Nigerian fans, so often the most conspicuous at the Africa Cup of Nations, have understandably become subdued here in Ghana.
Statements like: "This is football. Watch how Nigeria play it", or chants of: "The ball in the net! The ball in the net!" are far between and lack conviction.
The reason? The Super Eagles have failed to impress. They lost 0-1 to Cote d'Ivoire and drew 0-0 with Mali, and are now on the brink of elimination.
The confident, controlled game, speed and accuracy, flamboyance that has come to be associated with Nigeria is distinctly lacking in this team.
In 180 minutes of play Nigeria have failed to score a single goal despite having a formidable looking strike force consisting of Obafemi Martin of New Castle United, Everton's Yakubu Aiyegbeni and John Utaka (Portsmouth). Only Sudan share the same bogus distinction of not scoring.
"We do not have a team. That is not Nigeria," one bitter fan who travelled from Lagos for the match, Stephen Oyewode, lamented after their match with Mali at the Sekondi Stadium that ended in a barren draw.
"Berti Vogts must go. We want Clemence Westerhof. We want him back," another fan clad in a Super Eagles shirt and track bottom said referring to the successful Dutch coach who took Nigeria to their first World Cup in 1994 and also won the African Nations Cup the same year.
Vogts, who signed a four year contract in January last year, has become an unpopular man in Nigeria, a country which expects their national football coach to win, by right, every competition the Super Eagles enter.
He has had run ins with the Nigeria Football Association over salaries, bonuses and the amount of time he should spent in Nigeria. Many times he has publicly complained about the lack of planning by the NFA
The NFA has already warned Vogts in no uncertain terms that if Nigeria do not get through the group stages he will be sacked.
The Super Eagles have never failed to make the last eight in all competitions they have participated in since 1986.
To be fair to the German coach, Nigeria simply failed to reproduce the class that the golden generation of the early 1990s so dazzled the world withThe proud Nigerian fans are now beginning to accept the team has become ordinary.
"Lets us agree, we are not good anymore. Look at Cote d'Ivoire, look at Mali. Those are good teams" Oyewode said.
Nigeria may probably be good enough to beat one of Africa's weaker playing nations Benin today, but if Mali beat or hold 'Cote d'Ivoire to a draw in the other Group "B" match the Super Eagles will be going home early, unthinkable as that prospect may be.
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