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.