AFCON 2013 Super Eagles Stars Living In Past Glory

By Akinwale Kasali

Time was when Sunday Mba was a household name. He became the ‘beautiful bride’ in Nigeria football.

He scored the only goal that gave the Super Eagles of Nigeria victory at the 2013 African Cup of Nations Championship in the former apartheid nation, South-Africa, against the Stallions of Burkina Faso in the final played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Mba was the toast of Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, as he gave hope to the fledgling domestic league and its players that they also could make it to the top just like Mba.

Many European top club sides came asking for his signature, but his national team coach who brought him to limelight from obscurity, late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, had other intentions.

He persuaded him not to leave his domestic club side, Enugu Rangers Football Club, but to rather up the ante, and perform better as the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was just few months away in Brazil, where he could further showcase himself for better money spinning offers.

As envisaged, at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, Mba kept on performing brilliantly, which brought more suitors to his doorsteps, but ‘Big Boss’, as Late Keshi was referred to, told Mba to be patient before making a move to Europe.

Mba played every single match for the Super Eagles in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and also shone like a superstar in the African Nations Championship, CHAN, qualifiers that was  hosted by South Africa in 2014. The tournament was for Home Based players called Super Eagles B team.

Mba scored a brace against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the 4-1 win at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano, to qualify Nigeria for the inaugural competition.

Keshi was full of belief and trust for the productive youngsters.

Sadly, Keshi’s hope was dashed few weeks to the 2014 CHAN tournament, as Mba excused himself from the camp to travel to France to sign a deal with French Second Division Side, AS Bastia Football Club.

His exit from the team had a strong effect on Keshi and his coaching crew, because the team was built around Mba.

Though, the team went to the tournament and won a bronze medal, but that was the beginning of the dwindling fortunes of Mba.

Mba fell like a pack of cards, as his new team, Bastia, were relegated to the third tier of French League, shutting him out of prominence and out of the national team.

Since then, Mba’s career has witnessed a landslide backwardness. On leaving Bastia, he went to Turkey, where he signed for Yeni Malatyaspor Football Club in the Turkish league, and has been on and off before his contract was terminated by the club.

He has been a free agent and clubless since 2017 at just 30-years of age, and he has been full of regrets.

In his words, ”Football is everything I have and I cannot just give up. I believe there’s something out there for me. As a free agent, things are not really that easy, but you can only be hopeful. My desire is to get back into club football and I am working hard to start playing again.

He added, “First you’d need the luck to find someone that believes in you and ready to give you a chance. I’ve continued to stay in shape, train daily and be physically ready for any opportunity.

He has scored three goals in 16 appearances for the three time African champions.

Mba played for both Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves in the Nigerian top flight before switching to French club CA Bastia.

He left for Turkish side Yeni Malatyaspor in July 2015- where he netted eight goals in 55 appearances.

Chigozie Agbim, Fegor Ogude, Reuben Gabriel, Godfrey Oboabona, Ejike Uzoenyi and  Emmanuel Nosakhare Igiebor were players given opportunities by the late Keshi to showcase their skills and talents, despite the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, bigwigs not being happy with decision of Keshi to take rookies to the 2013 AFCON tournament.

But, Keshi stood his grounds, took six home based players, 13 debutants and just four AFCON experienced players to the continental showpiece.

All the aforementioned players are all presently unattached to any club. They have remained clubless over the years, as they have become free agents and no club is willing to sign them due to their rustiness, age, fitness and other issues.

Some of this players who have returned to the country with the hope of playing for any NPFL clubs have seen their hopes dashed.

Some, out of pride, still hopes to secure a deal with a foreign club.

Soccer analysts are of the opinion that age has been a factor while all the players are languishing unattached.

“Age will always play a role in one’s life. It’s a determinant and major factor. All these players lied about their ages, and they can maintain the trend and the energy required for the game, so they just have to be booted out”, Damilola Towobola, a soccer analyst said.

Ebuka Nsofor, another soccer analyst believes that Mba was too anxious to play in Europe. That was what led to his grace to grass situation.

“We keep saying this that we Africans are always economical with the truth as regards age. Age has caught up with these players. You can’t keep deceiving Europeans, at a stage, your body can’t go farther.

“All these players are exhausted, so there is no club that is ready to waste money, time and energy on an ‘old cargo’ when there are younger players. They should all look for another business to do, at least, they made a lot of money during active football. You can’t play ball forever. The problem is that some of them squandered all they had, living large and purchasing irrelevant things. Now, they have realised their mistakes, and want to go back to football, play at least a year or two and, make some money, then go into business. Sadly, the time is not there”, Nsofor concluded.