How AFCON Re-ignited Nigeria’s National Spirit After A Polarising Election
Yesterday, the Super Eagles of Nigeria achieved an incredible feat when they defeated the Bafana Bafana of South Africa to make it into the finals of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
For those who may have missed the thrilling encounter, it was a breathtaking display of football mastery, resilience, and professionalism. It comprised 120 minutes of endless tension and emotional rush. For instance, in the 85th minute, Nigeria led 2-0 after Victor Osimhen slid the ball behind Ronwen Williams, only for the goal to be canceled and a penalty awarded to Bafana Bafana. A VAR check, debatable as some would say, revealed that Nigeria committed a foul leading to the counter, resulting in Osimhen’s goal being disallowed. Thus, the scoreline shifted from 2-0 to 1-1 when Teboho Mokoena of South Africa converted from the spot.
It became another 40 minutes of restless wait as millions of Nigerians, across every corner of the country, hoped for the Eagles to make the nation proud.
And they did. Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, stood tall, displaying a formidable performance and stopping two penalties, giving Kelechi Iheanacho the chance to send the team into the final for the first time in over a decade.
At once, social media was awash with videos of ‘wild’ celebrations and victory chants. Congratulatory messages flooded the internet. But did anybody care to check the ethnicity of the players? Or their political leanings? Or religious orientation?
When the Eagles’ captain deliberately committed a foul to stop a potentially disastrous counter and gave the team a lifeline into the penalty shootout, he did it for Nigeria and was hailed as one. Where he’s from, the God he worships, the political party he voted for, did not matter to millions who exalted him. It did not matter where Osimhen, Nwabali, Lookman, and all the players were from.
The 34th edition of AFCON came one year after Nigeria held a general election that polarised the country and divided it along ethnic, religious, and political lines. During that election, what makes Nigerians different was strategically and deliberately explored by politicians to score cheap votes. The country emerged with an underlying doubt – questioning Lord Lugard’s 1914 amalgamation that had tied over 250 ethnic groups together.
The 2023 election saw Nigerians classified into three groups: The Obidents used for supporters of Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi; Atikulated for supporters of Atiku Abubakar; and BATs, or Cornified, used to describe supporters of Bola Tinubu who emerged victorious in the election. As distasteful as that profiling is, the ongoing AFCON has shown it is not a true reflection of the Nigerian spirit, and that the country is not as divided as propogandists would have people believe.
Nigeria is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse nations, but strength can be drawn from that diversity. Racial diversity of a country, determined by the percentage of the population belonging to different racial groups, is common in Africa due to the multicultural society created during the colonial era. For a long time, some have suggested that a country’s diversity can limit its economic growth. Hence, Nigeria’s deep diversity has been blamed for some of the country’s inability to surpass challenges, from poverty to insecurity. But as a World Bank research group found out and put it, “in countries with sufficiently good institutions, ethnic diversity does not lower growth or worsen economic policies.”
Hence, the Super Eagles’ performance has shown what can be achieved when ‘good institutions’ are in place and unity is prioritised over difference. The team, from the staff to the players, is a true reflection of Nigeria. It’s not a team assembled from one tribe. The criteria used in choosing the team were not based on religion or language. The aim of the team is to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time, and that desire is the fabric of nationalism that drums out tribalism or political affiliation.
For football lovers, it’s a well-established fact that the collective performance of the entire team – having a sense of unity, the ability to play together with the sole objective to win – is greater than the brilliance of an individual player. As it is in football, so it is in nation-building, including a country like Nigeria with multi-ethnicity.
Nigeria has made it into the finals and will take on Ivory Coast on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Irrespective of what the outcome will be, the Eagles have earned the honour of making Nigerians believe once again in the country. They have achieved heroic status by bringing Nigerians together in celebration, devoid of segregation. Moreover, they have shown, through their united front and resilient performance, that a united country is unstoppable. It’s, in every facet, a loud call to shun the divide often instigated by political leaders who exploit differences and biases, and embrace that very Nigerian spirit – the spirit of triumph. The spirit to win against all odds.
The words of Ahmed Musa, Super Eagles captain, after the team made it into the quarter-finals, call for a deeper reflection as Nigerians examine this rekindled sense of belonging.
He said, “Let this victory be a reminder that our strength lies in coming together. Amidst the challenges our nation faces, let’s use the spirit of football to bridge divides and foster harmony.”
