So the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament has come and gone with the Super Eagles of Nigeria being crowned the new African champions after a 19-year wait. NewsDay Editorial
Nigeria took over the crown from Zambia, who unfortunately had to keep the trophy for just one year after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) decided to play the tournament in odd years after the 2012 event that was co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
In coming up with the decision, Caf argued that they did not want to continue playing the competition during even years because it coincided with the World Cup and players from Africa often suffered fatigue from playing in two tournaments during the year in which a World Cup is hosted.
There are many lessons the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) can learn from Nigeria’s triumph particularly with a homegrown coach Stephen Keshi.
Ironically, Keshi once applied for the job to coach the Warriors and was turned down in preference of Belgian Tom Saintfiet. Keshi proved the proverbial “Local is lekker” correct after outwitting many foreign coaches who guided other teams in South Africa.
To add the icing to the cake, Keshi achieved the rare fit of winning the ultimate continental trophy by fusing foreign-based players and players from the Nigerian Premier League.
In fact, the winning goal in the final against Burkina Faso was scored by none other than Sunday Mba who turns out for Warri Wolves in Nigeria. Keshi was roundly criticised in Nigeria after he excluded players such as Peter Odemwinge of West Bromwich Albion in the English Premiership. He instead chose to work with players who had less egos and the gamble worked.
Zimbabwe have similarly opened a new chapter with the Warriors albeit with a foreign coach, German Klaus Dieter Pagels. Pagels, like Keshi, has purged from the Warriors-set up some of the ageing players like Tinashe Nengomasha and Esrom Nyandoro. In their place, Young Turks like Archieford Gutu, Denver Mukamba and Khama Billiat have been chosen to lead the team.
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While Pagels is heading in the right direction, he needs to be reminded that experience has no substitute and that is why Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo’s presence at the tournament was crucial despite being used sparingly by Keshi.
We think players such as Vusa Nyoni, Onismor Bhasera and Bradley Pritchard are still needed to guide the younger players even if they are not regulars in the squad.
Pritchard though still to earn his first official cap, could be vital in that he plays for a league that has given him enough experience. David Furman of South Africa is an example of a player who has benefited Bafana Bafana even though he was not involved in the South African leagues.
The use of players who play in the local league cannot be over-emphasised because they normally want to prove that they are better than the much-talked-about foreign-based players. They provide competition to the foreign legion and Mba proved that for Nigeria when beating Burkina Faso 1-0 last Sunday.
