By Daily Sports on December 9, 2015

Top football administrator, Alhaji Gara Gombe Ahmed Shauibu, has declared that Nigeria will not qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations football summit to be hosted by Gabon.

The former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) member is insistent that all indices tilt towards that direction. He noted that in a group such as Nigeria’s, “you don’t dare drop any point we already have, leaving our closest rival, Egypt coasting home with maximum points and superior goals. too.”

“It’s already dicey! As it is right now, only the fittest will survive the rough weather of the group. We all knew the pedigree of Egypt. They have rebuilt their side, and the results are coming. It is my belief that with the kind of squad we have on ground now, it will not be easy overcoming the North African team, even on our home soil.  The grievous  mistake Amaju Pinnick made was to sack Stephen Keshi the time it did and to compound the whole situation, going for a green horn like Sunday Oliseh. We have seen the kind of stuff he is made of now. He thought that being vindictive would be solution to it, after the lackadaisical outing against the Taifa Stars in Tanzania, nobody told him to invite John Mikel Obi, Moses and others he left out of the crucial tie in Dar es Salaam qualifier game.”

Gombe argued that he would continue to fault the timing of the sack of Keshi. He did well in his first game against Chad. Why change him? He attributed the decision to relieve Keshi of his position as the handiwork of selfishness and greed, which the country would likely pay dearly for again. For instance, why drop these players in the first instance against Tanzania. To say the very least, It’s laughable.

“In short, it is sad to note that we are still experimenting with players and even at the coaching level.  Look at these: new coaches, new players and new psyche. It is dangerous. It is what we are paying for now.  It is obvious that Egypt is our greatest problem in the group today. In as much as the fixture and the group are concerned, you don’t drop a point anyhow. But we have against Tanzania. Egypt has not, both home and away. The North African side has a compact team too. These and more formed greater part of my fears, yet we are still experimenting. It remains scandalous and shameful that we rejoiced after holding the Tanzanians to a goalless draw.  That is the major dilemma Nigeria is presently facing,” he said.

The former chairman of Gombe State Football Association noted that we are at the moment in the middle of the deep blue sea. According to him, to top it all, the team is divided already along the pro-Keshi group and pro-Oliseh group. The amateur handler (Oliseh) is not helping matters either with his unguarded utterances. He has continued to widen the gulf unabated. He thought that he is still the captain of the team. He cannot continue this way and expect that there will be peace and cohesion in the team. The leadership of the NFF has also woefully failed to engage the services of a seasoned physiologist to help harness the team. Nigeria, he added, has no team. “There is no leadership in the current Eagles. There is likelihood also that the situation could be salvaged if spirited and honest efforts are put in place before the show-down against the dreaded Egyptian side.  The truth remains that the rebuilding process is taking too

long. We all knew that Oliseh has nothing spectacular to offer.”

•Photo shows Gara Gombe.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 9, 2015

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