The super eagles struggled in the first game against Burkina Faso with Moses on the bench and Ahmed Musa in his place. Musa's run on the Burkinabes wings was not enough as the Eagles were forced to a one all draw.
In the second game, Moses came into the team from the start and made an impact on the wings alternating from right to left and creating chances for the strikers but at the end, it ended in another one all draw when the Zambians were given a controversial penalty.
It was a Moses affair in the last group match, Nigeria needed a win and Moses cut into the 18 yard of the Ethiopians with a solo run twice and was brought down on both occasion. He took the resultant penalty kicks and twice, he converted.
The internet, social media, print and electronic media went wild and Mosesmania became the order of the day. He was described as the Moses who was sent by God to deliver Nigeria and the Super Eagles from the long cup drought.
He went on to help Nigeria win the cup with his enterprising display on the flanks and brilliant passes and justified why Chelsea did all they could to snatch him from Wigan Athletic after Chelsea scouts saw his potentials.
Rewind back to when Moses was 11 years old in 2002 in Kaduna, he had gone to play football on the streets of Kaduna and on getting back, he met his house razed down and his parents Mr Austine and Mrs Josephine Moses killed.
Moses parents were missionaries and young Moses was in love with the round leather, a love that kept him alive but his parents were not that lucky. His life seems shattered and his future looked bleak but an uncle came to his rescue and Moses relocated to London.
With his parents dead, little Moses decided to fight for his future, instead of taking to drugs or other vices, he took to football and combined studies and football until Crystal Palace spotted him, saw his potentials and took him on.
From there, he never looked back as he moved to Wigan athletic from where he moved to Chelsea. He played for the England under 16, 17, 19 and 21 scoring 11 goals for the junior Lions.
With the FIFA rule stating that a player can play for his country of birth after playing age group for his adopted country as long as he hasn't represented his adopted country at senior level, Moses fatherland Nigeria approached him to play for the country.
Now when the invitation came through, a lot would have gone through 22 years old Moses minds. His parents death, the fact that nobody saw his potentials back then among other things. As someone with blood flowing through his veins, he could have become another Seyi Adebayo, another John Fashanu, another Gabriel Agbonlahan and sincerely I wouldn't have blamed him but not Victor Moses.
He dumped the three lions and hugged the super eagles of Nigeria wearing the national colours and singing the national anthem with pride. He jubilated each goal scored with so much passion and when things were not going right for the team, you could see the anguish of the young Nigerian striker.
There are many Victor Moses' around the world, Nigeria has lost a lot of potentials and sons and daughters who would have brought glory to our nation because of bad governance, insecurity and lack of foresight! With our population and the abundance of talents in this country, we are still as backwards and slow in development.
Health workers were killed in the north last week, boko haram killed a lot of Nigerians in a bombing spree and yet the nation's security is still nothing to write about. Daily, children full of life and promises are made fatherless and future destroyed all because of our poor stand on security.
In cases where the parents are not killed, the county does not spot and harness potentials. If Moses had stayed back in Nigeria, would Enyimba have spotted him and groomed him or would the bad gangs spot him first.
We have a lot of talent in this country waiting to be harnessed, we have potentials and bright kids whose skills needs to be tapped into but instead, the government frustrates these people and they either take to crime or the lucky ones travels abroad where their talents are put to use in betterment of that country.
A good government will formulate policies that will take care of the youths and empower them more, not Nigeria, the bulk of Nigerian youths are homeless, jobless and on the streets with nothing to do but take to crime. They have been so ignored that crime and sharp practices seems to be the only way out of their misery, no wonder they end with untimely deaths.
Moses is also a big lesson to religious extremists, his goals and work for the team is celebrated by all regardless of religious affiliation and belief despite loosing his parents to a religious crises. Why then do we still continue the killings, why then does these so called religious crises linger?
This is a clarion call on the Nigerian government to recognize this patriotic Nigerian and bestow on him a national award which he deserves. If people like Bode George who is an ex convict can be a national award recipient then Victor Moses who lost his parents to the nation's insecurity and still wears the colours of Nigeria despite the fact that he could have snubbed this country needs to be encouraged.
Moses is a call to us Nigerians to be patriotic despite all and also a wake up call to the government. He epitomizes all that needs to be fixed in this country as well as the inefficiency of our government. In all, Victor Moses is my own hero.
Ajewole Bejide is a Nigerian youth with a passion for Nigeria. You can follow him on twitter via @Da_Megadon
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