The agony of defeat had never been in the horizon, until now.
But the Super Eagles poor performance in Japan was not unexpected.
The decision of the country's late sports minister, Ishaya Mark Aku, to sack the coaching trio of Shaibu Amodu, Stephen Keshi and Joe Erico, after losing to Senegal in the African Nations Cup semi-finals last February, set the stage for the debacle in Japan.
Adegboye Onigbinde's appointment as Nigeria's World Cup manager, with only three months to prepare for the tournament, ensured the tournament was an accident destined to happen.
His decision to dispense with the experience of players like Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh and Victor Agali meant the Super Eagles did not go to the World Cup with its best players - an error that proved fatal.
In stark contrast to Nigeria's refreshing attacking philosophy, Onigbinde employed conservative tactics that relied on stout defending and sporadic counter-attacks.