Fresh Perspectives (1)
I will start by reiterating the apology of the NFF Executive Committee to His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) as a person, the Federal Government of Nigeria as a body, and all football-loving and even ordinary Nigerians who must have been sorely disappointed by the Super Eagles’ mishap. A few days before the match against […]
I will start by reiterating the apology of the NFF Executive Committee to His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) as a person, the Federal Government of Nigeria as a body, and all football-loving and even ordinary Nigerians who must have been sorely disappointed by the Super Eagles’ mishap.
A few days before the match against Guinea, I had led a delegation of the NFF to meet personally with the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator David Mark, to get him to be at the National Stadium to lead the support for the Eagles. Certainly, Senator Mark was not excited about the invitation, and I had all to do to convince him that the Super Eagles would make him happy and would play with the passion and urgency deserving of the occasion.
We needed only a minimum win and three points to earn the ticket to the Cup of Nations, I told him, and he obliged in the end, saying that he loved the team and loved football as a person.
At the end of the first half, I accompanied Senator David Mark to the players’ dressing room, where the country’s Number Three Citizen addressed the players and told them to fight hard for their country. There were no goals yet, but he told them to go out there and dominate and that he believed they would conquer.
At the final whistle, I sat depressed and totally downcast on my seat while I could only cast an apologetic glance at Senator David Mark.
It crossed my mind that the Super Eagles had, once again, disappointed the man. As a member of the NFF Executive Committee in the previous administration, I remembered that Senator Mark was the leader of Federal Government delegation to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa.
His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) had been invited to the opening ceremony of the first FIFA World Cup finals on African soil, by his South African counterpart, President Jacob Zuma. It was a very tiring day in Johannesburg that day of the opening ceremony, with the traffic simply something else. But football-loving President Jonathan insisted on seeing the Super Eagles, who were in the city that night of 11 June for their opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals against Argentina the following day.
President Jonathan was accompanied to the Protea Hotel Wanderers that night by Senate President David Mark, a number of governors, some ministers including Mr. Odein Ajumogobia and Professor Dora Akunyili, and Chief Mike Adenuga, among other very important personalities.
President Jonathan spoke kind words to the players and told them to go out there and defend the green-and-white. He said goodies awaited them of they give a good performance at the first World Cup finals on African soil. The President then handed them over the Senator David Mark, telling them that Senator Mark was leader of the Government Delegation to the championship.
The following day, at the Ellis Park, the Super Eagles lost 0-1 to Argentina but everyone agreed they gave a good performance and should they play the same way against Greece and Korea Republic, they would definitely pick up the three points in each match.
They did not. On June 17 (five days later) in Bloemfontein, the Eagles imploded after that mistake by Sani Kaita reduced the team to 10 men and we eventually lost 1-2, despite taking the lead. On June 22, we could only draw 2-2 with Korea Republic in Durban and were eliminated from the World Cup.
All these ran through my mind and I saw Senator David Mark off to his car. He was, like every Nigerian, not happy.
I went to the players’ dressing room but could not utter a word. My head was not clear. Had the match really ended, or something was playing a trick on me? Eventually, one had to come to terms with the situation: Nigeria had failed to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
A lot of ‘ifs’ came to my lips. If only Samson Siasia had fielded, from the very business-like Ikechukwu Uche and Ahmed Musa, who showed great understanding in the second half when they came in. If only Siasia had not removed Joel Obi who was marking very well in the midfield. If only the referee had not given up to six minutes time-added on. So many ifs. But at the end of the day, we cannot draw back the hand of the clock.
It is a very painful situation but we must look ahead. In looking ahead, we must address several matters around the Super Eagles. The Technical Committee has made some recommendations and the NFF Executive Committee would meet to look at these recommendations with a view to seeing which should be implemented immediately and which should be modified or implemented later on.
It is no massive consolation that the qualifying series for the 2013 African Cup of Nations will start in January 2012. It has been confirmed that the preliminary rounds will take place between January and February 2012. We will be involved, meaning that whatever we have to do to pave a better pathlane forward, we must do NOW.
It is also no consolation that some ‘big guns’ of African football like seven-time champions Egypt, four-time champions Cameroon and 1996 champions South Africa are also not going to be in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. That is not a good way to look at it. We should not celebrate failure by thinking that failure is good company.
We would have to look at things henceforth from fresh perspectives. Was the NFF right to give Samson Siasia unlimited free hand in team selection? Should the Technical Committee be playing a greater role in this, and should they even go as far as publicly questioning the Head Coach’s team lists?
Should the Head Coach see himself as being only answerable to some people in the Technical Committee and not to some others? Should the Head Coach of the Super Eagles assume total responsibility for managerial matters in the team?
The Head Coach should be a manager, no doubt, but there must be checks and balances. There must be institutional guides to ensure that he does not abuse his powers of ‘free hand’ in team selection, team tactics and strategy.
Watching the game against Ghana on Tuesday in London, you would wonder why our team did not play the same way against Guinea. Did they under-rate the Guineans? Surely, there was no reason for that because the Guineans were top of the same group and won our clash in Conakry a year earlier.
The passion, fervour and vibrancy shown against Ghana is what is recommended for the playing body as we go forward. Whoever gets the opportunity to wear the green-and-white must see himself as being privileged, indeed.
On returning to Abuja on Thursday, someone accosted me on why I had told the players in London that they played well against Guinea. Well, it was only meant to ginger them to a much-better performance against the Black Stars.
And I insist that those words were not wasted, given the output against the Black Stars. The Ghanaian team is buoyant in confidence and up there, having reached the quarter finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and looking towards the 2012 African Cup of Nations. Our boys created their own chances and defended with resolution and calm assurance.
On the balance, the Super Eagles have not done enough in the circumstances and while we have no time to pass blames, the group must purge itself. The Nigeria Football Federation gave all the support, provided all that the team asked for and even more.
Another issue that came up during the week was on Samson Siasia’s relationship with his players. I would however, disagreee with those who feel that he should not have insisted on discipline. He acted right, whether it was in the case of Osaze Odemwingie, or in the matter involving goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.
Discipline is key in running a group and we will continue to insist on this, perhaps even more, against the backdrop of what has happened. No single individual is bigger than this country. Anyone who has an opportunity to wear the green-and-white, or contribute in one way or the other to national issues (like those who work in the NFF) should always count himself/herself privileged.
Give us something to smile about…
I use this opportunity to call on Enyimba FC of Aba and Sunshine Stars of Akure to give Nigerians something to smile and rejoice about this weekend when both teams play in the semi finals of African club competitions.
Sunshine Stars are up against Club Africain of Tunisia in Ijebu-Ode and I reckon the club has perfected its strategies against a wily and streetwise North Africa side. Sunshine Stars must not only win, they must win well, in order to lessen the burden in the return match in Tunis. It would also be some sort of revenge for Nigeria after Club Africain stopped Kaduna United FC reaching the semi finals of the competition.
As for the People’s Elephant, they are much more experienced on the road and know what it takes to play in the semi finals of the CAF Champions League. They aim to overturn a one-goal deficit from the first leg against Wydad Casablanca of Morocco. And I believe they will do it.
Enyimba know they have $1.5 million to pick up should they overcome Wydad and win the final against Esperance or Al Hilal. Surely, they can go that far, with a ticket to the cash-spangled FIFA Club World Cup in Japan in December to boot.
NEXT WEEK: Fresh Perspectives (2)