By Ehichioya Ezomon
Controversial social media influencer and activist, Martins Vincent Otse, monikered, VERYDARKMAN, tried on Thursday, January 15, 2026, to assuage Nigerians’ disappointment with, and heartaches over the Super Eagles’ failure to reach the finals, and win the diadem at the weekend-ended African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Morocco.
Claiming there’s a possibility of a replay of the Wednesday, January 14 semi-final match between the Super Eagles and the Atlas Lions of Morocco, VERYDARKMAN, known for playing pranks on the public, wrote on his X handle @vdmepmire, under the caption, “Nigeria Vs Morocco might be replayed,” that: “NFF (Nigerian Footballer Federation) submitted a petition to AFCON and FIFA to investigate the Ghanaian🇬🇭 referee, Daniel Nii Ayi, after he was captured celebrating with Moroccans right after the Super Eagles were eliminated from the semifinals. If he’s found guilty, the match might be replayed.”
Within 19 hours, the tweet garnered 1.7m views, 864 reposts, 328 quotes, 10.1k likes, and 527 bookmarks. And some Nigerians, who can fall for any baloney, no matter how obviously ridiculous, welcomed the VERYDARKMAN bait with a “hallelujah” chorus! But discerning Nigerians saw through the smokescreen – like the NFF petition to CAF and FIFA that never saw the light of day after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers by DR Congo, who the NFF alleged fielded ineligible players – and dismissed the dubious tweet with a wave of the hand. VERYDARKMAN’s poking of Nigerians’ nose comes as a reminder of the prediction by politically-exposed Primate Elijah Ayodele that, the inclusion of Atalanta striker and the 2024 African Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, would ruin Nigeria’s chances of reaching the final at the AFCON tournament in which team Super Eagles, somehow belied the cleric’s forecast with a good run to the semi-finals.
Described as Nigeria’s “creative engine” at AFCON 2025, Lookman, besides scoring Super Eagles’ match-winner against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania – for which Ayodele specifically warned against including him in the line-up – had claimed one goal and three assists against Os Mambas (The Mambas) of Mozambique, and one goal and two assists against the Cartage Eagles of Tunisia.
With the Super Eagles winning all first five matches played with 15 points, and 14 goals, thus becoming the hottest and highest scoring side at the tournament; Lookman, with five assists in total before the Super Eagles fell at the semi-finals, was already eyeing the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the competition!
With lethal foots, including Victor Osimhen, the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, who’d scored four goals going into the semi-finals; Lookman, Akor Adams, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu, R. Onyedika, etc., the Super Eagles were seen as capable of dismantling the Atlas Lions’ compact defence. And Nigerians, and the footballing world expected the team’s forwards and the midfielders to fire from all cylinders. But that’s not to be!
According to Sporting News, “Nigeria’s vaunted attack, which produced an AFCON-high 14 goals to this point in the tournament, was completely stifled. Morocco hacked Ademola Lookman at every opportunity, and the Ghanaian referee, Daniel Nii Laryea, largely allowed them to get away with this approach. That saw Victor Osimhen completely isolated up front, and he was thus invisible without the required link-up play needed to get him involved. The midfield, meanwhile, was overwhelmed in the absence of suspended Wilfred Ndidi.”
The statistics of the match indicate the Super Eagles’ dilemma, with the Atlas Lions dominating in virtually all departments of play, as follows: Shots on target: Nigeria 1, Morocco 5; Shots off target: Nigeria 1, Morocco 7; blocked shots: Nigeria 0, Morocco 4; Possession (%): Nigeria 51, Morocco 49; Corner kicks: Nigeria 1, Morocco 5; Fouls: Nigeria 29, Morocco 22; Throw ins: Nigeria 24, Morocco 31; Yellow cards: Nigeria 2, Morocco 0; Crosses: Nigeria 8, Morocco 29; Counter attacks: Nigeria 1, Morocco 2; Goalkeeper saves: Nigeria 5, Morocco 1; Goal kicks: Nigeria 10, Morocco 5.
As Nigerians nurse their feelings over another missed opportunity, it’s apt to note that the Super Eagles, individually and collectively, had underlying problems, coming thus far by luck – which’s viewed in Christianity and Islam as divine – combined with the prayers of Nigerians, who wanted them to “do more than just well” in the tournament. Believe it or not, that “luck” deserted the team the moment they mooted the idea of holding Nigeria and Nigerians to ransom over unpaid allowances and bonuses!
By the time they got assurances of the payments, and subsequent alerts from their banks, the players and officials had eaten their cake (success in the tournament) and couldn’t have it in the match against the Atlas Lions. A team with the pedigree of the Super Eagles, which missed qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, ought to show utmost dedication, determination, SACRIFICE and circumspection, especially reflecting on the event in the Round of 16 match with The Mambas of Mozambique, which the Nigerians emphatically won 4-0.
This hearty victory was overshadowed by the bust-up Osimhen had with Lookman in the second half of the match, as Osimhen, who’s Deputy Captain to Ndidi, seemed agitated over Lookman’s reported failure to pass the ball his way, as he’s better placed to tap in for his third goal (a hat-trick) of the encounter.
