Why my son will switch from England to super Eagles – Iorfa
Why are clubs owners vehemently opposed to the registration of the League Management Company by the Nduka Irabor led LMC?We are not totally against registration of a company. If a company comes and want to run the league, we may have no problem with that but as key stakeholders, we want to be taken along […]
Why are clubs owners vehemently opposed to the registration of the League Management Company by the Nduka Irabor led LMC?
We are not totally against registration of a company. If a company comes and want to run the league, we may have no problem with that but as key stakeholders, we want to be taken along because by virtue of our appointments as chairmen and managers of the clubs, we are the owners of the league. The committee was sworn in as Interim league management committee to run the 2012/2013 season and try to remedy the lingering problems of the league. It is on record that we had problems with Chief Oyuiki Obaseki, Mr. Davidson Owumni and Chief Rumson Baribote. This shows something is fundamentally wrong and we expected the LMC to address the issues by asking the relevant questions and proffering the right solutions. What has just happened shows that if you come and you are not ready to be a solution to the existing problems, you will be on your own. They came and registered a company without telling us. We want to let them know that if they want to have a company they must make us part of it. For the first time the 20 clubs came together to let the committee know that we are in charge and we are in control. We told them in clear terms that we are not going to accept that company. If they are going to have another company, we must decide what is will be and we shall give it a name. They actually went beyond the mandate given to them by the NFF.
But most people believe the club chairmen do not like the face of Nduka Irabor and that is part of the reasons for the fight that has ensued.
We have nothing against him. All we are saying is that we don’t want this very company. If there is going to be a company we want to know why the company and what and what are the benefits for the clubs from the company. You see you cannot just go and register a company and allocate shares to yourself without the consent of the clubs and when asked, you said you are holding such shares for the clubs. You cannot hold somebody’s shares without telling him what you are holding. The shares are for what and you are holding forth without explaining to the person why you are holding forth.
Are you satisfied with the mediatory role played by the Nigeria Football Federation?
Yes, because for the first time the NFF in the meeting told the committee that they have been given them the mandate look into the league but the 20 Premier League are the owners of the league and must be taken along. The NFF president told them in clear terms that we are the stakeholders and whatever they are doing they must agree with us before they go ahead with whatever they want to do. It was very very clear and let me say for the first time the football house is trying to let people know that without the chairmen and managers football cannot exist in this country.
Against all expectations, your team lost scandalously to Liga Muculmana of Mozambique 7-1 to exit the CAF Confederation Cup. How disappointed were you by the early elimination?
When you lose a match and you keep talking about it, it appears as if you are giving excuses. I do not have much to say because the match has come and gone. Whatever explanation I make, people will not believe me. But what I want to let my critics to know is that we got that continental ticket on merit and we are going to get it again at the end of the current season. Last season we proved that we are one of the best teams in the country. Even in the ongoing season, we are not doing badly. We have played nine matches in the league and we have 29 matches to go. I want to let you know that teams have got beaten. When you lose a match, people who did not watch it can say a lot of things. So I have put behind me the elimination and I want to concentrate on what I have at hand now.
After your team lost 7-1 to Liga Muculmana, a prominent Benue State coach and former handler of Lobi Stars, coach Justin Tenger was reported as saying you and NFF had brought shame to Nigerian football. How do you react to his criticism?
Well I am vice-chairman and CEO of a club and I don’t have issues with coaches. I am doing this coaching job because I like doing it. I did it last year and the result was good so I want to continue. I have coaches on ground. I have John Zaki, I have Coach Jupiter, I have Barnabas Imenger and Sam Addingi. But people feel I have taken their job. I have not taken anybody’s job. I am only using my wealth of experience as an ex-international player who has seen action at the highest level to guide the coaches in doing what is right for the needed results. And one thing is that Teneger is from Benue state. He was my team mate, he is older than me and for him to make comments that the NFF and I are destroying the Nigerian league is very ridiculous. Because since I have been in the league, he has never finished ahead of Lobi Stars, not for even one season. Even when he was with kwara United, Wikki Tourists, Gombe United, and Niger Tornadoes, we continued to finish ahead of his clubs. Moreover, he has not been in the continent with any of the clubs he has coached. I have been in the continent five times with Lobi Stars. At the end of the day, if he is criticising me that I brought disgrace to the country, he should know that teams, including his own are beaten by other teams. I did not get there by luck. It was my performance. Why didn’t he get his own ticket and play in the continent?. Even this year, I am going to finish the league ahead of him. I do not want to have issues with him but I want him to know that I employ coaches and if he is looking for job, he should come to me instead of attacking me on the pages of newspapers.
You have been accused of running a one man show as far as Lobi Stars is concerned. Do you run a one man show as alleged?
When people say I don’t take the indigenes along it baffles me because there is no Tiv coach that I have not worked with. I have worked with more than six or seven of them. Most of them including Uwua and Tenger, left me on their own because when I wanted them to do the right thing but they refused. They said I am hard and left on their own. But at the end of the day, I am enjoying myself so I don’t worry about things that can only distract me. Tenger should concentrate on Akwa United which he is coaching right now.
Your son, Dominic Iorfa junior has just won the Best Academy Player award in England. How excited are you with this achievement?
I am very very happy with his progress. You know he played for England U-18 and he is only 17. Last week he was given the Academy Player of the year in England. This is the award that Wayne Rooney, David Beckham and some of the stars in England had won. So if my son can have such an award, as a young player of the year, I should be happy. He is playing for the reserve team of Wolverhampton which is the U-21 and we cannot ask for more considering his age. I am happy with his progress and by God’s grace when the time comes, he will come and play for his country. As his father, Nigeria made me what I am and I would like my son to pay back by playing for this great country. I want him to contribute to the growth of football in the country at the right time. Playing for the junior team of England will not stop him from playing for the Super Eagles. I want him to play for the junior teams of England because at this stage of his career, it is better for him in England. I want him to get more experience and professionalism.
In case he ends up having a different plan, will you insist he plays for Nigeria?
No no! no! he won’t refuse to play for Nigeria. He loves this country and every time Nigeria is playing, he is always watching. He is passionate about this country. He knows his father loves Nigeria and he will follow in my footsteps.