Nigeria, South Africa crash out of 2017 AFCON; as Onigbinde calls defeat ‘unfortunate’

The Pharaohs of Egypt sent the Super Eagles packing from next year’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon after they edged out the latter by a slim 1-0 win,Tuesday night at the Borg Al-Arab Stadium in Alexandria.
It will be the second time in two years that the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for the Nations Cup, which they have won thrice in 1980, 1994 and 2013.
Egypt now have an unassailable seven points with a final group game in June at bottom team Tanzania.
Nigeria have only two points and even if they trounce Tanzania in September, they will not be at Gabon 2017.
Teenager Radwan Sobhi, who was picked ahead of Anderlecht striker Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’, grabbed the all-important goal in the 65th minute, when his toed effort from just inside the box trickled past goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.
England-based Victor Moses saw his shot crash against the post beyond the Egypt goalkeeper in the 84th minute, but it came back into play.
Meanwhile, former national team coach Adegboye Onigbinde, Tuesday, described the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon as ‘unfortunate’.
Onigbinde said the defeat to the Egyptians has been there for decades as it will be wrong to blame the present crop of coaches and players.
“It’s really unfortunate we eventually lost the crucial Afcon encounter to the Pharaohs of Egypt but we did not lose the match this evening. It was a loss that occurred decades ago.
“We have consistently failed in our developmental programmes, thus we continue to insult Nigerians and that’s what makes me angry and annoyed.
“That’s why we pin our hopes on the foreign-based players to win matches for us.
“How do you explain a situation where we have key matches and the players arrived on Tuesday to play on Friday?
“With players coming from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, CSKA, among others leagues, how do you groom the players to build a team in less than 48 hours.
‘Team members are supposed to behave and think alike as well as perform as one man but ours are a group of players.
“I think anyone that decides to blame the present coaches and players for the unfortunate result are not being fair.
“Today’s (Tuesday) result is one of the results we have planned to achieve way back in the days.
“I’m not happy with the result but not disappointed as we saw it coming. We have depended on mere wishes and as it’s said if wishes were horses beggars will ride,” said Onigbinde.
In a related development, South Africa were held to a 0-0 draw by Cameroon in their Africa Nations Cup Qualifier in Durban on Tuesday night and with that saw their chances of reaching Gabon 2017 dashed.
Bafana Bafana have only a very slim mathematical chance to qualify. If they win their last two games (against Gambia and Mauritania) they will need Mauritania to draw with Cameroon and Gambia to beat Cameroon.
In that case, Bafana would be tied on nine points with Cameroon at the top of the table and will go through on away goals in head to head with the Indomitable Lions.