Gusau, Chelle, please resign

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The technical committee ought to be filled with coaches with renowned tactical savvy who can engage and earn the respect of coaches the country recruits for their different soccer teams. Members of the country's technical committees in recent times have been ex-internationals, friends of the federation's members and some of our recycled coaches who dared not rock the boat when the early signs of calamity stare them in the face. Being a former international who played in some of the best European clubs in the world doesn't translate to being a good coach or a good technical committee member, for instance. Both roles are different kettles of fish. In fact, the Spanish economy is largely centred on the exploits of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Indeed, the economy of most soccer giants in Europe is centred on the activities of their football administration's components.

The technical committee ought to be populated by cerebral coaches who routinely undergo refresher courses and seminars to bring them abreast of the changes in the game - not journeymen or recycled coaches and former NFF members.

Because of the Lilliputian stature of our technical committee members, they see nothing wrong with coaches recruited and who are being paid with part of our commonwealth, who come into the country after months in Europe to submit a list of players they monitored mostly on television, to prosecute our matches. It also doesn't matter if such lists are submitted to the NFF without their inputs or strict scrutiny. How would it bother them, when their seats are secured in the charter flights to places where the teams play their games? Not forgetting the allowances that come with travelling the teams on such trips, especially in hard currencies.

A more assertive technical committee whose members knew their onions would have moved for a synergy between the home-based players and those in Europe and the Diaspora by getting foreign coaches to watch the domestic games. Their rubber stamp tendencies towards the foreign coaches' lists of invited players without the technical committee members vetting them underscored how he rated them.

The NFF president ought to have directed the coach to relate with the technical committee members, although the vocal ones among the members see the search for home-based players to be restricted to those who play in the domestic leagues. They have forgotten the schoolboys who played for Nigeria such as the late Henry Nwosu, the late Haruna Ilerika, Tarila Okorowanta, the late Wilfred Agbonivbare, Ikponwosa Omoregie, not forgetting policeman Sunny Oyerequa. Let alone the exploits of Segun Odegbami, Adokie Amiesiamaka, Felix Owolabi, Patrick Ekeji, the late Thompson Usiyen, Edema Fuludu, et al, who combined tedious school work with playing for Nigeria as first teamers.

NFF President, Sir, this where you have to take responsibility of Nigeria's ouster from the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States of America (USA), since the buck stops on your proverbial table. Sir, which local league team(s) did Victor Osimhen play for? Ditto Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi e.t.c.? Put simply, our age grade coaches are either not good enough or have had their hands tied to their backs by the cabals whose players must be selected by fire or by force.

Mr. NFF President, history would remember you as the honourable man who took responsibility for the World Cup fiasco by tendering your resignation letter instead of running for a second term of four years. Recall that a former NFF chairman got the stick for saying that the World Cup isn't Nigeria's birth right.

The next person who should resign from his job is Eric Chelle, since he failed to clinch the playoff slot to qualify to play at the 2026 World Cup. He had enough time to get a winning side like the Congolese did against us. The coaching mantra of a coach being as good as his last rings so true about Chelle's stay on the job. Little wonder Jose Peseiro mocked Nigerians, wondering how we retain a coach who won a bronze medal at AFCON. Peseiro cracked a joke on the beautification of the bronze medal won in Morocco by tagging it 'golden bronze' to justify why Chelle's contract should be renewed. Pity.

Those categorising Chelle's pyrrhic victories against countries Nigeria should easily beat based on our ranking with FIFA as the reason for him to remain Super Eagles Head Coach must look at what the Italian coach, Gennaro Gattuso's record represented. Yet, he resigned from the plum job based on principles.  Gennaro Gattuso's record is impressive on paper, with six wins, one defeat and one draw in eight matches with 22 goals scored and 10 conceded.

But that draw was the 1-1 with Bosnia, which preceded a penalty shoot-out in which Italy missed twice, while the loss was another humiliating one to Norway, this time 4-1 at the San Siro.

Yes, a second term of four years would have given Gusua the best opportunity to do things properly. But, he would be beaten at the polls in September. That is if the elective congress would hold in September. My advice to Gusua would be that he resigns honourably. He should use the lesson learned from the Nigerian experience to remodel WAFU B, where he is still the president. Nagode, Ibrahim Musa Gusua.

AND THIS...

My naughty friend asked after the NFF General Secretary (GS). He wanted to know my views on his role in the 2026 World Cup fiasco. My response to naughty friend was: GS, just go. Allow your deputy to take over from you.