By Daily Sports Nigeria on April 18, 2022

You see, the same evil that the heartless, rogue, and looting spree Nigerian politicians plugged the entire citizenry that brought the whole system down on her knees sadly found its way into the country’s football and the few that were elected to oversee the round leather game instead turned around to squandered every good and great the game was built on over these years just like that.

Of truth is that this NFF regime has brought nothing but woes to Nigerian football these six, seven years.

There is nothing good that comes out of it and that assertion was made last week by ex-international, Daniel Amokachi that until the NFF goes back to the basics of developmental football the vicious circle the game has found itself of late would continue.

This columnist will not agree less. In short, Daily Sports ran the Amokachi true story last week. What Nigerian football fans have witnessed since this regime took over the mettle of football leadership in the country.

The present football leadership regime has been so deceitful in all its dealing to the unsuspecting Nigerian football public. Nothing, absolutely nothing has worked perfectly or near perfect since it assumed office. Every of their dealings so far have been nearly. They are numerous. Since it assumed football administration in the apex body it has put every foot wrong.

The major undoing of this Amaju Pinnick led NFF executive committee has been headiness. Know all. To be honest with you dear readers the way and manner the body is being averse or adamant to other peoples’ view point (s) has been so frightening to say the obvious. In short, the body only listens to itself. This issue has kept recurring and nothing has been done or being tailored towards getting our football on track.

The country has suffered avoidable international football defeats of late. The only visible Amaju and his board has done is continuous fishing out or discovering new Nigerian players in the diaspora and stuff or flood them into the Super Eagles. To them, they are doing great job for the nation’s football. Such move has put Nigerian football fans more in desperation than producing practical results as it was intended to bring.

It dangerously back fired. That is why the recent call by Daniel Amokachi on developmental programme for our football to grow is so imperative to whoever that wish the country’s football at the national level well.

Amokachi has seen its all. He is not a no-body in the game and so any observation (s) he made on this sport must be taken serious and must not be dismissed with a wave of the hand. He spoke the minds of many football loving and following Nigerians. He hit the nail at the nail.  

Therefore, anything short of what dealing decisively and with precision from the roots never again from the roof top as usual should stoutly never again must this eagle-eyed observation by one of those should know recently made revealed.  Amokachi is not a noise maker.  And he does not blow hot air nor talk on drop of hat. He has said it as it is that Nigeria’s football is like going… going…gone!

The answer to these Nigeria’s football woes is to restore developmental football as it was. For instance, when Clemens Westerhof was engaged as Nigeria’s national team technical adviser, he assembled mostly Nigerian League players and few African continent based foreign based players. He took the team to Algiers 1986 he came out second losing at the finals. Daniel Amokachi, Thompson Oliha, Alloy Agu etc.

That singular and intelligent move and vision by Westerhof created growth in our football in all ramifications as it paved the way to sustainable growth for the game. His programme was tremendously for Nigerian players to find greener pastures abroad. It grew steadily in our space as these players boasted the performances of the Super Eagles team which instantly became force to be reckoned with especially in the continent and displayed so handsomely at the global level in 1994 World Cup. Let’s further put on record that Clemens Westerhof in no smaller measure  helped found foreign clubs by being in direct contact with such club’s owners and management for most of the players.

He ensured it worked and it rubbed off handsomely on Nigerian football polity. Let me say here that both the Super Eagles and the Nigerian League were better for it. Our league was stronger than what is being paraded today; the league is said to be on professional level. I digress.

That entirely near rookie Super Eagles squad marked water shed or turn around in our football till date. But where are all these gains. They have been totally squandered. The system is empty and has been surviving via lifeline until now it finally collapses under Amaju Pinnick due to short sightedness, Mr. know all syndrome, headiness and all.

It was why our football failed woefully recently. The foundation became so weak that it can no longer carry the excess luggage, Amaju’s board would have rebuilt the old system with the current computer inspired or driven era.

Daniel Amokachi’s call must be heeded wholesale. Nigeria’s football at the national team level has collapsed and we don’t need soothsayer to tell us. Amokachi has come to our rescue and it is the best way to go if want to find our feet again.

Going around the globe fishing out players of Nigerian origin would remain an ill wind as it has proved of late.  Westerhof magic worked successfully because he calmly blended such with the best legs in the Nigerian league and also ensures he assisted to secure foreign clubs abroad.  At the end of the day, he won AFCON in 1994. Keshi repeated that in such fate in 2013 in South Africa AFCON that year despite the sabotage Amaju Pinnick’s NFF mounted against late Stephen Keshi who used rookies also even mixture of local players to win the trophy for the country for the third time and the second away from home like Westerhof did in Tunisia.                

We will anchor here this week and follow closely this most confused NFF as they go about hiring yet another less qualified Portuguese foreign coach, Jose Peseiro which they have all voted for on package of $50,000 i.e. N20.9million per Month.

Nigerian football is sick and employing a new coach according to Daniel Amokachi is no solution to the drastic collapse rather to redirect our searchlight to developmental programme. Reinvent our local by making it viable, disciplined, honest, open and flexible too. Therefore, his view is my view. Keep shooting hard till next week as the struggle continue!! 

Source By Victor Enyinnaya

Posted April 18, 2022

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