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Chris Green Unmasked

By News Express on August 15, 2016

Barrister Chris Green is a Lawyer, and needs no much introduction due to the very sensitive committee he is heading at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Not long ago, his committee, the Technical and Development Committee was under public glare when it misfired on the employment of French man Paul Le Guen as Eagles Technical Adviser.

He is from Rivers State and had earlier cut his teeth in football administration in the once toast of Rivers State fans, one famous Sharks Football Club as Executive Secretary between 1992-1998 while ex-international, Adokiye Amiesimaka was chairman. He has been Rivers State Football Association Chairman since 2008 which is a no mean feat in a state that is populated with astute administrators like him though.

It was the period the Sharks had its finest hour in its entire ramifications because two good heads were in charge and agreed to work together for the good of the beautiful game. The dripping results are there for posterity.

His good works in his home state and then Sharks FC fished him out as his people elected him to represent them at the executive committee level of the Nigeria Football Federation and he has been there doing what he knows best. He is not disappointing them. He is not warming his seat in Abuja, that is, he is not an O, yes! member. He evolves strong issues that engender growth of the game, discipline and welfare of the players, their coaches and the backroom staff.

Let me say for the sake of posterity, choosing Chris Green to write on is strictly our own choice. He did not call for it. He was painstakingly scrutinized and he stood the test of time; hence he is being unveiled this week by Sports Pulse column.

I have met him thrice and each time we never sat to discuss. In short, we are not close and therefore points raised here are not with any prejudice or patronage. He is not my friend neither is he my enemy but for the best accepted standard practices for the round leather sport.

He merited this stand out in this daring column that has attracted increased readership less than a year after it debuted because of his strong personality laced with intelligence. His meaningful contributions in the board are always robust if the few interviews he has granted the media are anything to go by. I was informed by few of his childhood friends’ way back in the Garden City that he is a team player that detests betrayal and he is publicity shy too. His charisma is boldly written on his forehead.

Let me confess that some colleagues said he is arrogant, a snub but he looks clam as one not meant for too much talk, but give it to him, he is personable. What have you, despite the allegations above, the few times I met him, he never carries airs around him, rather he is a very high level performer. He showed it, how he handled the engagement of Eagles Technical Adviser the second time out. He was so impressive.

For information sake, the President, Amaju Pinnick highly recommended Paul Le Guen to the Technical Committee and actually sent in his application from where the committee sent their questions, which Le Guen responded to in full and in his own writing.

The answers were favorable, save for his not wanting to reside in Nigeria to do his job and to bring with him his back room staff.

Notably, he came from rich and football background; his father played leading roles in the game as frontline referee and sundry roles. Fact is, he is not on top of administrative cadre of the apex football governing body. He is well armed with sound credentials spiced with good knowledge of the game.

Chris was therefore chosen purely on his able role on the emergence of Super Eagles German technical hand this time without any controversy. The process thrilled and fascinated me. The August date was met and the German accepted to work based on the terms of agreement with his employers. Of course, you know my strong views on Le Guen misadventure and no apologies.

Let me be honest with you that what pleased me about this gentle man is his culture of not talking too much but rather prefers to work assiduously behind the scene. As l did say earlier on this page, he was messed up in the first exercise hence he chose and took the second as if his whole life solely depended on it, subsequently the successful midwife of the national assignment.

A young man in his early 40’s has brought much candor to the serious business of technical committee to the body, most times steering the hornets’ nest which I often consider as being firm, knowing ones onions and being consistent to a cause you believe in.

Lest we forget, he was Special Assistant Youth and Sports to Governor Peter Odili in 2003 to 2007 and was appointed Hon. Commissioner of Sports in Rivers State. As Commissioner, he guided Dolphins F. C to winning the F. A. Cup in 2007.

Truth being that he has turned the place around with fresh and innovative ideas, making many to become green with envy. Some of his views on burning issues differ from those of his follow executive committee members. For instance, when Sunday Oliseh resigned; he came out to say point blank that the coach’s move vindicated the alarm raised by the technical committee regarding the team’s preparations.

It is on marble that Green and members of the Technical Committee were in constant running battle with Oliseh and at a time all of them volunteered to resign after the coach vehemently rejected to work with the committee stating that it was not included in his contract with the NFF. Green disclosed that it was never in the agenda of the NFF to sack Oliseh despite his flagrant abuse of his position as head coach and his vituperations at his employers and Nigerians, having begged for forgiveness after his YouTube rant and distractions.

His commitment to his duty is never in any doubt except that oftentimes he is misunderstood even more by those he works with. I was reliably informed by one of his mutual friends who revealed he called him from Port Harcourt during Le Guen fiasco that Chris felt so bad and vowed that delivery in this second chance is key and as such the committee was not leaving any stone unturned in making sure that Eagles would have a quality foreign hand just to give the country the best it could present.

Chris, a workaholic and strong believer in quality and scientific football which only a suave foreign hand could offer right from the onset vowed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would appoint a technical adviser for the Super Eagles in August; and it came to pass.

According to an insider within the committee, he engineered the process that ensured everyone braced up, worked round the clock hence the deadline was met. It was further gathered that everything with the process was completed and recommendations sent unlike the first time it was left for the executive to do, which ordinarily should be their responsibility. He totally avoided a situation where somebody will come out again to make unsavory comments. They embarked on serious homework, made contacts, did interviews, asked questions and the rest of them – even verified from every other person or reliable sources.

It is instructive to note that the committee considered a lot of people, before zeroing in on one person. One other interesting angle worth letting my readers know from the Chris Green magic is that the committee discarded the former list, because the recently concluded one was seen as a different exercise entirely, even when entries closed, some people were still applying. What exhilarated this Reporter further is that he meticulously shunned the mistakes of the first workout and began on a clean slate; no wonder thus, this blaze we are celebrating today. If you know where he and the committee came from, you will appreciate them because it was tedious, not forgetting the role a sure footed leadership can play.

The Green led committee was convinced of the former German defender, Gernot Rohr suitability for the job after a long session with him in Abuja.

“The committee was highly impressed with Rohr’s profile and current activities for the German Football Federation (DFB). So, we invited him to Nigeria for exhaustive deliberations. He was very positive, showed great interest in the job and was ready and willing to live in Nigeria.” He is also willing to work with indigenous Nigerian coaches and with the committee, and believes the Super Eagles can qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is very important to the NFF. The German swayed the committee with his calmness, good knowledge of the African terrain, focus and maturity.

Rohr played for French side Girondins Bordeaux as a defender, and took the team to the 1996 UEFA Cup final as coach before they lost to FC Bayern Munich.

He also coached top Tunisian club Etoile du Sahel and FC Nantes before managing the national teams of Gabon, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso. The German was shortlisted for the job of Head Coach of Guinea only last month. Rohr has the character and confidence to take the Super Eagles to new heights of excellence. He has a rich knowledge of both sub-Saharan and North African terrains and truly impressed the committee. Chris Green an apostle of solid and free following football fell for the solid credentials of the German which he believes with his committee members would transform and transfer to the Nigerian side to regain its former glory in the game.

It is against these inflammable backgrounds therefore that we vote YES for Barrister Chris Green who took up the challenge of recommending a capable expatriate technical hand for the Super Eagles head-on which he delivered. If no hitches, from the side of the leadership of NFF, step Forward and Enter the Prestigious Circle of True Patriots Chris!

•Victor Enyinnaya can be reached via 08055068145 (sms only) or by e-mail via sportzvictor@yahoo.com.au

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 15, 2016