Can The Super Eagles Win The 2018 World Cup?

The new song in town in the last one week by die hard followers of the Super Eagles is that, "We can win the 2018 FIFA World Cup".

This optimistic belief shows ambition on the part of the supporters and advocates of the three-time African Cup of Nations champions.

Our best performance has been second round appearances in 1994, 1998 and 2014.

Reality though suggests a lot of that is fuelled by a desire to say the right things in public. Truth is the Gernot Rohr led Eagles team will not win the World Cup in Russia.

African teams still lack the Midas touch to make it to the last four of the World Cup. This is a Puzzle.

Do I need to also remind the true believers that the difference between the winner and the rest is simple: preparation, class and practice.

There is no magic, there is not any weird formula - a little bit of luck comes into it but you create your own luck through the above mentioned factors.

The current set up are through to the Mundial even with one match to spare in the qualifiers.

Four wins and one draw makes the team a promising one  that should not be written off. But like some people will say, "Shoe get size okrika get quality".

Rohr is fully equipped with trusted soldiers in his barrack.

Skipper John Obi Mikel, Ogenyi Onazi, Elderson Echiejille, Victor Moses and Kenneth Omeruo will offer World Cup experience to the team.

Debutants like Leon Balogun, Odion Ighalo, Ola Aina, Shehu Abdullahi, William Troost Ekong shouldn't be carried away by the huge occasion.

There is also a set of talented youngsters whose progress in recent years fill Rohr with massive hope.

Alex Iwobi has been decent for Arsenal, Gent winger Moses Simon is dreaded in the Belgium Pro League with Oghenekaro Etebo showing promises in Portugal.

The belief is that the mix of youth and experience is what will see Nigeria through to the biggest football shield in the world. But the doubters, and there are many of them, laugh at that claim.

Reality though suggests a lot of that is fuelled by a desire to say the right things in public. Truth is this Super Eagles team will not win the World Cup in Russia.

But one task they need to carry out is quality representation of the continent in the biggest football competition in the world. Maybe a quarter final placing. Why not?

Abayomi Ademetan