By Daily Sports on March 5, 2018

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Our write-up last week again brought more enemies to yours truly in sports as calls and SMS that came from certain present and past ‘heavyweights’ of Nigeria Football administration left sour taste in the mouth. You can vividly bear me out that truth as said is bitter. After weighing their witty accusations and counter accusations (though not one to be dismissed with a wave of the hand as I have since done), one is left wondering and probably forced to believe that Nigeria is truly a typical example of ‘Tale of Two Cities’. The hue and cry of ‘one Nigeria’ is reality coated on falsehood. No jokes please!

What some of them opened their mouths to say no doubt gave credence to this assertion. You must have gone through the said write-up titled ‘A Peep Into Today’s NFF And Its Activities.’

All that was highlighted were in the public domain but I found it curious that someone with conscience would describe it as “all trash, mere imagination, sponsored, a twist of cooked up tales to portray the ‘all performing administration’ in bad light which has already failed.”

I have consolation.  The fact is that Daily Sports since its debut with its policy has never tilted towards being in anybody’s pocket and by extension Sports Pulse column. When this kind of scenario comes to play, you are wont to ask: ‘Where did I go wrong?”

Let us not forget to keep praying for Nigeria as teams at various CAF Championships will be on parade this week. Plateau United will be in Tunisia against Etole Du Sahel. We pray that the Nigerian representative will get their acts together in that hell of football battle against the dreaded North African side. Others like MFM our second team at the CAF elite club champ will do battle also. Then in second tier, we will see Akwa United and an oldie in the continental scene with its keen and robust politics, Enyimba International square it out against their already known opponents. It would be recalled that the Aba-based team was drawn bye in the first round. We pray they show staying power as the Championships are gradually entering into difficult stages. Let me leave this on that note while we keep looking at the calendar as events unfold.

This is World Cup year and Nigeria will be there this time not just as a mere participant but as a major stakeholder.

It would be important to note that Nigerian administrators, technical crew, players and fans are on the same page that Super Eagles are ripe for at least quarter-final stage.  To be honest with you, the team’s technical hand, Gernot Rohr has left no body in any doubt that he wants to make statement with Super Eagles team in Russia World Cup summit.

For instance, he has been emphasizing the need to have a roundly fortified goalkeeping department for his team and he has made it known where his interest for the first goalkeeper lies. To that effect, he has set foreign goalkeeper trainer to oversee the improvement of Francis Uzoho, second choice safe gloves for Deportivo de La Coruña. If the coach sticks to his statement, it meant that Daniel Akpeyi will make it to the Mundial and all things being equal Ikechukwu Ezenwa will be second keeper to Uzoho.

He has also made it point blank that he would stick to the core Eagles squad he played during the qualifiers and friendly matches as his possible line up for the impending World Cup tournament. There will likely not be chance for new comers for the Russia champ.

That being the case, Rohr has also being monitoring the state of readiness of his lads as the build mounts and he would line some of them up in the friendly game that would be on later this Month. Analyst keen on Nigerian football said that the friendlies by the Eagles en-route the World Cup would mean a lot for the players given the opportunity to lace their boots in the games as it will determine who finally makes the team for the Mundial 2018.

Again these pundits also argued that this set of Eagles players are mostly average players without any super star that can beat his chest to be a sure banker for Russia World Cup. However, the team can safely boast of some experienced players who will be an asset to team when the chips are down. As the Franco- Germany tactician set for an uphill task of strictly picking his team based on current form and determination to excel, there are insinuations that the head coach is under intensive pressure by players agents and some NFF executive committee members to ensure their players get a place in the Russia squad. But how far they will go will tell as the day unfolds. Again how the white coach would receive their overtures also remains to be seen as we move toward the friendlies and then when the final list would be announced.

But according to an analyst, who would like his name off print, Rohr does not look like someone that would compromise on his avowed goal and only the best legs would represent the country in Russia.

The coast according to the veteran analyst who has closed followed the trends on the Super Eagles and her handlers over the years insisted that Rohr is bent on delivering in Russia and believes if nothing goes at the last minutes; the coach would make strong statement in this year’s World Cup.

The team is full of young but determined players hungry for success and bubbling with energy to deliver, up their careers and earn huge cash compared to their current status. The lads will display and showcase the stuff they made of and Rohr has been working and only talk when he deems it necessary to in order to ease tension associated with the game at that level.

He has shown commitment, discipline and maturity haven secured more contract years for himself via his hard work and sense of responsibility he has put into his job since he was hired to oversee the technical and other aspects of the team.

So far he has told Nigerians in clear terms that there is nothing wrong in expecting their team to win in the Mundial however they should not over do that as their darling side is ranking 52^nd in the World going to compete against the teams that rank first, second, third fourth etc in the World; promising however to do his best to knock the Nigerian side together praying for injury free team to the football festival.

Truth is that he has shown determination and honesty also ensuring that the players’ payments were settled before the start of even the friendlies. What other loyalty does one expect from an employee that has taken his job so superb and continues to show more commitment?

One must also not conclude this write up without saying that the NFF on its part has done well so far. The body seems to be on top of its preparations for the World Cup.

Of note is that the apex football governing body has identified money as key to solid and elaborate World Cup preparations and Amaju Pinnick and his army are hell bent to source for funds where ever it may hide  so as to properly fund the activities of the Nigerian side before and during the tournament. He has not put anybody in doubt on his readiness to source and realize $2.8 (US dollars) for the World Cup showpiece building in Russia.

Sources close to him confided in Daily Sports that he has vowed to stop at nothing to make funds available when needed throughout the competition whose hallmark is survival of the fittest, so the Eagles won’t lack.

For us here, ours is to monitor critically and report back same to our dear readers to be fully abreast of what is happening around her team.

Let me confess that there has been increased participation in our social media discussion since it was introduced. Let’s trend on Twitter, WhatsApp, Linkedin and Facebook. Keep shooting hard, till next week!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 5, 2018

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