Galadima:NFF, Keshi must unite for Eagles success in Brazil
As we continue with the countdown to Brazil 2014, how do you fancy the chances of the Super Eagles?My position on Eagles as regards the calibre of players we have is always consistent. We have a team with the requisite reputation and credentials. One is expecting the Eagles to do well no doubt about it […]
As we continue with the countdown to Brazil 2014, how do you fancy the chances of the Super Eagles?
My position on Eagles as regards the calibre of players we have is always consistent. We have a team with the requisite reputation and credentials. One is expecting the Eagles to do well no doubt about it but a lot of things must be in place for the team to succeed in Brazil. I am talking about the need for the football federation and the technical crew to work together. In this case, harmony is the key to success. In less than two months, we would be in Brazil for the FIFA World Cup. However, the stories that are daily coming out with regards to the relationship between keshi and the federation obviously make one feel quite sad and unhappy. By this time we should be strategising on how to do well.
There is much ado about Super Eagles provisional list for the World Cup. Is this coming to you as a surprise?
Nigeria has never been in short of players. Our problem has always been selection because a lot of pressure is always on the technical crew. And the question has always been how do we manage these boys?. The management of the players as it has to do with ticket refunds, travel arrangements, match bonuses and getting them released in time by their clubs is important. These are administrative issues to be sorted out in good time by the federation. More importantly, NFF should not impose players on Keshi. He should be given a long rope to hang himself. The coach should be given full free hand to select his players so that if anything goes wrong in Brazil, he would be held responsible.
Do you see any African country going beyond quarter-finals in Brazil?
Honestly, I do not have much information on the other African teams going to Brazil. I cannot vouch for their capabilities or otherwise of getting beyond the quarter final stages. My concern is if Nigeria goes on to win the world Cup, I will be very happy. I will be one of the happiest people on earth. So I cannot talk about the other teams. I do not know their weaknesses and strengths. However, I believe that any team that has qualified to be in Brazil is good enough to do well. Therefore, we should not write off the African teams.
As former chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association, what is your assessment of the present leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation?
This is a very difficult question because I am not in the picture of what goes on in the glass house. The last time I was in the glass house was in 2006. I have not been close to the place again. I only read what has been said in the media which may not be totally true of the position of things on ground. Be that as it may, I always said they deserve to be commended for the achievement we have seen especially in the year 2013. We have seen the Super Eagles win the Africa Nations Cup, won Bronze at CHAN 2014, qualify for World Cup, and also won the World U-17 trophy. All these are successes we can attribute to the NFF and the technical crews of the national teams. However, the NFF like any human organisation has it owns shortcomings. They have done well in the area of the physical achievements we have seen on ground but in terms of administration and so on they need to improve.
What would you say is responsible for the achievements recorded by the Maigari led NFF?
We should not forget that they have been privileged to have gotten so much funding from government which I had no opportunity of getting when I was there. So I think that has also helped greatly. However, I think what they need to do even though they have not sought my advice, is to try to see how they can convince the private sector to give more support to Nigerian football. Get more involved in funding football. The sector is willing to put money into football but some things got to be right in terms of accountability.
Election into the executive committee of the NFF will hold in August, do you think the present board deserves a second term?
I have no quarrels with continuity because I think it is something good. Since they have done quite well, it will certainly be in order if we see the same people running the affairs of football to correct some of the lapses noticed, if they will be willing to listen to those people who would be pointing out such shortcomings for them to correct.
If you are to suggest, what kind of Nigerians would you want to see on the next board of the NFF?
For now, I do not even have an idea of those who are contesting. We have just got the electoral committee inaugurated. We are yet to have an idea of the personalities that will come out to contest. So the issue of who becomes either the president or members of the federation is dependent on those who would aspire. So it is not yet time to begin to comment because you cannot judge what is not there. Maigari has not come out to say he is contesting. Nobody has come out to say I am contesting and the electoral committee has not come out with the electoral guidelines. It is only when the personalities indicate interest that you can put them on a scale and try to judge who is better among them. Certainly there are people who should see service to the nation more than their personal interest. People who should be willing to listen to advice, people who should be willing to approach those who they believe know something about the set up of the place to advise them on what to do, people who would be willing to listen to Nigerians and people who would be willing to humble themselves to say we are willing to learn. If you get people who are arrogant, people who would feel they know it all, it wouldn’t help.
In recent times, your comments on Nigerian sports have been few and far in between. Are you gradually withdrawing into your shell?
I have decided to keep quiet because I am not in position to change situations. Two, my views may be ‘irrelevant’. Let’s not forget that I came into football by accident. I was involved in Nigerian sports for over three decades before I got into football. So I don’t see myself being limited to football. Nigerian sports generally is my headache. I am disturbed about how it is administered in this country. So many things are wrong with sports administration in this country. We have to ask ourselves whether we are doing it right in sports. Even if I keep on repeating myself, even if nobody will listen, I will continue to say it. I feel Nigeria as a country should be making impact in sports more than we are making today.
From your wealth of experience, what would you say is the way forward?
I wish government would look into past reports of how sports should be run in this country. It is not because I was part of the committees that produced them but I know the quality of work put into these reports. Nobody has cared to look into these reports. Unfortunately, the present President was the vice President when the late Yar’ adua set up the presidential committee but I don’t think anybody has taken a look at that report up to this point in time. Secondly, there should be some collaboration between the executive and the National Assembly to discuss a way of getting money budgeted for sports programmes in good time to make room for early and adequate preparations. Most times we just go because we have to be there. People say Nigeria is too big to be absent so we go and come back just like that. Last time we were in London, even Afghanistan won a medal, Nigeria didn’t win even a bronze.
You are over 60 years. If given another opportunity, will you accept to serve your fatherland again?
There is a limit to how far I can go. I am getting older. Like I said as far back as1981, I was on the board of the National Sports Commission, NSC. That is 33 years back. Today I am not 33 years younger. I am 33 years older. So there will come a time when I may not be able to step out of my house not to talk of going out to offer advice. So as long as I live, I can continue to offer my advice in this manner as we are talking now. But I don’t think I have any energy to offer physical contributions to Nigerian sports. I can offer advice when it is sought. But in sports you don’t retire anyway. I can continue this talk even if nobody is listening. All they will say is Galadima is talking again.