‘Yan wasan Super Eagles sun taru cikin raha kafin wasan AFCON 2025 da Tanzania.
Owolabi ya tuna wasan kusa da na karshe a 1980 da Morocco
Kamar yadda Super Eagles ci gaba da fafatawa a wasan kusa da na karshe da Morocco mai masaukin baki a ranar Laraba, a gasar cin kofin nahiyar Afirka karo na 35, 1984, wanda ya lashe lambar azurfa na AFCON, Paul Okoku, ya ce kamata ya yi a fahimci yadda kungiyar ta taka rawar gani a gasar a matsayin tushe maimakon makoma ta karshe.
Okoku, wanda ya kasance mataimakin kyaftin din kungiyar ‘yan kasa da shekaru 20 a shekarar 1983, Flying Eagles, wadda ita ce ta farko da ta wakilci Najeriya a gasar cin kofin duniya ta FIFA, ya yi magana a jiya daga sansaninsa da ke kasar Amurka, kamar dai yadda wani tsohon dan wasan Green Eagles, Felix Owolabi, ya tuna da kwarewarsa a shekarar 1980. AFCON wasan kusa da na karshe da Morocco.
“A filin wasa, kungiyar ta baje kolin dabara, natsuwa, hadin kai, da imani, wadanda ke nuna karara kan tawagar da za ta iya yin takara a matsayi mafi girma a Afirka,” in ji Okoku ga The Guardian.
“A waje, duk da haka, rashin ƙarfi na tsarin da aka sani ya sake lalata wannan ci gaba: Ba a warware lamuni ba, jinkirin alawus, albashin kociyan da ba a biya ba, ci gaba da yin watsi da basirar gida, da kuma halin sanya nauyin rashin nasara a kan ‘yan wasa saboda gazawar da ta samo asali a cikin rashin jagoranci da rashin fahimta.
“Rashin nasarar da wannan tawagar ta samu a gasar cin kofin duniya ta 2026 bai nuna rashin isassun inganci, kokari, ko kwarewa ba. Wadannan abubuwa sun bayyana a fili. Abin da ya bata shi ne daidaito a tsarin mulki, kwanciyar hankali a tsarin fasaha, tsarin kudi, da kuma jagoranci wanda zai dace da alƙawarin da aka nuna a filin wasa. Har sai an magance waɗannan batutuwa na tsarin da gaskiya da yanke hukunci, Najeriya za ta ci gaba da faduwa saboda rashin iyawarta, amma Oko.
Ga Owolabi, wasan kusa da na karshe da za su yi da Morocco gobe ya sabunta jadawalin Super Eagles‘ Hasashen AFCON da abubuwan tunawa na daya daga cikin fitattun wasannin kwallon kafa na Najeriya, wasan kusa da karshe na 1980 a Legas.
An dai daidaita shi ne da tsawa daga hannun hagu, wanda ke taka leda a kungiyar IICC Shooting Stars.
Shekaru arba’in da shida da suka gabata, kungiyar Green Eagles ta wancan lokacin ta lallasa Morocco da ci 1-0 a wasan kusa da na karshe a gasar cin kofin nahiyar Afirka karo na 12, inda suka samu tikitin zuwa wasan karshe da kuma baiwa Najeriya damar lashe kofin nahiyar ta farko.
Da yake magana da filin wasa na Village Square, Owolabi ya tuna irin yadda Najeriyar ta fuskanci wani dan wasan Morocco da ake yi wa kallon daya daga cikin kungiyoyi masu karfi a gasar.
“Masoyan wasanni da yawa ba su yarda da cewa mun doke Maroko ba saboda suna da karfi a gasar,” in ji shi. “Sun fito ne tun daga rukunin B a Ibadan, kuma ana sa ran za su yi galaba a kan mu.”
Ga Owolabi da takwarorinsa, duk da haka, wasan kusa da na karshe ya kai fiye da wasa daya. Shekarun da suka yi kusa-kusa da buri da bai kare ba ne suka yi shi.
“Dukkan ‘yan wasan zamaninmu sun dukufa wajen kafa tarihi ga kanmu da al’ummar kasa, bayan da suka sha kashi a 1976 da 1978,” in ji Owolabi. “A gare mu, ko dai kofin ne ko kuma babu wani abu.”
A karshe dai an bayyana wannan kudurin ne a cikin mintuna na tara na wasan lokacin da Owolabi ya fitar da wani abin da ya bayyana a matsayin “harbin harsashi” daga nisan mita 24 – yajin aikin da ya doke golan Morocco tare da jefa jama’ar Legas cikin fyaucewa.
Ya kara da cewa: “Kwarai da himmarmu ita ce za mu yi nasara a kan Morocco,” in ji shi. “Kuma abin da ya faru ke nan lokacin da na zura kwallo daya tilo da na baiwa Najeriya tikitin tikitin zuwa wasan karshe.”
Najeriya ta ci Algeria a wasan karshe, inda ta dauki kofin AFCON a karon farko tare da tabbatar da matsayin kungiyar a shekarar 1980 a tarihin kwallon kafar Afirka.
Da yake sa ido a kan rikicin na ranar Laraba a Rabat, Owolabi ya bayyana imanin cewa mutanen yanzu za su iya zarce nasarorin da suka samu idan suka ci gaba da mai da hankali.
“Na yi imanin yaranmu za su iya yin abin da ya fi abin da muka yi,” in ji shi. “Babu wani abu da ya isa ya raba hankalinsu. Abin da kawai suke bukata shi ne tafiya tare da falsafar da na yi imani da ita koyaushe – ruhin kungiya, aiki tare, horo da hali.”
