Between the Super Eagles and FEC
It’s difficult to say what was the most disappointing aspect of the Nigerian Super Eagles first match at the ongoing FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. Was it the poor performance of the team or the fact that 90% of Nigerians who watched the game in their country had to do so using generators? Politics and […]
It’s difficult to say what was the most disappointing aspect of the Nigerian Super Eagles first match at the ongoing FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. Was it the poor performance of the team or the fact that 90% of Nigerians who watched the game in their country had to do so using generators? Politics and football are both games so it’s easy to compare Nigeria’s teams in both these fields. There are interesting parallels between the Super Eagles and Federal Executive Council (FEC). They both reflect the major problems Nigeria faces as it struggles on its march towards greatness.
Firstly, both teams have suffered a drastic fall in their international standing. The Super Eagles once used to perch high on the international rankings placed by FIFA as the 5th leading team in the world, now they languish between 40th and 50th regularly beaten by sides they would have given a whipping in the past. The FEC represents a nation that once used to stride the international scene as a colossus, funding freedom movements throughout Africa and sending succour to fellow Africans affected by flood and civil war, but who know have their own intractable war, cannot pay the salaries of its workers and in which despite all its oil wealth seems incapable if alleviating the massive poverty and helplessness which pervades the land. Inordinate respect for age rather than intellect is an integral part of most Nigerian cultures.
As such it should really come as no surprise that both the Super Eagles and the FEC team are led by players who are well past their prime. Fortunately for both captains there are no widely accepted contenders for their positions. Both “captains” remain relevant simply because they have records which place them above other players who would wish to contest their position. Just as the two captains are past their prime so are many of their players. The truth of the matter is that neither of the two teams comprises the best players available. The FEC is sprinkled with yesterday’s men some of whom have questionable antecedents, while the super eagles squad contains players who have long since retired from playing serious football and ply their trade in lesser leagues worldwide. Another similarity is that both teams have a fondness for foreign technical advice.
Both the FEC and the Super Eagles prefer foreign technical advisers who are not of the highest quality. This is so disappointing when many Nigerians graduated overseas and were adjudged by foreigners to be more intelligent than their own citizens. Despite this foreigners with no real standing in their own countries flood Nigeria in the guise of being all sorts of “experts”. Over all these years the quality of foreign technical advice Nigeria has received in both fields has led to sporting and economic decline. Wrong policies by the FEC can be likened to the Super Eagles bad tactics on the playing field. They didn’t do well in their match against Croatia because many of them played out of position. Obi Mikel the Super Eagles Captain had an illustrious career with Chelsea in the English premier league. He wore the No 4 Jersey and held the defence solid. Playing for Nigeria he is obsessed with wearing the Number 10 jersey which he cannot justify. The rest of the team suffers when square pegs are put in round holes. In similar fashion the FEC has a lawyer in charge of Works and Power, a medical doctor in charge of labour, and others playing out of position. Another similarity between both teams is their relationship with China.
For reason best known to themselves the FEC continues to allow Nigeria to be flooded with sub-standard goods form China. Now it appears as if China wants to start supplying Nigeria with sub-standard football players! Any team in the ongoing FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 that fields players plying their trade in China cannot be expected to do well when the Chinese league is known in terms of the analogy between football and politics as being very similar to the Nigerian Senate, i.e. a retirement home for expired players! Both teams were eulogised when they “qualified”.
The 2015 election result was greeted with a euphoria seldom witnessed Nationwide in Nigerian politics as was qualification for the World Cup. It’s OK to feel angry and disappointed at both teams, but not to insult the players with hate speeches or comments. At the end of the day whether it be in government or football none of the players walked onto the pitch with the intention of not doing well and disgracing the nation. As has been pointed out severally, patriotism doesn’t lie only when the team does well. It means standing with the team through thick and thin until it is time to form a new squad of players.