Welcome Back, Falcons; Soldier On, Super Eagles!

By Daily Sports on June 24, 2019

For the records, let me quickly acknowledge a truth, that I have been and would continue to be a venomous critic of bad sports administration at any level. It has won me the prize of being the most discussed columnist amongst past Ministers of Sports and the present executive committee board of the NFF has used so many epithets to describe me while discussing with their friends and these people are my mutual friends too.

That notwithstanding, I have tried to be myself, by first being objective in my writing so that my conscience would continue to be clear, which is one of the tenets of this profession. Let me also confess that I have been a victim of their collective conspiracy via isolation from their press invites which of course I am not sitting down waiting to come. Being a victim of their unkind temper has made me even stronger. In retaliation dear readers, I have in turn unleashed the equally unkind temper of my pen on them, hence they have been complaining and reporting me to our mutual friends to reach out to me to cease fire.

But of a truth, I have not unduly used my pen to denigrate or to pull down. All my comments have been factual and guarded by global best practices of journalism practice. What those who are vilifying me for always writing against the then Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, Amaju Pinnick led NFF administration and the lame ducks, called National Sports Federation Presidents should have done was to rise from their laziness, short-sightedness and bootlicking to conduct thorough x-ray of my writings.

In my close to over two decades plus on the sports beat, which has taken me to cover major world and continental sporting events and public sphere intervention, I believe that administrators at all levels should conduct respect, an epitome of the highest moral echelon of the society. Those who run that office should do so transparently, not cosmetic appearances. Also, they should make convent of charity and fidelity with themselves; not the current system that glamorises sacred cows and opportunists which of course has become the norm of the larger government and governance since this regime mounted the saddle at the federal and sundry.

It then brings me to continue to wonder why the anger of my friends from the Northern part of the country are still boiling to high heavens over my position last week on this page on the rudely and abnormal behaviour displayed by Kano Pillars captain Rabiu Alli and the supporters of the team at the recently concluded 2019 NPFL Super Six play-offs held in Lagos. The rabid responses even when the footages are awash in the social media is baffling. Good enough, this columnist is not one that bows to any threat no matter the quarters it is coming from. Therefore the thunders from Kano Pillars fans and sundry are what one has come to terms with over these years and would not be bothered a hoot.

And now, Super Falcons to this writer deserves our pat on the back, if nothing for their dogged fight against host country France; ensuring the goal margin of the past editions did not repeat itself.

Again, the team broke the jinx of not qualifying for the knock out stages for the first since 1999 in the World Women football summit. It was a no mean achievement in the championship that has so grown steadily, gamely.

We will get there. The girls were not disgraced even against the Germans. The Falcons players are truly maturing and we must come back and continue our search for proper antidote for our women national teams. We will succeed if we do it sincerely.

Super Eagles opened the 2019 AFCON with a lone goal winner against debutants Burundi in a match the opponents stretched the former champions to almost her limit, before Odion Igalo came in the second stanza for the rescue.

The game which put the teeming fans of the Super Eagles on edge due to the resistance of the Burudians, got the desired relief via what later appeared to be the winning goal of the opening group encounter.

Analysts and pundits had earlier warned on the need for Nigerians to brace up decisively in the group that has minnows that have proved to be more slippery than established teams. Truth is that the then yawning gap between power house football countries are drastically closing steadily and only nations that are proactive in nature would avert impending upsets. It is broad day light warning signal. Zimbabwe and Burundi have sent an alarm bell and warning to Eygpt and Nigeria respectively.

Gernot Rohr and his boys must sit up and up their game as they take on Guinea on June 26. Nigeria should also know that the Guineans are no pushovers in African football generally and so must be extra vigilant as they take on their opponents in the remaining group games.

However, the most important thing is for us to get the three points at stake. The performance of teams considered low already shows that the country is roundly in full contention. We stand by the Eagles as it continues the onward journey to making inroads into the most prestigious African biannual football champ. As the fire is already on the mountain, let us resort to our social media handles and follow the games. And so keep shooting hard till next week!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted June 24, 2019


 

You may also like...
Rohr returns to watch Fed Cup final

Osinbajo Receives Queen’s Baton For 2022 Commonwealth Games...

Madagascar Beat DR Congo to Qualify for AFCON...

Relief For Coach Boboye As Akwa United Beat...

Fans praise Osimhen after Italy’s best player award...

China To Host First Expanded Club World Cup...

 

Latest News Nigeria beat Cameroon to reach IHF final 27 schools for Doregos Basketball Championship Super Falcons to play France’s Les Bleues in friendly SWAN suspends ban on coverage of Anambra FA activities Joshua among boxing’s top three earners in 2024 Oshoala makes history with Bay FC Nnamani hails team over IHF bright start Flamingos lift U-17 W’Cup Fair Play Trophy Rangers Intl, SWAN partner on sports collaboration in SE LAGOS SWAN CELEBRATES AIG ZONE 2 ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND 30 DAYS IN OFFICE Traders Cup: Upholstery Soccer Team Secured 2nd Win To Advance To Round Two Lagos SWAN Celebrates Oba Akiolu, Iyaloja General, AIG Fayoade

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,142 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,269 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,350 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (43,991 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,932 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,879 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,718 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,289 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,333 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,036 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,489 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,916 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media