By Daily sports on January 25, 2021

It is yet another week of lamentations; if you like elegy for Nigerian football nay sports, a sad commentary that ought to be imagined than described.

Like the typical present Nigerian society where sycophancy has not only taken the centre stage but deep rooted in over 90 percent of the populace, mainly the so called elites (that have thrown the entire country into the current state of quagmire, if you like a state of no returns), all sorts of things happen without anybody raising genuine eye brow.

The way Nigeria is now, if you dare raise a finger, you will see tribal oriented voices attacking you left, right and centre. This obviously is not in tune with genuine efforts to move the country forward. The authorities that are supposed to be above board worsen situations. If you read my two parts write up on the Golden Eaglets, you would notice it was straight to the point and solutions in my candid opinion proffered. But I was not surprised about whoever sponsored some touts to call me and pour out silly words which never removed a hair from my body. I am used to these jobless boys who “l have often referred to in this column as idlers or better still what the stomach will eat jobbers.”

We have all seen the stuff the 2021 Golden Eaglets is made of. We saw the lame duck performance from the opening game of the recently concluded WAFU qualifications game to the finals where the team’s conquerors’ Cote d’Ivoire again came handy to hammer the Nigerian side 3-2 to win gold.

As I did say in previous write ups on this page, the late rally of the Nigeria team could not save them as Cote d’Ivoire stood her ground and so be it. I will not fail to sound it loudly that Golden Eaglets 2021 is no team. The coordination in all the departments of the team was absent and I pointed out that if Fatai Amoo is allowed to pick his team, there would be marked improvement and the side we saw during the qualification tournament would give way for Golden Eaglets reborn.

I decided to say thus far on the failed team because of the bad manners of those running or administering football in Nigeria to sponsor unnecessary and silly venoms on some critics that hit the nail on the head. But without prejudice, the so called critics are mainly out to ensure that those in charge are put on their toes for superb outing next time or term. Sadly in this clime Nigeria, the reverse has been the case and it has remained her bane in all facets. It has made the country to be on standstill, if you like in all motion, no movement posture. The vicious circle has rendered inactive, the supposedly frontline nation, hitherto in active productivity and invention (i.e. breakthroughs technologically) due to tribal disposition of the called leaders of this paradise betrayed nation foisted on the citizenry and it has caused sharp divisions but who cares. Truth is that this columnist is not begging for all the sponsored nonsense on me to stop. I know that saying, ‘soldier come, soldier go, barracks remain.’ But I won’t stop the beat rather it goes on. The centre piece of this page would remain truth and nothing but the truth. Also, authenticity is the watchword as facts would remain sacred here. No more no, no less. The Golden Eaglets of all teams did not perform well at the recently concluded WAFU qualifiers. We should know that if it were to be the entire African thing, the country would have been booted out and would miss the larger tournament. I am not bordered a hoot, after all whatever is Nigeria, so what!     

Enough of that dismal performance which the NFF has hailed to the high heavens adding that at all, at all is bad. What a hopeless and short sighted consolation.

Daily Sports Team mourns the passing last week of one of the bests Nigeria football harvested both as then active national team goal tender and also national team coach, Joe Erico. I knew him and he was always on the part of truth. I am not one that says what others say about people because they want to get favour or something near it, even if they were obviously or glaringly bad just because they passed. You know them; I jump to join others in their hypocritical praise singing.

He paid his dues in the development of football in the country at the national and club side levels. He was not cut for eye service which has become sing-song of many Nigerians in order to be on good book (s) of people in authority. He was kind and also never talks on drop of hat. No word would be adequate for me to use here to describe the jolly good fellow, ‘Jogo Benito.’

No Sports Journalist at our level would say he never came across Jogo Benito well known for his eyed reflections while in goal then. As a coach, he also proved himself. Rest well Joe and May perpetual light shine upon you….. Amen!

Let’s keep on and continue to be ourselves always. Keep shooting hard till next week as the struggle continues!!

Source Daily sports

Posted January 25, 2021

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