Thank You, Mr. President

I have been a football administrator for several decades and I cannot readily remember a situation where a sitting President of the nation attended the training session (not international match) of the Super Eagles, or any of the National Teams for that matter. The last I heard of such was when then military Head of […]

I have been a football administrator for several decades and I cannot readily remember a situation where a sitting President of the nation attended the training session (not international match) of the Super Eagles, or any of the National Teams for that matter. The last I heard of such was when then military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon attended the training of then Green Eagles before the 2nd All-Africa Games that Nigeria hosted and won the football gold medal in 1973.

There has never been any doubt that Mr. President, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) is a lover of Nigeria football, nay sports. I remember very well how Mr. President has come to the aid of the National Teams to inspire, motivate and delight with kind wordsand gestures.

Even before becoming the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan would come to the National Stadium Complex to watch important matches of the Super Eagles, as Vice President. When we hosted the Presidential Inauguration match between Super Eagles and the Mena of Niger in May 2007, to commemorate the coming of the Musa Yar’Adua/Jonathan presidency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was there.

When we hosted the Draw Ceremony of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja to commence the serious business of hosting that competition, Dr. Jonathan, as Vice President, was there.

When the Super Eagles qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, President Goodluck Jonathan was at the Send Forth Dinner held for the team at the NICON Hilton Hotel, Abuja, and spoke glowingly of the team and the technical crew, urging them to go to South Africa to do the country proud.

In South Africa, President Jonathan was at the Super Eagles’ hotel to inspire the players, on the eve of their first match of the FIFA World Cup against Argentina. It was a busy, gruelling Opening Ceremony day in which he had to, alongside a number of other Heads of State, watch so many events including the opening match between South Africa and Mexico, yet a fatigued but willing President Jonathan turned up at the Protea Hotel Wanderers of the Super Eagles in Sandton, outside Johannesburg, to urge the team to ‘fire’ against Argentina.

It was a momentous night. In company with Senate President, Distinguished Senator David Mark and a number of governors, ministers, senators and captains of industry, President Jonathan spoke kind words of motivation and then pledged, on behalf of Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr, the sum of $1 Million for the team if it defeated Argentina.

The Super Eagles did not beat Argentina, but every Nigerian has excellent memories of that match. Our boys gave their all, and stood up to the Argentines despite going down after only six minutes. They tried to punch above their weight and had some moments gone their way, Argentina would have fallen by the way side.

I also remember how, as a listening President and a father, how President Jonathan magnanimously restored our country back to international football after that World Cup, after listening to the cries of the youth and those who cared about the Nigeria game.

I have enumerated the above in order that Nigerians will properly situate the visit of Mr. President to the training session of the Super Eagles on Wednesday, 5th September, as well as His Excellency’s magnificent gesture to host the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, alongside the victorious Paralympians at the State House, today.

Ordinarily, lesser thinkers would have suggested that there was nothing to celebrate in the outing of the Falconets. The Class of 2010 won the silver medal, after losing the final match to a superior German team that was hosting. The NFF had prepared the new Falconets to go to Japan and lift the trophy. But that was not to be.

Perhaps, Mr. President read the encouraging words of Mr. Blatter (President of FIFA), who said the Falconets performed well and should be kept together to form the next set of Super Falcons. There are Nigerians who condemned the team, but we are glad that Mr. President realized the efforts that the girls put into the competition and decided to host them to a presidential reception.

Now, to the Super Eagles. When Mr. President came to the training session of the Super Eagles, he came with full compliments. Hardly do you see the President and Vice President at the same occasion outside the State House. But Mr. President came with Mr. Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo (GCON), who is also a football lover and was at the National Stadium when the Super Eagles famously defeated Argentina in a friendly match in June 2011.

There were also the Honourable Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi (an energetic, brilliant gentleman), the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed and the Minister of Finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State (Chairman of the Governors’ Forum) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Super Eagles’ 2010 World Cup Qualification, was also there.

It is somewhat disappointing that despite Mr. President and other distinguished dignitaries’ presence at training session and their very kind words, the Super Eagles failed to win in Monrovia.

I am not really keen to delve into what transpired in Monrovia or to apportion blames for the draw. Certainly, a win would have been much better than the draw. And at a time, I thought we had the match in hand to win.

The match ended in 2-2 draw and that has gone. The only thing we can do now is to plan, work hard and ensure that we take no prisoners in the return leg in Calabar on 13th October.

Everything that the team needs to excel and take Nigeria back to the African Cup of Nations will be provided and I have the word of Coach Stephen Keshi that his wards will not disappoint.

Permit me to also congratulate the Golden Eaglets for a marvelous outing against their Nigerien counterparts in Niamey on Saturday, during which they pounded their hosts 4-1 to underscore their seriousness to take Nigeria back to the African U-17 Championship.

Having missed the competition twice in a row, our country MUST qualify for the finals in Morocco next year, and I am happy the Eaglets and their crew, headed by Manu Garba (MFR) understands this.

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