By Daily Sports on March 20, 2017

I’m grateful to you, priceless readers of Daily Sports and by extension, our Monday –Monday column, Sports Pulse.

One can humbly beat one’s chest by saluting all those that have identified with the clarion call for urgent assistance for ailing coach and ex-international, Kelechi Emeteole (MON). Aside the traffic hit, there are enormous responses from well- meaning Nigerian, his former employers, his former teammates and sundry.  It confirms that Nigerians are truly their brothers’ keepers. There’s great glimmer of hope that his trip to India for the treatment would after all become a reality.

It is imperative to thumb up the un-daunting task Thompson Odiye and Dr. Patrick Ekeji, former teammates of the sick Kelechi have mapped out for themselves, to mobilise fund for their colleague’s treatment of throat cancer in India.

Let me confess that I don’t envy them even though it is purely humanitarian; it’s one uphill role with huge sacrifice. My inner mind tells me they would succeed and craft their names and those that would respond in diamond. My major interest is to see that money is raised to offset the medical bill to save Kelechi.

While we are waiting for Odiye and Ekeji’s magic wand, we pray that Kelechi be to witness the windfall for his medical attention.

 And now this…honestly, I had never wanted to do anything with the recently concluded vendetta called election which took place in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for obvious reasons, but here I’m with the task against my real will, but in total submission for the love and popular demand of my dear readers. Really, I don’t have any alternative than to do their will because their encouragements have been overwhelmingly super.

CAF election 2017 was again one exercise Nigeria did not know what she wanted but just to grab a seat as a member of the body’s executive committee.

It is no longer news that I’m already marked out for having contrary view where the nation ought to be in the scheme of African football leadership.

We are always at the receiving end in such matters whether on counter attacker or not. A giant that always goes for the crumbs whenever the chips are down has been our middle name, no doubt, it has endemic effect on us; happily queuing perpetually at the back, biting the back and gladly playing the second fiddle role.

Nigeria is a country without a defined system. There is no how such a nation can survive in real the sense of the word. It is a country where people live verge life. Nigeria is a paradise disfigured by everyone that has led in any form or the other is therefore guilty of leaving the country in great ruins.

That brings us to the recently concluded CAF polls. The intrigues, how FIFA President, Gianni Infantino relocated to Africa to ensure his goal to install a puppet CAF leadership is in place. Millions of dollars went into the project and at the end of the day, he had his way. Issa Hayatou the enemy is out of the way. Infantino’s puppet governing council has taken hold in CAF.

To the little minded individuals, African football has arrived and can compete side by side with European football. A messiah in Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad should be hailed to high heavens for triumphant entry. For critical observers like yours in sports, time will tell. Time will set him free, when the tide is high and time heals open wounds. We are keenly watching.

However, let me make it clear that I’m never a fan of Hayatou or sit tight syndrome. Yes, he came and contributed his quota. No keen follower of the continent’s football would wish the Cameroonian away as a non-performer.

However, readers should know that it was a vindictive election against Hayatou and his executive committee members that did not support the election of the present leadership of FIFA. Since Infantino mounted the saddle, he embarked on his mission of vendetta and Africa just had her turn.  He never pretended about it from the onset. Mark you, I’m not against his perceived reforms of the game worldwide.

It’s no news that Madagascan Ahmed Ahmad on Thursday last week became the new President of the Confederation of African Football, after he defeated the incumbent Issa Hayatou of Cameroon 34-20 at elections held in the Nelson Mandela hall of the African Union  building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

For the records, he held Malagasy FÂ President for 17 years and Deputy Senate President of his country. His country knows next to nothing in football as his country from there has never ever taken part even at his regional football competition, how much more African club level or AFCON.

That is the kind of background that produced CAF President. They said he was a footballer, and I have asked whose player?  Though, his elevation was at the whims and caprices of FIFA President.  Then the begging question nobody has cared to answer is, can Infantino fully support as he has just done in Ahmad, someone his country’s football is at the lowest ebb and himself at zero level after presiding for over 17 years, less or more to succeed him in FIFA?

His blind endorsement and subsequent election of Ahmad as CAF boss remains absurd to objective African football commentators and historians. 

The election, witnessed by Infantino and FIFA Secretary-General, Fatma Samoura was declared open by President Mulatu Teshome of Ethiopia.

From the above, it could safely be deduced as gunpoint democracy, where voters were not only watched where they will tilt their support to but also stampeded to ensure they voted according to agreements on who they should vote for. That was the main mission of Infantino and our daughter, Samoura. It was why the FIFA Supremo was right there to influence and monitor the elections which he so much had interest in. His foot soldiers that moved dollars round earlier ensured it was well entrenched to the individuals and countries that stood on Hayatou, the enemy must be crushed. It was a resurface of scramble for Africa.

Yet the present FIFA is against corruption, the Nigerian version of anti-corruption crusade.  Reports from the eve of the election till when the last vote was cast left sour taste in the mouth. It was a replica of Warri 2014 NFF Presidential elections and pundits till date, refer to it as one that was highly induced.

 Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick was elected into the CAF Executive Committee. Thus he became the third Nigerian to be in CAF Executive Committee seat. Already Senate President, Bukola Saraki congratulated CAF president, Ahmad on his victory at the polls.

Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, described Ahmad as a consummate technocrat, who can help to usher in a new era of innovation and positive change into the affairs of CAF.

He commended the outgoing President of CAF, Issa Hayatou, for his services and immense contribution to the development of football in Africa in his 29-year headship of the body.

He added that “Hayatou has served the organisation well; now, we look forward to the new leadership to usher in a new era of change and effectiveness to raise the standard of African football across all levels.”

Saraki also urged all Football Associations (FA) across the continent to rally round the new CAF President to enable him deliver on his electioneering promises, for the good of African football.

Saraki spoke well what he wants his audience and the dramatis personae to hear. What would he bring to the table for African football when he could not raise his country’s game to even an atom of bar.

As a puppet of Infantino and his entire committee members, African football would be at the dictates of FIFA leadership. Without any prejudice, Ahmad looks as one that has no charisma. He will, however, preside for one tenure as agreed and handover to South Africa’s Danny Jordan.

African football has been traded. It was as a result of sit tight leadership that failed to groom anybody for succession. It is a lesson if it can be learnt by all and sundry for the future.

Let us keep our fingers crossed. African football has fallen into turbulence; let’s sit by to know where the anchor man would stead it to. My suggestion is, there should be a ‘No Victor, No Vanquish’ to heal the wounds for the good of the game.

While we keenly watch Ahmad and his gang steer African football to higher heights, I make bold to say that Africa’s anticipated increase in the number of countries for the World Cup 2026 is nobody’s achievement but a right for the continent as a member of FIFA. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Trust discussion continues in Twitter and WhatsApp. Keep shooting hard. Till next week!

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 20, 2017

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