6 Reasons Why Nigeria Football May Never Grow

The just concluded FIFA World Cup saw the Super Eagles laboring to a mere victory at the Mundial, with a team that had so much promise. Of course many factors could be attributed as factors why the boys were woeful and in general Nigeria football is not finding the Right Touch for growth. Imagine after 20 years, the USA 94 World cup still being bandit as our best performance at the FIFA Mundial. What are the factors responsible?

 1.SQUARE PEGS IN ROUND HOLE

Nigerians must be tired of this cliché by now. We can’t emphasized it enough, until we get the right sets football technocrat to manage and rekindle the plunging state of our football, USA 94 would always remain the reference point. I know how many times Ex international mathematical Segun Odegbami tried to lead the NFA or NFF all to no avail. A young and vibrant Kojo Willians was booted out in 1998 for no other reason than offending the powers that be. Politicians should not be running sports nay football!

 

2. PERRENIAL SQUABBLES IN NFF

Check it out, in the last 16 tears, no NFA Chairman has ever run more than a term at the saddle. There is always this tussle for power after every world cup. Go ask Kojo Williams, Ibrahim Galadima, Sani Lulu and now Aminu Maigari. You just must go, performance or not. You don’t run 21st Century football in that manner. Football should be separated from football, otherwise every football tournament would be marred and hampered. 

 

3 .LACK OF CONTINUITY

In the last 15 years, we have been managed by over 12 coaches. Isn’t that a world record? How can anybody be planning to get rid of Steven keshi after winning the Nations Cup and taking us to our best finish at the world cup in 16 years? Here is a shocker! Steven Keshi is the only African coach to have qualified a team for the next round of the world cup. Shouldn’t such a personality be encouraged? It took Clemens Westerholf 5 years to win the Nations cup and it took Keshi barely 18months. 

 

4. AGE GRADE CHEATING

Where are the likes of Chrisantus Maucualey, Victor Brown, Femi Opabunmi, Ganiyu Oseni and Okoro aka little Messi? Our age grade tournament that should be developmental has been bastardized due to perennial age cheating. A 30 or 35 year old claiming to be under 17 or 20. The Spanish squad that mesmerized the world was a product of proper grooming at the under 21 stage. Tony Cruz, Thomas Muller Manuel Noerer all of Germany were products of age grade tourneys. They are already World Champions while their counterparts in Nigeria are still struggling in Under 17 as 35year old.

 

5. THE MONEY PALAVER

Does an army of Soldiers bicker among themselves before going to the war front? Of course not! It has become a recurring decimal at major football events for the Super Eagles to quarrel over bonuses or allowances. At the World cup, the Eagles refused to train before the epic match against the French. Hence we were beaten though with a respectable showing. You can imagine what the Eagles would do barring any hitches. But in truth, it si high time sopped this school boys antics with our football.

 

6. THE BEST PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS MISSING

Believe it or not, sentiments, favoritisms are the other of the day when it comes to selecting the best 23 players for major championships. In the history of Nigeria football, no coach can be immune from this. Our best legs are always left at home due to one sentiment or the other. Taribo West and John Utaka famously claimed that money usually exchange hands before the final selection. I don’t know of the Keshi’s era, but I can’t find any football reason why Ikechukwu Uche was left out of the 2014 World cup squad. I think merit should be Key doing selections.

In conclusion, it is agreed globally that, if ever an African side gets to lift the world cup, that Nation would be Nigeria. But until these factors are tackled headlong, our football would remain in the doldrums .

Author: Folake Ibrahim

Source:Naij