NFF Coaches for Various National Teams: ‘Some Appointments Sef.’ News

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NFF Coaches for Various National Teams: ‘Some Appointments Sef.’

By Daily Sports on February 19, 2018

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You must have read the names of coaches the Nigeria Football Federation appointed as handlers to various national teams. When I read it in Daily Sports and other traditional media last week Monday, what I quickly uttered albeit unconsciously was ‘some appointments sef’. I don’t know if you have gone through the list and made your conclusions. To put it mildly, it left much to be desired. The appointments exposed the shallowness of the Technical and Development Committee.

It showed the level of work done which further brought us face to face with the kind of people saddled with technical matters in our football house. The members seem teleguided and anyone that does not toe the line will obviously lose his seat to Russia 2018World Cup party. Then where do we go from here? It is sad we came to this dead end that was strictly based on self-first before national interest which of course has been the bane of our national growth and rebirth. Those at the helm of affairs have resorted to self-help and self-inflicted injury.

They fixed their cronies in positions so that such stooges would aid them climb back to power.

That is what has happened in NFF Months back. We all cannot forget in a hurry the re-joggling in NFF committees that brought in new faces to head certain areas like the very sensitive Technical and Development Committee last year. Also the process which saw some NFF board members given positions in CAF and FIFA to assuage them to drop their ambitions for the next NFF elective congress coming up shortly after World Cup is a strategy to pave way for only one candidate to emerge to contest election as the President of the body. Already, the dubious States FA Chairmen and their Secretaries are in the pocket of NFF President. To hold them tight and committed it will also mean all expenses paid for these States FA officials to Russia 2018 World Cup. We can vividly recall the inglorious roles played by these ‘kill football’ States FA to bring in Amaju Pinnick to the Warri NFF elective congress in 2014. Little wonder therefore football has refused to grow in the States. In other climes, States form the nucleus of activities for grassroots football development. The Local Government Councils and States are in fierce supremacy competition in every sense of the word for grassroots football growth but that is not to be in Nigerian football which had remained a bad example for the larger polity. Shamefully these States FA bosses and their Secretaries sit in the comfort of their offices and illegally pocket even funds meant for this all important segment in the chain of football development as it obtains all over the World for the good and drastic improvement of the game.

Whether we like it or not, that is what has taken hold in NFF. Except there is quarrel among them after the World Cup otherwise the status quo will change little from the head of the body to the last man. We are aware that Nigeria National League, Nationwide League and the Nigeria Women Football League are being run by caretaker committees since the tenure of the last board expired and Amaju Pinnick led NFF executive board scuttled every civilised move to conduct fresh elections into these boards but shamefully appointed their stooges as heads and members of these football bodies despite the fact that it ran against the law that set them up as well as that of NFF, CAF and FIFA.

That is the crux of the matter on ground today because Amaju is a key member in the group that brought in CAF and FIFA Presidents, making these bodies turn blind eyes and deaf ears to the illegality in NFF.

Let me be honest with you that one need to refresh your minds dear readers on the goings on in Nigerian football otherwise you won’t grab it vividly. Truth is that no President of the NFF has served second term in office since FIFA insisted elections have to usher in executive committee of various member country football federations.

The last regime headed by Alhaji Aminu Maigari paid all expenses free journey for the idle States FA Chairmen and their Secretaries to Brazil only to have his ambition scuttled by betrayals and what have you which finally swept him and his members out of office. Such move is again on and these States FA officials are already warming up to Russia where they will finalize strategies for the NFF elective congress that would likely return Pinnick if nothing goes wrong along the way. Recall the case of his predecessor in office, Maigari. Pinnick is a political strategist and I won’t be surprised if he breaks that second term jinx. He has deep pocket to bring down every opposition on his way to achieve that landmark. He is a crafty football politician who would stop at nothing to ensure he would brace the victory tape in any contest and cause he believes in. After all elections in Nigeria are how deep your pocket is or what is commonly termed as what money buys.

