Grounded expectations

“Ahmed Musa’s retirement from international football was more than just the second recent departure of a Super Eagles captain, following on from that of his successor, William Troost-Ekong. It marked an interesting milestone—Musa was the last surviving member of the victorious 2013 African Cup of Nations side. In the subsequent period, Nigeria failed to defend its title at the next tournament. It didn’t qualify for the 2017 edition either, before two podium finishes sandwiched by a round-of-16 knockout by Tunisia in 2021. Similarly, it made the 2014 and 2018 World Cups but has failed to qualify since, most recently after being knocked out of the continental playoffs by a resurgent DR Congo side, drawing the furor of a football-mad nation expecting to have made it. …”
Africa Is a Country