ROHR-BISH OUTING: NFF summons Eagles manager to emergency meeting

By George Aluo

The NFF obviously not impressed with Super Eagles poor showing against Sierra Leone Friday night in Benin has scheduled an emergency meeting with the team’s technical crew Saturday morning.

This much was confirmed by NFF’s image maker Demola Olajire in a release made available to newstap.com.ng.

“NFF President Pinnick has also summoned a meeting with the technical crew of the team for Saturday morning,” Demola disclosed.

He further disclosed that Eagles captain Ahmed Musa apologized to Nigerians assuring that they would make amends in Free Town on Tuesday in the return leg.

“This has been a real shocker. I want to, on behalf of the entire team, apologise to the generality of Nigerians for this poor result. We will go to Freetown and do the needful,” were Ahmed Musa’s words.

The Eagles squandered a four-goal lead in the encounter to delay their qualification for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations as Sierra Leone made a spirited fightback to tie the game 4-4.

It was an uncharacteristic capitulation on home ground for the Super Eagles, who led 4-0 on the half hour and apparently thought the job was done.

They took their feet off the pedal, and unhinged by a rash of substitutions that destroyed rather than buoy the rhythm of their game, they capitulated unbelievably as the Leone Stars scored three unreplied goals in a 14-minute spell in a nightmare second half. 

The Eagles still lead Group L with seven points, with the Leone Stars still third on two points, ahead of the pool’s other clash between Benin Republic and Lesotho in Cotonou on Saturday. Whatever the result, the Eagles will maintain their place at the summit of the table, but victory for Lesotho would drive the Leone Stars to the bottom despite Friday’s feat in Benin City.

Both Nigeria and Sierra Leone clash again in Freetown’s Siaka Stevens Stadium on Tuesday evening.