NFF promises positive turn-around for Nigeria football

Speaking in Abuja, General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu said it was regrettable that the U-23 Men’s Team failed to make the semi finals of the CAF U-23 Championship in Morocco, despite a 4-1 whiplash of Algeria in its last match of the group phase. “The really left it late, but then, not many people would […]

Speaking in Abuja, General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu said it was regrettable that the U-23 Men’s Team failed to make the semi finals of the CAF U-23 Championship in Morocco, despite a 4-1 whiplash of Algeria in its last match of the group phase.

“The really left it late, but then, not many people would have expected Senegal to defeat Morocco. That is football, and even as we are pained by it, we have to concentrate on the measures we are putting in place to ensure that things get better for Nigerian football at home and at international level.

“It is sad we would not be presenting a team at the London 2012 Olympics, and the NFF remains shocked at the U-23 Team’s outing in Morocco”, said Amadu.

The NFF scribe however urged analysts and commentators to stay within the ambit of facts in this critical period, even as the NFF welcomes constructive criticisms and ideas that will help move the Nigeria game forward.

“I keep saying it: It is painful that we would not be at the African Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games. But it is turning facts on its head for someone to say that in the Year 2011, Nigeria did not win anything or qualify for anything.

“In May this year, in South Africa, our U-20 Team won the African Youth Championship. By that victory, the team qualified to play at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia, where it reached the quarter finals before losing to France after extra time.

“That same team set a new record for an African team at the competition, winning four consecutive matches. The team also, remarkably, won the tournament’s FIFA Fair-Play Trophy.

“In Casablanca in June, our Beach Soccer Team won silver medal at the African Beach Soccer Championship, thereby qualifying to play in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Italy. At the World Cup in Italy, the Nigeria team lost in the quarter finals to four-time world champions Brazil only after extra time. The Supersand Eagles also won the FIFA Fair-Play Trophy at that championship. We should also not forget that the Super Falcons participated credibly at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany, winning their first match at the finals for the first time since 1999”, explained Amadu.