By Daily Sports on October 23, 2017

It is on record that this column has been one of the most critical on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Federal Government over their support for the Supper Eagles and their quest to be among the countries that would fly their country’s flags at the finals of the most prestigious single sport and largest gathering of fans in the globe, the World Cup.

Truth is that it has become a way of life amongst fans all over the world to glue to their television sets if they cannot watch live to cheer their teams and players to victory. It is instructive to note that fans go to the stadium to watch and cheer how goals are scored and not how tactical or technical teams are.

Fans cheer and cheer when goals are scored, whether it is fluke or textbook they care less rather the kind of goal instantly form part and parcel of arguments and counter arguments among the fans thereby creating another fertile traditional hallmark of the most beautiful money spinning game of life. Each World Cup year, the atmosphere and  fever that envelopes fans, bookmakers, commentators and sundry goes to say how important this game has become, producing millionaires.

Aside from being the most viable of all the sports, it also plays a unifying factor role among countries and fans. It is often used as external and internal public relations tool by countries to announce themselves as being in the fore front of raising their various youths and young ones through football. Football has become a way of life no matter the angle from where you look at it.

The above narrative was deliberately delved into so as to walk you, dear reader into our discussion for this week. Fact is that countries that have picked tickets to Russia are already or almost done with their solid roadmap or programmes that would serve as guide for the mundial. Here we are still penciling down new players that will feature in the tournament.

The other day the team’s technical adviser, Gornot Rohr expressed fears that the bonus row that engulfed the team in Brazil 2014 World Cup tournament may likely rear its ugly head in Russia if concrete and realistic steps are not taken to nip it in the bud. According to him, the earlier such burning issues that have dragged the intended high performance of the team to tatters are amicably resolved the better for the full concentration of the team to strictly abide by the dictates of the championship they came for and the task level it also  set for itself.

This remains an alarm bell because what happened in Brazil, which led the team to boycott some of their training sessions ahead of serious games placed the country’s image in grave danger till date as it is still being used as reference of bad and outdated way of administration. It brought such shame despite lots of dollars in their kitty. We are all aware now unlike when it was shrouded in secrecy that FIFA releases huge sums of money in dollars to teams that qualify for its competitions for effective preparations. Thank God Aiteo Oil is sponsoring NFF. There won’t be any room for their usual dirty maneuvers. What Nigeria went through that era is better imaged than described whereby such hefty sum of dollars were cornered and shared by the very few in NFA/NFF and Sports Ministry big wigs. Yet, the Federal Government budgets much money for World Cup participation by the Eagles.

The Franco-German technical hand knows where the disagreement that would kill the enthusiasm of the team lies and he quickly brought it to the fore so that critical searchlight would be beamed on the recurring decimal which usually leads Nigeria to either losing out before the group stages or not going beyond the round of 16. This time, Rohr insists the Eagles could make a difference if all these avoidable spaces are well managed and lopeholes effectively blocked before and during the World Cup summit.

We totally supported Rohr. Except US 1994, our maiden World Cup appearance, gracefully, I was there, where no bonus controversy came up. But from France 1998 till the last one in 2014, it has been the same sing song and that is what the team’s supremo pointed out well ahead so that whatever would derail the team he has so far built to this level would be resolved. To objective observers and keen followers of Nigerian national team, Rohr’s timely master stroke hit the target or roof. He does not talk on drop of hat rather he want that wrong step to kick him on the face. It is not always one pleasant one to witness. I did in France 1998 and it tore the team to pieces and so on and so forth.

That scenario has been our biggest fears so far as FIFA World Cup champ is concern. Rohr’s recipe calls for proper concern if Nigeria will not just again make the trip to add up to the number of teams, methinks that going to our sixth World Cup would bring a reasonable finishing to our football table which will count us worthy among teams.

My greatest worry is the insincerity of NFF in the whole issue at stake. The football body has not been up and doing in that regard and even sadly, it has often performed below expectations. The  NFA/NFF has remained a clog in the wheel ofNigeria’s progress in World Cup over these years. The players have learnt their silly tricks and vowed never to let go hence some of them mostly the senior ones have at one period or the other been tagged rebels and all. These people insisted on getting their fair share of FIFA big dollars cash meant for the players but the rogues in NFA /NFF have been hell bent on pocketing everything under the pretence that FIFA has not released the money. Such negative acts by the NFA/NFF leadership over these years often brought the football body against the footballers.

It has been my fears and also at the same time, my worries. When NFF held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Jos, Plateau State last week, instead of the Amaju Pinnick led NFF to decisively issue strong statement on Rohr’s fears and worries, it merely said it would be discussed before the World Cup draws and agreement signed to that effect.

The AGM said nothing to address the obvious anomaly. I have just one question for Pinnick: What guarantee is there that his so called agreement will not go the way of the previous ones that died on arrival? Even the deaf and dumb  know that the NFF can never be trusted. NFF is bad news of the first order.

A repeat of bonus row looms if it is not frontally tackled and the players get their dues before the Mundial kicks off.

My take is that everything must be done to ensure that FIFA’s multi-million dollars won’t go into voice mail as this has been their stock in trade. It must be a different ball game this time around. The Eagles must be encouraged to realise their full potential at the 2018 World Cup without man made hiccups this time. NFF has brought such bad name to its self over these years.

My other take is that the players should be paid upfront thereby throwing the ball back into their court because it has been a case of once beaten, many times shy which leaves the Eagles badly bruised. The popular opinion is that with the kind of spirit Rohr has made the team to imbibed, and if there are no infractions into the squad that may distablise the entire foundation of the side, the boys would go beyond now our traditional round of 16.

Our collective take is that things must be done right for the first time. The worries and fears of many fans and pundits is that Nigeria has a young team whose players are determined, a situation that saw them through in the toughest group in the qualifiers.

We must keep our fingers crossed as discussion has shifted to Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and then WhatsAPP. Keep shooting hard till next week.

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 23, 2017

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