SAVE THE NWFL

Super Falcons: Africa's Best

On Tuesday, my timeline on twitter was flooded with the hashtag #savetheNWFL (Nigeria Women Football League in case you are wondering).A brilliant way to highlight the deficiencies that had stalled the growth of the league in Nigeria. As much as the women national team, the super falcons has won the Africa Women championship a record of 9 times, appeared in the Olympic games and 7 times in the world cup, the state of the league has been in shambles. Loads of teams are viable, they can t pay salaries of pay salaries of their players and then honouring matches is even out of the questions. Most of the clubs are government owned and the economic crunch makes it almost impossible to properly fund the clubs. Even the ones owned by private individuals look more concerned about how to make money out of selling their best players than really providing for the club.

The major reason we are where we are is simple: a lack of funds. A lot of my female colleagues and even administrations I have spoken to have called for an independent body to run to  women’s  league just like the league management company does for the male counterpart. And the belief is that the independent body to run to the women’s league. But here’s the hard truth: the LMC came into existence in the first place because there was no money in the league and not the other way round. Don’t get me wrong, the

Women Teams In Action

LMC has in the last couple of years helped in expanding the scope of the men’s league financially culminating of course with Tuesday’s signing of an MOU with the Spanish La-Liga . But the independent management company set up by the Nigeria football Federation which metamorphosed into the LMC was set up in the first place as a result of imbroglio on how to deal with sponsorship funds from former sponsors, Globacom. So in essence, it might be a bit of an illusion to just think an independent body will help attract funds or sponsorship to the league.

But an independent body sure look like it is needed to properly structure the women league. A situation where the club owners say one thing and do another doesn’t bode well for the development of the league. Last week, the congress of the NWFL took place and certain teams who were supposed to be relegated have now been brought back to be part of a new league season. Some teams are already crying foul and saying this is anomaly. Question then, is how do you expect would-be sponsors to take you serious when there is a serious organizational problem?

More so, it’s time to start the hard question. Reportedly, FIFA gives 1 million dollars t its members associations yearly since 2000. About 10 percent of that fund is supposed to be women football development, this is 2016, and so simple arithmetic suggests 1.6 million dollars should have been sunk into women football development. The state of

Dejected Faces? 

women football in the country doesn’t look like one that has had 1.6 million dollars injected into it. I’ve seen a lot of women journalists come out on social media to vent their anger. Some have even accused their male counterparts of not doing enough for women game almost turning it into a feminism war. Point is this ain't a gender battle. It’s time all of us, women journalist included, ask the hard truth about where the supposed grant for women football development goes to.

It’s high time we all did what is right and like Tuesdays hashtag #SaveTheNWFL.

-This piece first appeared as a column Sixth Sense on Port Harcourt based newspaper Independent Monitor on Thursday April 28th 2016.

CREDITS

Super Falcons Pic courtesy www.olisa.tv

Women In Action Pic courtesy www.allnigeriasoccer.com

Dejected Look Pic courtesy www.nairaland.com

Rivers United, Reconciliation and Matters Arising

First of all, my sincere apologies for not bringing you Sixth Sense last week. I was help up on a hospital bed treating Typhoid and Ulcer. Ordinarily, it shouldn’t have mattered because I already had something penned down. But I guess the illness took it toll on me as I only remembered on Thursday (last week) morning that I had not sent in the column to my editor. Once again, apologies for this.

Rivers United: Going Higher

This week, I have a lot on my mind to talk about. So I’d just run through some of these major issues. First off, let’s talk Rivers United. A couple of weeks ago, I asked on this page if Rivers United is a Dolphins’Re-incarnate. The team had at the time not been able to get a point away from home in the Nigeria Professional Football League; their home form was patchy even if they were winning games; and the manager Stanley Eguma was sounding exactly how he’s always been in the last three years with loads of excuses. Fast forward weeks later, and the story is totally different. Maybe it is the ultimatum given to the team by the sponsors of the club, the rivers State government. Maybe it’s the coach turning around the fortunes. But having lost twice since the ultimatum (technically once against Heartlands as the game against Go Round in the Rivers FA Cup final ended in a draw after 90 minutes); getting an away win in between against Ikorodu United; and sitting comfortably in the top 4 on the table; one can only say kudos to the Rivers United players, coaches and management. It’s the hope of every Rivers State football fan that this progress transcends to a trophy at the end of the season or at least a continental ticket.