Nigerian football administrators in all levels pay lips service to developing the Nigerian child through the game. They pocket funds for youth development and dam the consequences because they know there is none. It is the main reason why nothing is developing in the country’s football cum sports. Coaches are so out modeled that many still don’t know their left from right in modern day coaching techniques and tactics. The ones recently appointed to handle various national teams last week Monday are no better. Apologies all. Bluntly put, Nigerian coaches are bereft of fresh ideas, not knowing what formation best suits their teams. It is as bad as that, no jokes at all.

We saw CHAN Eagles first game against Rwanda until Super Eagles Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr was drafted to the team. I don’t subscribe to the silly argument that Salisu Yusuf made do with the best material available for him, Capital No. He was the one that selected the lads and nobody did that for him. It boils down to what I have just said in this write up on Nigerian coaches and their limited knowledge of the game as it obtains nowadays.

Recalled that Salisu Yusuf applied and was interviewed to head the Super Eagles technical crew. Your guess of what would have been the fate of Nigeria and her team is as good as mine. To those that clapped for him, he is a world class coach. It is sweet he has proved his incapability in CHAN and without the depth input from the Franco-Germany Super Eagles handler we knew the stage we would gone have out. Rohr brought in his usual tight tactical and technical approach to knock together the unfit players Salisu Yusuf selected for the championship due to his limited knowledge and lack of hind sight.

When his name came up as U-23 Eagles coach, I shook my head in disbelief and quickly said to no one else that in a community of blind persons, one eyed man among them instantly becomes their king. That aptly described the new role of SalisuYusuf and the others so appointed.

Some of the coaches are there purely for re-habitation while others to muster support for Pinnick for his much expected re-election after the World Cup. They were recommended by their states FA chairmen, and lastly few for him to be in the good books of some former top brass of Nigerian, African and World football governing body influential committee members.

Just read the names and their various team assigned to each. My take is Nigerian football cannot grow this way; a situation where merit is sacrificed on the altar of who you know will not lead the game anywhere. Before I am misquoted, I don’t have anything against re-habitation of ex-internationals or players that went to improve themselves or to the sons, daughters or relations of ex-administrators that have shown capacity which tilted towards the presently e-coaching and administration. Such should be allowed. Read the recommendation of national team’s coaches by Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’.

The Nigeria Football Federation on Monday released the names of coaching crews of all the National Teams, barring those of the Senior Men Team (Super Eagles), U-20 Women (Falconets) and U-17 Women (Flamingos) whose contracts are running.

Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’ said that the appointments are with immediate effect and that his committee has done due diligence on all the names and approved the constitution.

Yusuf ‘Fresh,’ who is also vice chairman of the NFF Strategy Committee, said: “All the coaches will be unveiled at a later date, alongside the coaching crews of the U-20 and U-17 girls that were appointed earlier as a result of their World Cup qualifying campaigns.”

U-23 Eagles: Salisu Yusuf (Head Coach); Imama Amapakabo; Kennedy Boboye; Fidelis Ilechukwu; Alloy Agu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

U-20 (Flying Eagles): Paul Aigbogun (Head Coach); Abdullahi Maikaba; Abubakar Bala; Hassan Abdallah (Scouting); Suleiman Shuaibu (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

U-17 (Golden Eaglets): Manu Garba (Head Coach); Nduka Ugbade; Jolomi Atune Ali; Bunmi Haruna (Scouting); Abideen Baruwa Olatunji (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

U-15 Boys (Future Eagles): Alala Danladi Nasidi (Head Coach); Haruna Usman ‘Ilerika’; Ahmed Lawal Dankoli; Patrick Bassey (Scouting); Ernest Salolome (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

U-13 boys: Jolomi Atune Ali (Head Coach); Jude Agada; Abdullahi Umar Tyabo; Adewale Laloko (Scouting); Adeoye Onigbinde (Goalkeepers’ Trainer)

Let us keep our fingers crossed and watch how far these Yusuf Ahmed Fresh/Amaju Pinnick men would lead the various teams they are attached to. I wish they will prove me wrong. Discussion continues in WhatsAPP, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Keep shooting, till next week!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 19, 2018