Nigeria: Wanted - Surgical Operation for Nigerian Football

Posted by admin | 10 years ago | 2,234 times



Corruption, money, and power struggle between the national team and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), have been a threat to the development of Nigerian football for years. There seems no way to end the crisis caused by the largesse donated by FIFA after a tournament. The national team got to round of 16 where they were knocked out by France at the just concluded FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil where the Super Eagles, according to news reports, protested for the whole night before the game against France over their match bonus, a situation that reflected on the field where the team lost.

The crisis rocking the NFF deepened when the president of the Nigerian football body, Alhaji Aminu Maigari was bundled out of office over corruption allegation involving billons of naira, money supposedly meant for national football development. FIFA subsequently suspended Nigeria and threatened to ban the country from any FIFA activities if Maigari was not reinstated as the presiding officer of NFF. The crisis caused the Nigeria Under-20, Falconets, to travel later than scheduled for their camping in Canada for the FIFA Under-20 Women World Cup in Canada.

After Maigari was restored, the crisis was still far from being resolved, as he was impeached by the NFF board members and Mike Umeh was appointed in acting role to take his place. Umeh, Taiwo Ogunjobi and Ex-International Segun Odegbami were disqualified from contesting for the post of NFF by the electoral body.

The impasse also caused the delay in re-appointing Stephen Keshi as the Super Eagles coach, thus affecting the preparation for AFCON 2015 qualifiers - occasioning loss of confidence in the team as they prepared to defend the AFCON title. The result has been catastrophic for Nigerian football.

This crisis in the glass house, if not stopped on time, could send a signal to our opponents on our ill-preparedness and bolster them in the qualifiers. We should encourage an indigenous coach who had won the Nations Cup and taken us to the second round of the World Cup. If he was a foreign coach perhaps the contract issue would not have been this difficult. Clemens Westerhof as coach, had the upper hand in the football politics during his time ; and that fact aided his success and performances.

The coach should be given freehand in selecting his team. This will help to move Nigerian football forward. All angry members should sheathe the sword, for the development of our football, remove sentiment and selfishness from the game.

Dr. Tamuno Danagogo's as the minister of sport could perform the surgical operation for the country's football and ensure lasting solution to the leadership crisis. The minister should put the house in order and stop the NFF members from politicising leadership position. Corruption should be dealt with and anyone caught in its web be made to face appropriate disciplinary action to deter others.

The crisis shows that members of NFF could not be trusted to govern the entire country; they can set the nation on fire when factions fight one another for such selfish reasons. As Minister of Sport, Tamuno Danagogo should take the blame if the country's football continues to suffer or if Nigeria is banned by FIFA.


Source: Super Sports

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