defined by physicality, heartbreak and intense rivalry. Between the two African heavyweights, there is constantly a bitter feud for continental supremacy.

While Nigeria’s Super Eagles bring flair, technical skill and attacking speed, especially from the wings, the Indomitable Lions counter with immense physicality, tactical discipline and mental grit, which is “the indomitable spirit.”

It is also on record that for decades, Cameroon was Nigeria’s “Boogeyman.” The fierce rivalry between the two countries cannot be described without mentioning that Cameroon denied Nigeria the AFCON trophy three separate times in the final.

The most painful of these heartbreaks was the defeat in the final of the 2000 edition, which was played in Lagos, Nigeria. More than two decades after, most Nigerian football are yet to recover from that psychological injury inflicted on them by the Indomitable Lions.

Although recent matches ended in favour of the Super Eagles, the fear has remained because the Lions can claw and devour at any time. This was why Nigerians who are conversant with the history of the bitter rivalry between the two teams supported Cameroon to beat Mozambique for the Super Eagles to avoid their archrivals at this point in the tournament.

Anyway, the wish of the fans was granted by the god of football as the Lions edged out the Mambas to finish second in Group F, behind Ivory Coast, leaving the Super Eagles to contend with Mozambique in the Round of 16. The must-win match against Mambas comes up on Monday, January 5 in Fez, a venue that has turned out to be a good hunting ground for the Super Eagles.

However, even as most Nigerian football fans are happy that their team avoided or escaped an early confrontation with the Lions of Cameroon, past experiences have shown that whenever the Super Eagles are pitched against opponents that are presumed to be less difficult, they tend to falter so easily.

It would be recalled that in 1998, the Super Eagles had a memorable run at the FIFA World Cup in France until they came up against Denmark in the Round of 16. Nigeria was placed in Group D, which was widely considered the “Group of Death,” alongside Spain, Bulgaria, and Paraguay. Despite a chaotic build-up, they finished top of the group.

The victory over Spain remains one of the most iconic matches in African football history. Trailing 2–1, Nigeria staged a comeback. The highlight was Sunday Oliseh’s 25-yard “thunderbolt” volley that flew past Andoni Zubizarreta to secure the win.

The Eagles followed up with another victory when a goal from Victor Ikpeba secured a second win, meaning that Nigeria became the first team in the tournament to qualify for the Round of 16, with a game to spare. Maybe overwhelmed by the unexpected success, the Super Eagles, who rested most of their key players, lost the last group match 1-3 to Paraguay.

The defeat to Paraguay should have warned Nigerian fans, but many didn’t see what was coming because they thought their team only suffered a slight setback in their campaign. However, the Super Eagles were completely decimated by Denmark, who thrashed them 4-1 in the Round of 16.

The reason for the scandalous defeat wasn’t far-fetched – the Super Eagles became over confident and complacent because they were the heavy favourites. Of course, going by the way they had performed against Spain and Bulgaria, the players and their fans were already looking beyond the Danes to a potential quarter-final clash with Brazil.

Unfortunately, the Super Eagles were caught off guard by Denmark’s clinical counter-attacking. They trailed 2–0 within the first 12 minutes. Tijani Babangida scored a late consolation goal, but the damage was done. The defeat was a shock to the country. Many players later admitted that the camp was distracted by disputes over bonuses and a sense of overconfidence after beating Spain.

So, despite the perfect by Nigeria in Morocco, some of us are praying fervently against a repeat of what happened in 1998. It is true that the Super Eagles have concluded the group stage with a perfect record, thereby establishing themselves as one of the favourites going into the knockout rounds, but they are known for dropping the ball when riding the crest.

Indeed, topping their group with the maximum points is a significant morale booster, as historically, winning all group games has often preceded a podium finish for the Super Eagles. This may be reassuring, but there should be no complacency.

Therefore, even as they are high favourites going into Monday’s contest with Mozambique, who are yet to taste victory against them, the former African champions must avoid past mistakes. The same fighting spirit they exhibit against “big opponents” should be used against Mambas, who want to make a big statement.

If they refuse to learn from the tragedy that befell the set of 1998 in France, the present Super Eagles would pay dearly, for there are no more minnows in African football. Moreover, the 2025 tournament is still waiting for a major upset.

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