The 23rd edition of the Cup of African Nations tagged Mali 2002 has come and gone, leaving soccer followers with memories of agony arising from the defeat of their darling teams as well as the excitement that go with winning. The celebration is wild from the West African sub-region of Senegal to the Cameroun - the home of the living Lions. It's a champagne party. But here, the land of once great football stars - their Super Eagles, we are left to ponder over numerous questions that beg for answer..

Such questions comes when an awful tragedy looms, when the contrary expectation takes centre stage, when the beautiful castles come crashing through the void. When dreams die, and the might fall.

Someone who perhaps is better placed to provide answers is te Super Eagles Chief Coach, Shuaibu Amodu.

Why did you assemble wrong footed players to a tournament of this magnitude? Could it be that the over forty players invited for screening en route the championship produced only the disjointed and boring action as evident in the Super Eagles match there in Mali? Eagles whose wings were tired (not old) enough to fly the aspirations of Africa's most populous nations to the high heavens. Tired birds that flew lesser than the Lions - Indomitable and Teranga.

But why did you give into sentiments ahead of reason and common sense? Why did you bow to the arrogant excesses of the "spent force" who parade a secret cult society in the Super Eagles? Sunday Oliseh and his mafia group who lately vet and edit invitees to the national team should all continue in frenzied excitement not forgetful of the fact that truth pressed to earth shall rise again. They have used Amodu. They have won. And we languish with hypertension in those squalid health centres (not hospitals) praying to regain our health soon enough for the summer soccer fiesta in the East.

My grouse couldn't just be in the politics of late submission of team list to Confederation of African Football (CAF) which attracted $3,000.00 fine but in the quality of the players forced on Amodu - a rubber stamp for the championship. Wait do names play football? Most of us who are novice in the coaching business know as well that current form of players rank tops. Bearing this in mind, can Amodu explain the inclusion of Ike Shorunmu, without a club in the team? Good wine they say need no bush. Ike was thrown out at Beskista FC, Turkey (reason to this development doesn't count) and as a professional worth his salt, it's expected that offers will block his view, but it never came. The resultant effect brought him to Ibadan and from his bedroom, "Omo" entered post for Nigeria with her numerous players. And his fitness showed against the Teranga Lions of Senegal where he collected two cheap goals to pave way for a little worthless medal (bronze) for a whole Super Eagles.

Ike's sin may be forgivable considering his average performance against Algeria and Mali in the group level, but what business did Victor Nosa Ikpeba have in the team? Ikpeba, with all sense of fairness was once dreaded and unforgiving in goal areas but that was a long time ago. If he's fit, why did he feature only 12 minutes for Real Betis (Spain) - his club, last season. Playing full time against Mali in the third place match posted signals of treachery by Amodu. A lay sailed to him for a goal but the tired man choose to fire the air instead! What of his ball control? Too questionable still.

As far Oliseh, Finidi and Okocha, they form the greatest woes of the champions. Just no impact to assert their roles as lords - a fact that was recognised by the technical committee of CAF thus denied them a place in the team of the tournament where youthful "little" boys like Julius Aghahowa, Ifeanyi Udeze and the old reliable Taribo West claimed slots.

Shuaibu Amodu, why the exclusion of Benedict Akwuegbu in the team? This young man, apart from being the scorer of our goal against Madagascar on June 3, 2001 in Benin which ensured our qualification to the championship, the AK Graz goal merchant registered our leveller against Cote d'Ivoire in the 53rd minute in Abidjan en route Mali during a friendly, his form was blistering - a ticket that proved his mental and physical readiness to the tournament. And behold, Akwuegbu was booted by Amodu in alliance with the mafia clique only for them to score an average of a goal per match through the determined "little" boy, Julius Aghahowa, who it three strikes to shop for the highest goal scorer award in the championship.

In clear terms, Amodu and his technical crew should learn the hard truth that they ought to sit up, work and win back the confidence of Nigerians before it's too late. According to Vince Lombard," winning is not a sometime third, it is an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while, don't do things right once in a while you do them right al the time."

During the qualifiers last year, Amodu won the litmus test facing him by conquering all foes and people said yea; cometh the hour cometh the man. Yet in another while, he lost focus and failed to erase the sad memories of the controversial miss-out to the trophy two years ago in Lagos where the Eagles wings were clipped by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun in a penalty shootout to cart away the coveted trophy for keep.

However, with this development, it's expected that Amodu Shuaibu has learnt a lot to prepare him for the challenges ahead, rather than just accepting all the blame. He should have learnt that names do not play football and that the current form of players matter so much for a tournament. Equally, it is expected that the coach know that age is weighing down some of the players. And to this effect, replacements have to be sought after. For the midfield, Ogbeche Bartholomew (PSG) France, Wilson Oruma (Servette) Spain, Karibe Ojigbe (Kalslautern) Germany are needed while faster and sharper attackers are to compliment Aghahowa upfront to net the goals while the defence only need better players to enrich the bench while Shorunmu should be given a farewell match.

All the same, everything that happened in Mali is now history, but the future, with her pregnancy baffles me. In another short while the biggest soccer fiesta on earth will be holding in Japan/Korea and the Eagles will be there to fly, and how far Amodu will take them depends on his ability to learn, seek, find and not to yield in the face of difficulties. History they say repeats itself first as farce then as a tragedy.(ACONS)