The days are racing very fast. There are 24 hours to go before the Super Eagles take on their penultimate battle at AFCON 2019. The Desert Foxes of Algeria are on everybody’s mind here. ‘The Fly in the Wall’ is very unsure what to make of the match and the atmosphere around the Super Eagles. It is unable to read ‘the mind’s construction’ on the faces of either the players or officials. The usual frenzy and anxiety before most of the earlier matches are missing this time. It is either that the match is not reckoned to be that challenging for the Eagles or the Algerians present a hurdle that is confounding the Eagles’ technical crew. Either way, the camp is in the quietest mode.
Understandably, the last two victories over very difficult opposition have toughened the Super Eagles and provided them with the winning- edge mentality essential to tackle the next even more difficult hurdles. Everyone here is aware of the awesome records of the Foxes here at the championships. Yet, everyone appears unperturbed by them. The Algerians have been saying very little, preferring to do their own talking on the field of play. They have been too cool, too efficient, too organized, too quiet. They have drawn absolutely no attention to themselves. These are the hallmark of dangerous customers. All of the Eagles’ caution-sensors should be up now. I presume that is exactly what is going on inside the Super Eagles camp outside the glare of the media and the public because their seclusion this time has been almost absolute.
Yesterday was another quiet day in the camp. The players had their breakfast and honoured media schedules that had been arranged for them and approved by the Boss, Gernot Rohr. The team ate, slept and trained. All day the only visitors allowed in the camp were the journalists. The players observed their compulsory 2 to 4 pm siesta before going for their training. After their training session in the evening, they had dinner and retired to their rooms for the night. The isolation from the public was total, with the coach deploying seclusion and concentration techniques to prepare the players mentally for the Algerians that present a different kind of opposition from the others. It was a very quiet day yesterday. There is little to report. This morning the official press conference preceding matches would have taken place. Gernot Rohr and one of the players would have represented the team at the conference. Africa waits patiently for this great encounter tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I hear that my website managers are uploading Ms Yinka Davis, one of the greatest singers, foremost Nigerian dancer and actress, reading a chapter from my book, ‘Me, Football and More’ about my late mother – Maami. It is a story very close to my heart, that every woman should read for strength and inspiration.
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