NFF AND RECONCILIATION

NFF: What Manner of Reconciliation?

Nigeria’s sports minister Solomon Dalung has inaugurated a Reconciliation Committee to resolve the protracted issues between the Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Chris Giwa camp. I wouldn’t want to get into the details as to how we got here. I guess this is already public knowledge for most football followers. My pain however is the fact that most if not all of these sports administrators angling for the position of the NFF are not doing so because they want to offer solutions to the problems of the country’s football. It’s about the financial gains, the estacodes and every other benefit the office brings. Nigeria has failed to make the last Africa Cup of Nations and won’t be in Gabon next year but instead of these administrators to look at ways to avoid missing out on the next World Cup, they are busy fighting over the soul of the NFF.

What does the Reconciliation Committee aim to achieve? Why is Chris Giwa laying claims to an office when his election hasn’t been recognized by FIFA and his plan to get justice at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) rejected?

On the other hand, is the NFF bigger than the laws of the land? Why is that till now the laws of the land only recognize Nigeria Football Association and yet the football house operates as NFF? Why has it been so difficult for the National Assembly to take a holistic look at the laws setting up football administration in the country? Should government not have a say when it is the major sponsor of the NFF?

The answers to these questions might vary but I honestly believe if we want to move football forward in this country, then we need to answer them critically even as we await the outcome of the Reconciliation Committee.

AFRICAN FOOTBALL STILL BACKWARD

Enyimba Players Celebrating

As you read this, Nigeria’s sole representative would have either made it to the group stages of the CAF Champions League or get knocked out. On the eve of the game in Sousse, Tunisia, loads of unpleasant stories have emerged especially from the Enyimba camp. According to the club’s official handle, the bus provided for the team was recalled by Tunisian officials and Enyimba players had to board taxis to training. More so, some angry Etoile fans were pictured throwing stones at Enyimba players as they trained in preparation for the game. It’s very easy to call this act by the Tunisians outrageous but then, do they have a genuine reason for this act? I didn’t see the first leg of the game in Port Harcourt but several independent reports I gathered suggested that officiating was a little biased in favour of the home side. And with the huge presence of Tunisian journalists who covered the first leg, I gather their reports back home suggested as much. Could that be the reason for the harsh treatment meted out to Enyimba? Truth of the matter is that CAF needs to find a way to curb all of these anomalies if it wants to favourably with UEFA competitions. A situation where home teams would use intimidation and other under-hand tactics to win games at all cost doesn’t bode well for CAF. The time to act is now.

PS

Enyimba won the game 4:3 on penalties despite a 3:0 loss in the return leg. The penalty shoot-outs were really nail-biting. But worryingly, reports of intimidation in the stadium left a lot to be desired. Head of the club’s media Farriel Alaputa tweeted after the game about how hostile the fans were. Throwing of missiles at Enyimba’s bench; using lasers to distabilise the team during the game and fans blocking the team’s convoy on way out just doesn’t bode well for CAF and we want the competition to rival the UEFA Champions League? 

CREDIT

Rivers United pic courtesy goal.com

NFF pic courtesy vangaurdngr.com

Enyimba pic courtesy dailypost.ng

2017 AFCON: Why We Failed (2)

Last week, I wrote about the issues I felt led us to where we are as the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). I gave details how the ineffective leadership of the Amaju Pinnick led NFF and the erstwhile Super Eagles manager Sunday Oliseh were largely responsible for  our ouster. Today, I will dwell on the final reason which for me is coaching.I am going to restrict my discussion here to two of Nigeria’s last three coaches Stephen Keshi and Sunday Oliseh.

During the early 1990’s, Garba Lawal’s inclusion in the national team always polarised fans. Many were of the opinion that the Kaduna born midfielder was only included to ensure that a Northern player made the team. It took a long time for fans to come to terms with what the former Julius Berger star offered to the team. If Lawal’s inclusion was one of the few exceptions that polarised fans, Stephen Keshi took invitations for the Super Eagles to a totally ridiculous level.