While both players appeared to’ve made up for the misunderstanding that’s not unsual in such highstakes competition, the incident broke the internet, and Nigerians were divided in support or against either player, with some diehard fans, sports enthusiasts and analysts calling for an instant disciplinary action against Osimhen, whose verbal outburst against Lookman, they claimed, could sow discord in the team, and affect their chances to grab the Cup.
One analyst suggested throwing Osimhen out of the tournament, and banning him from playing for Nigeria again. Acknowledging Osimhen’s immense contribution to the Super Eagles’ run of fortune to that stage of the competition, the analyst argued that it’s better Nigeria lost the Cup than to indulge the striker’s “unsportsmanly behaviour” in the field of play.
Would sanctioning of Osimhen, as suggested, have saved Nigeria and Nigerians from the eventual disappointment and heartaches the team caused them? No one could say that for sure! But one thing is clear: Indiscipline condoned mostly leads to disappointment, and regrets, the type the Super Eagles put Nigeria and Nigerians through at the AFCON in Morocco!
The most telling of the internal schisms in the Super Eagles camp was the players and officials’ following the money trail. They imbibed the saying that, “A bird 🐦 in hand is worth two in the bush.” They chose the crucial, and most critical knockout quarter-finals against the Desert Warriors of Algeria to demand payment of the allowances and bonuses, which, unarguably, should be on a ‘Earn-As-You-Go’ basis as incentives and motivation. No delay, no prevarication in the payment process!
Having experienced the antics of NFF officials and the authorities in charge of Sports in government of Nigeria – delaying in payments to sportsmen and sportswomen after qualifying series and/or actual competitions were over – the Super Eagles and handlers took their eyes off the ball, and focused on the money. We’re are told that, “Money is (at) the root of all evils”! That, “The reward for petience is greater than the immediate gain”! And “A patient dog 🐕 eats the fattest bone”!
These golden rules weren’t for the Super Eagles and officials, who seized on the chance of their qualification for the quarter-finals to demand immediate payments, or they would abandon the match, and the entire championship. Held by the balls, the Nigerian government intervened and directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to process and pay the entitlements.
Getting the firm assurances of the payments directly into their bank accounts – and had begun to receive alerts to that effect – the Eagles and officials decided to travel from Fez to Marrakesh, to train ahead of the match against the Desert Warriors, whom they defeated by 2-0 to square up in the semi-finals against the hosts, Atlas Lions, who also won their match against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 2-0.
To imagine that the allowances and bonuses brouhaha comes at a time of “dollar rains” in the Super Eagles’ camp tells much about the mentality of the average Nigerian to money matters! Apart from the NFF increasing the camp, match and winning allowances and bonuses as the tournament progressed, individual and corporate Nigerians had pledged “mouth-watering” rewards for the team and for each goal scored.
For instance, the Chairman of BUA Group, Dr Abdulsamad Rabiu, pledged $100,000 for winning the quarter-finals, and $30,000 for every goal scored. For the semi-finals, it’s $500,000 for a win, and $50,000 for each goal scored. And for the final match, Super Eagles’ win would attract $1 million, while each goal would be $100,000. If success actually had meaning for the Super Eagles and handlers, such largesse was enough for them to “hold bodi” (as we say in Naija) until the statutory entitlements were paid.
Even as the BUA chairman, Rabiu, announced on January 15 on Instagram that he would fulfil his $500,000 pledge despite the Super Eagles’ failure to clinch the AFCON title, the team, as they set for the third-place cracker on Saturday, January 17, 2026, had lost several things, chiefly: Money (Talk of being kobo wise, and naira foolish!), which, to some of the players, is as common as “water”); and their public standing with, and reverence and affection from Nigerians, who aren’t enamoured anymore with silver (second place), bronze (third place) or ‘wooden spoon’ (fourth place), but the ultimate gold (first place).
Well, the third-place match against the Pharaohs of Egypt, in Casablanca, was an encore for the Super Eagles, who won the encounter 4-2 on penalties, after a goal-less draw within the regulation time, and thus claimed the “ninth Bronze medal 🥉” in the AFCON history! And the Super Eagles and officials got their “flowers” from the NFF, Nigerians and the government, who appeared relieved and happy for “having something than nothing.”
Following the match on Saturday, President Bola Tinubu praised the team for their resilience and professionalism, and for rising above the disappointment of their semi-final defeat to hosts, Morocco, to finish the tournaments strongly, saying the bronze medal “surely feels good like gold.”
Tinubu, via his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said: “Despite their good run during the tournament, the Eagles lost the semi-final match to Morocco during the penalty shootout last Wednesday, and our people’s hopes of winning the championship were dashed.
“However, our players remained undaunted, and exhibiting the resilience of the Nigerian spirit, their efforts have now paid off. We will all be proud of them as they receive their hard-earned bronze medal. Thank you, our gallant Super Eagles. Thank you, our national team players. This bronze medal surely feels good like gold.”
So often, one comes to the conclusion that Nigerians deserve the butt of jokes, such as spurned by VERYDARKMAN, and the periodic off-mark “prophesies” by Primate Ayodele! Why would a team in mid-flight ask to be disembarked because the destination seems still far away? That’s what the Super Eagles and officials did, as they couldn’t wait for end of the AFCON 2025 tournament before demanding – if they’re yet to be settled – the payment of their allowances and bonuses!
•Mr Ezomon, journalist and media consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. Can be reached on X, Threads, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp @EhichioyaEzomon. Tel: 08033078357.
