Once Africa’s number one ranked football country, Nigeria has plummeted so badly in recent times, no thanks to the current Nigeria Football Federation led by Amaju Pinnick
The present board of the Nigeria Football Federation, led by its president, Amaju Pinnick, was first elected to office in September 2014. On 20 September 2018, Pinnick was re-elected as the NFF President. He was also the First Vice President of Confederation of African Football (CAF) between September 2018 and July 2019, and a member of the Organising Committee for FIFA competitions. Thus growing his personal popularity but has failed to translate that to the growth of Nigerian football, as the game has steadily declined due to poor running of football affairs by this board.
The climax of all the calamities is Nigeria's failure to qualify for the FIFA world cup in Qatar 2022. A bitter pill which many can not emerging. In fact soccer fans who thronged the 60,000 thousand capacity stadium in Abuja did the unthinkable by destroying facilities there.
You can't blame them entirely because some of the fans were there for more than 5 hours before kickoff just to watch the super eagles only to be disappointed.
When this current NFF board were elected for the first time in 2014, Nigeria was ranked 37 in the world, just few months after a Round of 16 finish by the Super Eagles at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But ever since, the Eagles, who have failed to qualify for two Africa Cup of Nations (2015 and 2017), And managed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. And the 2019 AFCON. Were they manage to come 3rd. But till now are still celebrating that 3rd position as if we have never won the cup. To the point of asking to keep Rohr as life coach.
The fall of the Eagles and the general decay in Nigerian football has been deduced to several blunders committed by the football body under the leadership of Amaju Pinnick some of these are:
1. No blue print for the development of the game on the home front.
Whereas FIFA have always advocated for the local development of the game in the native countries of affiliate members and even gone ahead to periodically give grant to that effect.
The Amaju Pinnick led board from inception till date do not have any plan to develop football in Nigeria. Rather we always see Amaju Pinnick travelling to Europe to convinced young stars with Nigerian descent to come play for Nigeria.
2. Inability to produced local players for the national team
In the past Nigeria league was the bedrock of the national team. But today the league under Amaju is so degraded that not a single player is seen fit to even smell the camp of the national team.
Whereas in the past players like Finidi George, Omokachi, Vincent Enyeama from Enyimba featured prominently in the super eagles.
As at the last count Sunday Mba from ifreanyi Uba FC scored the winning goal for Nigeria to win AFCON under Keshi.
3 The deterioration of the Nigeria Premiere League
The Nigeria league itself under this NFF has even deteriorated so badly that our league doesn't have a calendar.
The league resumes anytime and to end they have to do abridged or just choose anybody to represent Nigeria in CAF champions league.
In the past the league use to attract lots of foreigners especially Africans from Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast etc.
But today our League is in shambles. Every player is running out even to Benn republic.
4.Lack of transparency in the administration of football
In the past before a coach is appointed the position is announced and interested parties apply for it. But under Amaju how Genot Rohr became Nigeria's coach is a mystery. And worse off is to know that he can't be sacked due to a bogus clues in his contract is very annoying. And while stake holders are calling for the removal of Rohr. The NFF is already plotting to replace him with someone who on paper is even worse than Rohr. What has happen to allowing competent coaches applying for the job whether local or foreign?
5 The dwindling future on the super falcon's
The super falcon's in the past reigned supreme in Africa. Produce players year after year and winning almost all the editions of the women AFCON. But instead of this present NFF to improve our rating by making the falcons a force outside Africa. We have today became a shadow of ourselves.
I) back to back elimination from qualifying for the Olympics in 2016 and Tokyo 2020
ii) losing to South Africa in competitive game for the first time
Before now South Africa has never won a game against Nigeria but today not only that they won, they did it in style here in Lagos
iii) the female league like the male's can no longer produce players for the national team. That is why we now over rely on few tired legs and even scouting for Nigeria descents to come home and play
What has happen to our female football? The league is no where the players we produce the likes of mercy akide, perpetual Nkwacha, Cynthia Uwak etc were not born in England or USA. They all started from Nigeria
Why does Amaju led NFF killing football in Nigeria.
iv) the just concluded women CAF champions league everyone expected Nigeria's representative Rivers Angels to sweep it. But alas they were knocked out. Am not surprise South Africa organized their women league like their men and the result.. They won.
Gone are the day you wake up and defeat other teams. They are catching up.
And we without a league sent a match rusty team to conquer Africa. It doesn't work that way
The super eagles are no longer super.
In the past the super eagles game wasa delight were we look forward to how many goals will be scored not just the winning. The team was feared by Brazil, Italy, Argentina etc. But today even in Africa we can hold our own. The likes of Sierra Leone can come here to play 4 - 4 and we will be celebrating a drew with Cape Verde. Not just that the team scramble to stay afloat the team likes pattern and ambitions.
6. Building the national team with "Ajebos" instead of home grown talents
I have no problem with players born abroad with Nigerian heritage seeking to play for Nigeria. But my problem is we now "import" so many ajebos to down the super eagles Jersey so much that ALL our home grown players are regarded as second class.
Imaging what happened in the game against Ghana were we have players that are ready to die wearing the green white green yet they preferred and featured player born in England to play when they have never played in the heat of Africa.
Why would they be fagged out. When they don't even know that a world cup ticket is at stack .any way they came to receive their first cap amaju promised them
7. Amaju criss crossing Europe to look for Nigerian born player.
Even notable ex international have seriously questioned why amaju is now doing the job of the coach. He is the one always travelling from England to Germany etc to talk to any one who says he has Nigerian parents. Amaju will visit and talked to to play in Nigeria.
Its even embarrassing when they have to turned down the entire nation Tammy Abraham comes to mind.
Whereas there a so many shinning stars in the NPFL the NFF have NEVER visited or taken time to look at their progress
Having seen Nigeria win Olympics at Atalanta and reached the secvond round of the world cup before.
The next NFF board should take us higher.
If South Africa can look inwards then we can do better because we have the natural talent. And see what Senegal and even Cameroon is doing with local content then Nigeria can do better.
All our league and football needs is better organization. Aka packaging And we can stack a claim come 2023 AFCON in Ivory coast.
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