Keshi: Some Questionable Invitees 

Loads of accusations were leveled against Keshi whenever the Super Eagles team list was released and deservedly so. For every game the Super Eagles had to play, there was always one strange name that got a lot of fans going, “who’s he”? From Joe Omale who plays for Dekina Dragons, Anderson Esiti, Youth Corp member Stephen Morah, Pata Idris and  Michael Uchebo (popularly known as Flavour owing to him looking like the Nigerian musician); Nigerians were at one point or the other treated to very curious invitations.  A journalist friend told me how in Benin, one player based in Nigeria rained curses at Keshi after the coach reportedly collected cash from the said player but didn’t give him the alleged promised invitation. Keshi’s cup ran out its course when he finally invited one Gabriel Okechukwu – an academy player based in Abuja and reportedly gave him the Number 10 jersey for a crucial World Cup qualifier against Chad. The Nigeria Football Federation cited Okechukwu’s invitation as one of the reasons Keshi was fired.

Sunday Oliseh came in with a breath of fresh air- at least that’s what most of us thought. We thought the era of such ridiculous invitations to the Super Eagles was over; but apparently, it wasn’t. For the crucial AFCON qualifier against Tanzania, Sunday Oliseh released a list of 18 foreign based players to prosecute the game with two curious names: Sylvester Igboun of FC UFA and Izunna Erners Uzochukwu of FC Amkar Perm, both in Russia. Curiously, both players have same agent – Churchill Oliseh, the elder brother of the coach. While there is nothing wrong in inviting these

Oliseh: Guilty Too?

players IF they are good enough, the fact neither were really having great club careers which made their invitation inevitable, left a lot to be desired. Such invitations that looked like some underhand dealings were done plus allegations of interference from members of the Technical Committee of the NFF who were alleged to always tell coaches who needs to be invited and who shouldn’t, in a way contributed to Nigeria’s ouster.

Presently, the NFF is looking to go the foreign route. NFF President Amaku Pinnick hasn’t hidden his love for a foreign manager (or is it his disdain for local coaches?). On Tuesday, a meeting was held between the NFF and the Sports Minister Solomon Dalong where this issue was discussed. As I write this, reports suggest that the minister has given conditions which would enable the appointment of the foreign manager. Truth of the matter is, it doesn’t matter the colour of the coach. I am not against appointing a foreign manager if he is competent. But Nigeria’s problem is more of a system failure administratively and less of coaching abilities. Yes, I have highlighted some misdemeanor from our coaches which I think led to our failure to qualify for the 2017 AFCON, but members of Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation need to sit down and tell each other the hard truth: a faulty system can’t be washed away by a foreign manager.

CONGRATULATIONS GO ROUND                  

Felix Obuah Celebrating With Players

For the first time since 1999, a club other than Sharks or Dolphins was crowned Rivers Federation Cup champions after National League side Go Round got a pulsating 4:2 penalty shoot-out win over Premier League side Rivers United. The game was largely drab up until the 90^th minute when Isreal Daniel thought he had given Rivers United the winner. But a goal-keeping blunder ensured Go Round scored an equaliser a minute later. The Drama continued 4 minutes into additional time when Rivers United were awarded a penalty. Up stepped former Go Round player and Rivers United captain on the day Chinwendu Ali who missed from 6 yards. Rivers United went on to miss the first two kicks in the ensuing penalty shoot-outs as the Felix Obuah owned club ran out winners.

With a promise of 20 million naira dangling before them just before the kick off, it wasn’t a surprise to see the wild celebrations from the Go Round players after the final whistle. I guess congratulations are in order to the team. More so, a special mention to the proprietor, Felix Obuah. We want more of private individuals like him investing in sports. 


CREDITS
Pic of Keshi courtesy completesports.com
Pic of Oliseh courtesy goal.com
Pic of Felix Obuah courtesy @Ikwerreman

This piece first appeared on Thursday April 7th as a column, Sixth Sense, for Port Harcourt based newspaper Independent Monitor.