Chris Maduewesi
Member
Most people hoped that the Super Eagles would have at least made the quarter-finals of the competition taking in Brazil to break its duck of not having crossed the second round of a World Cup tournament.
The thing is that Nigerian fans expect a lot from their team that anything short of a victory,to them can be equated to as failure.
After winning the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa,there was renewed belief in the Nigerian team going into the World Cup,but they were dashed and the Nations Cup win,somehow now looks as though it was achieved a decade ago.
The entire Nigerian team didn't all sparkle in Brazil but there are some who gave a good account of themselves at the tournament,showing that they were worthy to wear the national team strips.
*Vincent Enyeama:
Outshone every other Nigerian player in Brazil,Enyeama was a diamond in the Super Eagles team that Stephen Keshi took to the World Cup.
Each game that he played at the tournament,he proved that replacing him in the Super Eagles would be an arduous task in the future.
Which was that when he talked about "considering his future" after the World Cup an avalanche of pleas greeted the remarks.
Enyeama made a total of 20 saves,second only to USA's Tim Howard who made 21 and then Costa Rica's Keylor Navas with 19 saves to place third in the current number of saves at the World Cup so far.
He emerged as one of the shining lights and is listed among the top six goalkeepers at the World Cup.
Nigeria would have shipped in loads of goal if not for his heroics manning the post for the Super Eagles.
*Kenneth Omeruo:
At 20,Omeruo played as though he was 28 or 30 years old. Played with so much maturity and experience for the Super Eagles that you wouldn't know he is still a young player.
Having moved up the ladder from the under 17 to the under 20 and then the Super Eagles,the Chelsea player was a dependable defender to call upon in Nigeria's final third.
He had a good game against Bosnia-Herzegovina,showing impressive guts to tame Manchester City's Edin Dzeko.
With Godfrey Oboabona missing matches through an injury,Omeruo adapted very well to a new defence partner when Joseph Yobo was drafted in.
Now with Yobo retiring from the national team,young Omeruo is a perfect replacement for him.
*Ahmed Musa:
A surprise inclusion in this list of best performers but there aren't much Nigerian players who performed better than Musa.
Musa is one of the few players who started in all the four matches Nigeria played in at the World Cup.
Often maligned by the Nigerian public,the CSKA Moscow silenced his critics with the two well taken goals he scored against Argentina.
Not often do you see Musa net two goals for Nigeria,and when it come,it was at a perfect occasion like the World Cup.
And with Victor Moses failing to leave up to the billing at the World Cup,Musa adequately filled dt role and delivered.
*Osaze Odeminwigie:
Seemed like he was never out,but the Stoke City striker has been away on international wilderness for over two years.
After making a substitute appearance in the first game against Iran,he convinced Keshi why he should be starting games,and he started the other three matches Nigeria played.
Osaze scored Nigeria's first goal at the World Cup which helped the Super Eagles beat Bosnia.
He worked tirelessly in the other games,helping out defensively and exuded pride playing for the national team.
At 33 this month,he still has some things to offer,maybe at the Nations Cup in Morocco. His experiences would be immense now that some senior players have called it quits,can't lose all of them at once.
And with his World Cup showings in Brazil,he is not one to lose now in the national team set-up.
Photo Credit: @FIFAWorldCup