Kano Pillars robbery attack and the need for change

Presently, some of Nigeria’s most talented footballers are lying on hospital beds and asking the question, “how did this happen?” Well, the truth is, it happened because we have never respected or taken the domestic game seriously in this country despite all the noise from the Nigeria Football Federation and the League Management Company. Or […]

Presently, some of Nigeria’s most talented footballers are lying on hospital beds and asking the question, “how did this happen?” Well, the truth is, it happened because we have never respected or taken the domestic game seriously in this country despite all the noise from the Nigeria Football Federation and the League Management Company. Or how could one explain why rules wouldn’t be set regarding travels, mandating all clubs to fly for long trips for matches.
 Apart from securing the players from the kind of nightmare witnessed by Pillars players it will also go a long way to enhance the quality of play, as Eagles and Warri Wolves defender Azubuike Egwuekwe said few a weeks ago that long travels by road to honour matches is inimical to the growth of the league in the country.
The former Nasarawa United player, as if with a premonition of what was about to happen to “Masu Gida”  called on club owners to as from this season avail their players and staff the opportunity to fly for long distance matches in order to improve security and performance on the pitch.
“My brother, you can imagine travelling 8 to 10 hours to play a match that is to be played the following day, it will definitely affect performance not to talk of the insecurities in the land, so I want to call on Nigerian club owners to please allow their players to fly for long distance matches as from this season, it will go a long way to upgrade our league” the player said.
Incidents like this have killed or destroyed careers of promising players in the past, I can still vividly recall how in 1995 former youth international and younger brother of former Super Eagles winger, Finidi George, Igeniwari George, who was then a player with Rangers International of Enugu, was shot in a similar scenario to the pillars attack after an FA Cup game against Stationery Stores and later died from the gunshot injury. He was a member of the Golden Eaglets team to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Ecuador that same year and had showed promise of either reaching the enviable height of his illustrious brother or eclipsing him but that dream was cut short and Nigerian football was denied an amazing player.
I still haven’t seen any statements regarding Thursday’s incident from the sports ministry who I expect to lead the fight on behalf of these poor players who aren’t given any choice on travelling matters.
 I pray for quick recovery for the affected players and staff of Kano Pillars Football Club especially gifted player Gambo Mohammed who was said to have suffered more of the brunt of the incident after being shot twice by the robbers.