No tears for Eagles
Sometimes I feel strongly to put a telephone call across to the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, to ask if he has resigned from this job of breathing fresh air into
Sometimes I feel strongly to put a telephone call across to the NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, to ask if he has resigned from this job of breathing fresh air into our football which has gone comatose. The hunch pushing me to make this presidential call is as fickle as nectar on hibiscus. What would I be asking Gusau? Would he be able to speak to the problems of the game here which have evidently overwhelmed him? Where would he be now? Nigeria or junketing around some of the European countries, trying to talk to some of the Diaspora kids that Eric Chelle has scouted to play for Nigeria? Dead is the state of the domestic league in the mindset of the federation's members.
How does any discerning mind expect the blue-chip players, deep pockets and the corporate firms to associate their brand names, goods and services with a league whose owners, the NFF, have literally sentenced to death with their vulgar preference for Nigerian kids born outside Nigeria? Companies and deep pockets like to gravitate to areas where they can get good returns for their money. They would avoid business concerns with negative vibes as the NFF which the NPFL has tried to change the narrative of the domestic league.
The lower leagues are trying to curtail the rot at that level but the financial push should come from the NFF by way of good funding, aside from what they get as subvention from the government. Again, my naughty friend called on Thursday evening wondering why I worried about the growth of the local league when the federation's boss' State doesn't have a big league club competing in the NPFL weekly. This troublesome boy wondered how much each of the federation's members contribute towards the growth and development of their different States, pointing out that it would shock everyone that most of them haven't done anything significant in their States beyond calling their contacts in government when the time for elections beckon. Indeed, the only time anything captivating is about to happen to our game here is when the Super Eagles are preparing for a tournament or planning to honour invitational friendly games. Of course, outside the country. No attempt is made to persuade those countries seeking to play the Super Eagles in such friendly matches for a return match in Nigeria?
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No prize for guessing right how many pitches in Nigeria are listed by FIFA and CAF for such high profile soccer activities. Only the Nest of Champions in Uyo fits that bill. What happened to the ones owned by the government (Federal and States) beyond the optics of seeing the incumbent NSC Chairman shaking hands with the Kaduna State Governor handing over of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, back to the State government?
For the game to grow here and attract the kind of followership we see weekly on television in Europe, we must be prepared to organise friendly games here in Nigeria against big football playing nations such as France, England, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Holland, Denmark e.t.c. No business concern would sit aloof and allow these countries come into the country to play games without tasking their relevant in-house units to situate their goods and services with such sporting events. After all, most of these businesses have as their target audience the masses around the country.
Imagine an international game between England and Holland in Nigeria coming on the heels of an earlier one between the Super Eagles and Brazil and see how the business concerns would create marketing platforms to benefit not only the NFF but everyone associated with the game within the precincts where such matches would be played. Those who administer sports in the country should strive to think outside the box. And this can only happen if there is a deliberate attempt to reconfigure the criteria to determine those who can run the industry very well, not what we have now, with due respect. It isn't rocket science.
Going forward, those who should administer sports in Nigeria should be captains of industries with names which go before them. I always talk about what Dr. Uyi Akpata is doing with Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), having played the game at secondary and university levels, including playing for Nigeria. So, who is Uyi Akpata? Uyi Akpata is Country Senior Partner for PwC Nigeria and Regional Senior Partner for PwC West Africa. Indeed, the narrative for cricket has changed massively as the Gentleman's game is being played correctly by Nigerian girls like their counterparts in other climes. Cricket Federation in Nigeria has been known for voting into office as President credible people as Kwesi Sagoe who served as NCF President from 2007 to 2013, during which Nigeria first qualified for the World Cricket League. He also served as the Chairman of the Africa Cricket Association.
A King's College Lagos alumnus (Class of 1977), he worked as a chartered accountant and was CEO of Express Discount Limited.
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The Nigeria Cricket Federation has a history for producing credible Presidents. Need I waste space listing them?
Back to football. It is exactly 12 days to the kick-off of the inter-confederation playoff tournament from March 26-31, with FIFA saying ticket prices are in the range of 200 to 300 Mexican pesos in Guadalajara and Monterrey, yet the hierarchy of the NSC is raising hopes that Nigeria's flag would be hoisted in the two cities in Mexico.
It is important to remind those toying with our sensibilities that they ought to send a delegation to FIFA to find out the correct outcome of Nigeria's protest, instead of leaking the protest letter in the media. Besides, our federation's bosses ought to know that the lack of communication with FIFA on the inter-confederation playoff tournament is the biggest indicator that the matter has been ruled in favour of D.R Congo. No list of players to prosecute the games in Mexico has been released by Chelle after NFF's approval. No camping site for the team preparatory to the competition in sight. Except the man who boasted on Arise Television with his full chest that Nigeria would play in the playoffs, knows what we don't know. I hope the NSC and the NFF would apologise to Nigerians for their failure of leadership on the playoffs.
Agency reports on Thursday stated that: '' The Democratic Republic of Congo has named several players at the centre of Nigeria’s eligibility protest in its squad for the decisive inter-continental play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underlining the lingering controversy surrounding the Leopards’ qualification campaign.
‘'DR Congo will face the winner of the play-off between Jamaica and New Caledonia in Guadalajara, Mexico, on March 31, 2026, in a match that could send the Central African nation back to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years.''
‘'Nigeria’s protest to FIFA following the African play-off in Morocco focused most strongly on three players whose nationality switches were approved only days before the decisive match: Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Mario Stroeykens and Matheu Epolo.''
The waiting game continues, dear reader.
