The role of poverty in Nigerian and African football! News

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The role of poverty in Nigerian and African football!

By Daily Sports on January 30, 2017

The other day, my phone rang, guess who? My very long time close friend and seasoned football administrator of high integrity, Fatai Olayinka. He was one of the pillars that made Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt a force to reckoned with then. He was the Team Manager of the once dreaded side which precise and visionary government and people of Rivers State led by Nyesom Wike to merge together (Sharks and Dolphins) to found a formidable Rivers United FC.

I’m saying of Fatai Olayinka, he is now the General Manager of 3SC of Ibadan. I’m glad we reunited; he has a lot on how to make the take its rightful place in the scheme of thing, He is a jolly good fellow though, strict when it comes to his work and getting the result on his job. His acumen as manager of men, money and materials will no doubt lift the Oluyole Warriors to lofty height, also having an experienced goal getter, Fatai Amoo as head of the technical crew of the oldie in the Nigerian league scene.

Make no mistake about it, administratively, Olayinka has the capacity. Fellow oldies in sports reporting would readily attest to the rich antecedents of the 3SC General Manager and how enduring he contributed to steady growth and flamboyance of Dolphins prowess in the then National League division one.

Welcome back to the frontrunner, my friend and co-labourer in the development drive of the round leather game.

As usual, I won’t do anything without you and will always say, thanks for being there dear readers. You have been the greatest inspiration since this column debuted a year ago. Let me confess that you have not only caused tremendous increased readership of the column also the stories in the portal, which has brought the medium in the bracket among the widely read.

It is my fervent belief that advertisers would capitalise on this rare opportunity Daily Sports offer and place the advertisement of their products and services on the online media for wider reach to their customers who are majority readers of our newspaper. Lest you have forgotten, the portal is read by people of all ages. We have the capacity and solid platform to contain such.

To be honest with you, I must note the impressive readership of last week’s write up entitled ‘Nigerian Football: Miscellaneous Matters’ where we hit the nail on the head, hence the influx of readers. Of truth is that there are many man made bottle necks in our football presently. Therefore, burning issues in the game in the country are enormous. The points we raised in the article, pronto came to the fore.

I alerted you of the good job the League Management Committee is doing in organising the new season and the spoilers’ role of the Nigeria Referees Council, NFF Referees Committee and its dubious referees. A recap, Folashade Ajayi the culprit in chief in match day one in Kano centre between Kano Pillars and FC Ifeanyi Uba has since been fired. And as if the partial officiating that is synonymous with Nigerian referees is indelible, match day three, in Ijebu-Ode between homers and new comers to the elite cadre, Remo Stars and Abia Warriors was nearly marred by the biased decision of another referee, Dankano Abduallahi, who was right on the spot of the action, yet he awarded a frivolous penalty to Remo Stars which gave it, its first questionable 1-0 win against the visitors. It exposed him (Abduallahi) and his accomplices in NRC and NFF Referees Committee to immense ridicule. Such acts of bad officiating have been their way over the years. Remember, I vividly highlighted the outrage from Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba, former NFF Secretary General who gave lid on how club chairmen decide on referees that handle their games and NFF bought into such fraud and stamped it.

Trust, LMC has politely asked NFF to withdraw him from NPFL referees.

It is sad that these dubious persons still hold forth in NRC and NFF Referees Committee. They are entrenched in corruption and not ready to embrace the new trend and epoch the LMC is bent on imbibing which is gathering much impetus and ovation from fans and investor alike. Sports Pulse is ever ready to hail LMC to high heavens and its determination for fresh wipe on the dirty match officials. It’s a continuum. No more, no less.

Only then we can beat our chest to say we will get there. That is how Rome was built steadily with new and undiluted innovations until the finishing point, hence the age long saying, ‘Rome was not built in a day.’

You know the stand of this column on LMC leadership. You also know we discussed CAF election and FIFA’s role in the poll. Just as readers were falling over themselves to extract the exclusive information in the column, Guinea Bissau FA President, Opes Manuel Nascimento, blasted FIFA President Gianni Infantino and accused him of dividing Africa.

“We have the elections for the Confederation of African Football coming in March 16, and can you imagine a whole FIFA President is meeting people separately because he wants a change in Africa,” a tough speaking Manuel said during an interview at the Raddison Blue Hotel in Libreville.

The Guinea Bissua FA President added that it was unfortunate some African football leaders have accepted to be used by Infantino to decide the fate of football leadership in Africa.

He explained that Africa openly supported Qatar’s Mohamed bin Hammam for FIFA’s presidency during the elections last year, and Infantino thinks it is the time to revenge and ring changes in Africa.

Opes Manuel Nascimento revealed that Madagascar’s Football Federation President, Ahmad Ahmad, will contest against Hayatou to become CAF’s President and some insiders suggest he is being supported by FIFA’s Infantino to oust the incumbent.

It would be recalled that Issa Hayatou was elected to the role of CAF President in 1988 and if he wins again it will extend his reign to 33 years as head of Africa’s football governing body.

Nascimento who said he will vote for Hayatou challenged Ahmad to withdraw his candidature.

“He (Ahmad) has no capacity to lead CAF well enough because he lacks what it takes,” reasoned that the Guinea Bissau FA supremo, who further explains that Hayatou’s being in CAF for long has brought about stability in the body and this even brought a World Cup in the African continent.

You have heard from one of the insiders in CAF election. I blew the lid last week in this page. The role our own Amaju Pinnick is going to play to the dictates of FIFA boss, I said also that he is not alone which Nascimento re-echoed on his revelation. That is the way African soul was scrabbled for and the continent was left the way it is today. FIFA is set to use some willing duck FA Presidents to destabilize CAF. Amaju Pinnick is one of such saboteurs as revealed by Guinea Bissua FA President. From whatever angle you look at it, it is a sad commentary on Africa and her football. It is unambiguously clear that FIFA has a role in NFF corrupt practices.

FIFA’s dubious standard. Our eyes are now open on FIFA’s double speak on NFF because he knew the role Amaju would play in the conspiracy theory to dislodge Issa Hayatou as CAF boss because he did not vote for him. That is against the spirit of the game. I’m scanadalised. The beat goes on. We are waiting to see how Hayatou would be outsmarted and a puppet in the person of colourless Madagascar Football Federation President, Ahmad Ahmad installed by Infantino and his African FA Presidents. Ahmad has no charisma. Again, where is Madagascar football in the scheme of football nations in the continent. From discussion this week, what made these referees to act the way they do is poverty of the mind and physical so goes to the conquest FIFA is planning during the CAF election. Poverty makes it possible for the administrators, referees and others to go down with the slightest offer of bribery thrown at them. It has cast dirty and black aspiration on the continent administrators, its referees which Nigerian referees and its umbrella body NRC is part and parcel of. The central cause of all is poverty even at the governmental level.

CAF would be in more trouble if the unexpected happens. We will keep you posted. Keep shooting hard, as discussion continues. Till next week!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 30, 2017