By Saidu Abubakar

Augustine Eguavoen, the Super Eagles’ interim coach, has blamed Senegalese centre referee, Maguette N’Diaye, for playing a part in Nigeria’s 1-0 loss to Tunisia in the round of 16 of the AFCON 2021 in Cameroun.

Alex Iwobi was shown a red card just seven minutes after the Everton midfielder came off the bench to replace Kelechi Iheanacho.

The former Arsenal player was penalised for stamping on the ankle of Youssef Msakni but Eguavoen does not think N’Diaye made the right decision, questioning the referee’s inconsistent decision-making during the game.

“It’s a little bit difficult, I don’t like to talk too much about referees because they are the masters but there’s nothing wrong if one makes his observations,” Eguavoen told reporters.

“Iwobi’s red card I don’t think was the first foul and it wasn’t intentional also but we have to look at the VAR later and see.

“However, first offence I don’t think demands a red card, it wasn’t dangerous play and then right in his face I can see one of the most gentlemen in the team, Wilfred Ndidi got smashed right in front of the referee.

“Ndidi hardly complains, he complained which means it was a clear foul but having said that we gained an advantage to move on on breakaways and then he recalls it and gives us fouls.

“Normally in the game of football when there’s a foul and there’s an advantageous position you let it run so that’s just the only thing I see but again you know the referee is a gentleman and he should be able to control his emotions once the game is on.

“Everywhere is tensed up, it has happened there is nothing we can do about it,” Eguavoen added.

Pundits, however, believe that the crop of Super Eagles on parade in Cameroun for the AFCON tournament have been wasteful upfront, and less tactical in the midfield.

In their round of 16 encounter, it was visibly clear that they fell short of the characteristics that saw them win all three matches in their group stage; hence the Carthage Eagles capitalized on some tactical blunders to score and defend the lone goal.

Super Eagles will come back stronger

Super Eagles’ captain Ahmed Musa has promised fans that the team will learn from their early exit from the AFCON 2021 after their speedy elimination by Tunisia in Cameroun.

Musa, whose only game was as a second-half substitute, in all four games the Super Eagles played in Cameroun, has calmed the nerves of Nigerians following the team’s lone goal loss to Tunisia in the round of 16, assuring that the “Eagles will come back stronger”.

The Saudi Arabia-based winger, via his Twitter handle, made this appeal shortly after he returned to the country after the painful loss.

Musa tweeted: “In life, things wouldn’t always go the way we want them to and that’s something we have to accept however hard it is.

“We gave our 100% and unfortunately that wasn’t good enough to take us through.

“We are now looking forward to the World Cup qualifiers against Ghana’s Black Stars in March. But right now it is back to club business for us,” he said.

The Super Eagles must now focus on their World Cup qualifiers against Ghana in March.

Also speaking after the team’s return, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said: “You have tried your best. It was just unfortunate that you failed to reach the final. But, right now, what is left is the unfinished business of qualification for Qatar 2022 World Cup.

“We should put behind us AFCON 2021 and start preparing for the final qualifiers,” he said.

 The Eagles lost 0-1 to Tunisia in a match, which saw them being reduced to 10 men just after the hour mark.

Meanwhile, the red carded Alex Iwobi has shrugged off worries of the marching order when he mustered courage to post some encouragement comments in his Instagram account.

Daily PosSuper Eagles star, Alex Iwobi has finally broken his silence on Nigeria’s elimination from the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon.

He wrote: “Moments of joy can quickly turn into pain and anguish. As much as it’s a part of football, we came for more.”

Youssef Msakni’s second-half strike ensured Tunisia defeated Nigeria and qualified for the AFCON quarter-finals.

Iwobi was shown a red card during the match after two bookings while Goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye was guilty of letting Msakni’s drive get past him.

Closed Gate Blamed for AFCON Tragedy

Confederation of African Football President, Patrice Motsepe has said that an “inexplicable” decision to keep an entry gate closed was responsible for the deadly crush which killed eight people before an Africa Cup of Nations match in Camerounian capital Yaounde at the AFCON 2021.

Eight spectators were reported dead and 38 others injured as fans attempted to enter the Olembe Stadium where hosts Cameroun were playing Comoros, figures released by the country’s Ministry of Health confirmed.

Although the crowd at the 60,000-seat Olembe Stadium had been limited to 60 per cent of capacity for the tournament because of the pandemic, the cap is raised to 80 per cent when Cameroun’s Indomitable Lions play.

The CAF president lamented that “if that gate was open as it was supposed to, we wouldn’t have had this problem we have now, this loss of life. Who closed that gate? Who is responsible for that gate?”

Motsepe said that the gate was supposed to be open “because if it was open they (fans) would have walked through, and for inexplicable reasons it was closed,” the Confederation of African Football president said at a press conference during the fiesta.

“Eight deaths were recorded, two women in their 30s, four men in their 30s, one child, one body taken away by its family,” said a preliminary Ministry of Health report obtained by AFP.

A baby was reportedly one of those trampled by the crowd and was in a “medically stable” condition, the ministry added.

Communications Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi said that out of the 38 people injured, seven were seriously hurt.

Motsepe called for a probe after Cameroun’s President Paul Biya earlier has ordered an investigation “so that all light is shed on the tragic incident,” according to Sadi.

The tragedy happened at gates where final ticket checks are supposed to take place.

“It was when the police opened the gates that people fell and others trampled on top of them,” said Professor Andre Omgbwa Eballe, director of the Olembe district hospital who attended the match.

“I saw the bravery of the Camerounians. People were resuscitating others, doing mouth to mouth, otherwise there would have been more deaths,” a fan told AFP TV.

Motsepe said the Cup of Nations quarter-final due to be played at the Olembe Stadium on Sunday will be switched to the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium, also in Yaounde.