Of Super Eagles And Odion Ighalo’s Return News

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Of Super Eagles And Odion Ighalo’s Return

By Daily Sports on November 8, 2021

I have being on this beat for decades and also covered international sporting events like the World Cup both at the senior level and age groups, Africa Cup of Nations, Commonwealth Games, All African Games, Olympics, etc, needless mentioning both finals of CAF Champions League which Nigeria so far won back to back through Enyimba International FC of Aba, Abia State.

Needless also to emphasis that I am among the experienced in Sports Reporting in the country having started way back. It is instructive to note here that I’m strictly a professional of the first order who has distaste for compromising the profession more on what the stomach will eat/what first comes into my Bank account or gifts off compromise of stories that help in nailing sports growth/short changing athletes and other vices and sharp practices that have today place sports journalists and sports at the lowest ebb of development in the country presently.

The above have become way of life not only in sports beat though but unfortunately the lot of this once upon a time noble profession – Journalism.

Many charlatans’ and fake polluted the once very reverend journalism arena making it today a highly compromised and individual profit making “trade” where ambush journalists are listened to more than the genuine few ones on the field today because most of the people in the position of authority are afraid of their shadows in Nigeria today.

Fake journalists not only on Sports beat have nearly snuffed life off the profession that once upon a time served/adequately closed the gap and truly served as Fourth Estate of the Realm unlike today’s where the Presidency/Nigeria Governors’ Forum, etc, sat back their comfort homes and chose who becomes the President of Nigeria Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Press Council etc, even Sports Writers Association of Nigeria which is the oldest beat association in the country but factionalised today, recalled that SWAN was founded in 1964.

Today, Garba Shehu, Femi Adesina, Ibrahim Gambari, Abubakuar Malami and their co-travelers sat back at the Presidency and determine what most newspaper houses and broadcast houses publish or broadcast.

We are keenly watching, listening to Abubakuar Malami’s tortoise story on the abortive kidnapping of very reverend Supreme Court Justice Mary Peter Odili. The conspiracy theory by Federal Government failed woefully hence every one of them are still struggling to exonerate their as culprits.

The failed conspiracy/abduction Justice Mary Peter Odili remains the ongoing war against certain section of the country since after the civil war.

Sad commentary. I deliberately left out Lai Mohammed because he has been out foxed by the trio for public consumption unlike before when he was at the main stream.

Yours truly has been on the receiving end from these dirty/corruption ridden ex-/ present Sports administrators/ ex- /sitting Sports Minister note that the loggerheads with them plus total exclusion from their assignments/other gatherings organized by them stem from the fact of my non-conformist nature or stance that things must/ought to be as it should that athletes who are the reason for National Sports Federation existence must/should be upmost in terms of first hand being looked after in the areas of provision of all that would make/place them in great stead/best frame of mind for any major championship for optimum performance/concentration of the first order.

Let me make it clear here that I’m not complaining or using this very widely read portal to solicit for inclusion, never as I would continue to be on this side of the divide until these anomalies’ are addressed squarely. These people either appointed /elected to oversee various National Sports Federations or as Sports Minister enrich themselves their accomplishes of all shades, families and girlfriends at the detriment of athletes that sweat it under the heated sun and rains for trainings bearing painful injuries that often attains.

I decided to go thus far in this abridged down memory lane as the above has robbed the country of presenting her first hand/ top rated athletes in our major international meets. Unfortunately, Nigeria like demented hen that sucks her finest egg kept holding tight/trending this inglorious part.

The above and more issues (s) have encouraged corruption in high and lower places in sports and also breed recycling of athletes instead of discovery and grooming of young and talented athletes that would readily step decisively into the shoes of their aging seniors.

For instance, football enthusiasts woke up last week to be greeted with news of the return of Odion Ighalo to the Super Eagles team he retire before the curtain of the last final AFCON held in Egypt was drawn.

However, the news never caught me off guard because this is Nigeria where summersaults in policies and behaviours have been like recurring decimal.

Without any prejudice, it is the norm in Nigeria where abundant talents are in surplus but no will power to harness such hence those paid handsomely to do the job resort to short cuts, finger pointing and laziness.

As I have been saying, there are thousand and one Odion Ighalo’s of this world waiting to be discovered in Nigeria today locally.

Let me be honest with you that I don’t have anything against the former Man U player, but what one is pointing out is that it is high time the technical crew of our national teams think outside the box and quickly too.

We must not continue walking this old fashioned path this 21st century.

Gernot Rohr, I have also written severally lacks capacity and that inherent in the Franco/German coach who is lorded on the Nigeria for the Super Eagles job by Pinnick Amaju’s silly and selfish reason(s) best known to him.

Is it not an irony that after the voluntary retirement of top hit man Odion in Ighalo Rohr and his assistant, Joseph Yobo could not get even better replacement for him? It is another of Nigeria though shame no longer matters to the country.

Nigeria has oftentimes been stripped necked in crowded world market square therefore nothing to hide any longer.

I commend Ighalo out of patriotism agreed to cut short his retirement for rescue mission for Nigeria.

As he prepares his boots for the national assignment one would but wish him all the best. He can do it again since his legs would strongly carry him.

Let me confess that Nigerian football is in dare need for imaginative coaches that are result oriented and act like quicksilver at any beck and call. It is high time we become tired of continuous playing second fiddle in the continent because of short sightedness by sports administrators which football is part and parcel of.

This nonsense must stop forthwith. The era of engaging a lame duck coach whether white or black for a supposedly high profile team like the Super Eagles must be discouraged forthwith.

Fact remains that instead of recycling retired or older Super Eagles Players new and younger players must be discovered.

Nigeria has them in overwhelming numbers. It is absolutely wrong for any right thinking coach or administrator to think of recalling a player that has retired in the national as if Nigeria is short of quality players or strikers that would do the job greatly.

One hopes that Ighalo will not turn out as big flop in his second “missionary” journey to Super Eagles.

Gernot Rohr has once again shown he is incapable of handling the Nigerian flagship squad. He further confirmed that he is also a failed coach being sustained by Amaju Pinnick and other dubious elements in Nigeria’s football and Sports Ministry.

There are already mixed reactions on the return of Odion Ighalo to the team. The outrage is still trending and your soar away digital portal www.dailysportsng.com is on the trail on top of it as usual.

Keep tap with our social media handles. Keep shooting hard till next week as the struggle continues!!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted November 8, 2021