Week in week out, nothing good seems comes out of Nigerian football. What keeps oozing out is something nauseating. The stench is not only nauseating, but is now suffocating. The stench is reaching a crescendo, and if something is not urgently done, we may not play football again in the nearest future.
I am not a pessimist, but just saying the truth the way I perceive it for now. Many, especially those at the helm of affairs in football administration, and their apologists will never align with my position, but may not castigate me openly, but not secretly. And this is not unexpected. I expect nothing other than that.
The rot in Nigerian football started in the late eighties and since nothing concrete was done to halt this descent, we are now witnessing the outcome of our collective failure to do the right thing when the signs pointed to the fact that the abyss is staring us in the face.
Those who will like to sustain the present status quo ante that will lead to nowhere will swear that something is wrong with this guy. He is probably taking advantage of the fact that he is a Sport Editor and can write whatever pleases him. Nothing is farther from the truth for anyone to hold on to such opinion.
Truth is, I know what I am writing, nothing but the truth. To start with, an abyss is a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm or a deep void. It’s a very deep hole that seems to have no bottom.
Referring to the situation of Nigerian football, it can only mean that Nigerian football is witnessing a difficult situation that brings trouble or leads to destruction.
Few examples will suffice to illustrate the issues being raised here.
Flying Eagles performance at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland brings to fore the parlous state of football development in the country; the failure to pay critical attention to youth development. It is one of the worst performance by any Nigerian team at that level. This is a tournament Nigeria has played the final twice. In as much as I don’t subscribe to winning at all cost at under age tournaments, but to have presented an uncoordinated team, a team that lacks character, is to say the least embarrassing. The players cannot be within the tournament age requirement.
In fact, Chief Segun Odegbami, former Super Eagles captain summed up the team performance thus, “Simply not good enough, not representative of our best, coaching was non-existent, and if those boys were all boys, I shall turn 21 this year!”Please note that Chief Odegbami is above 60years.
We should not be in short supply of players for the age grade tournaments if we truly pay special attention to youth football. Nigeria is partnering with LaLiga with the view to develop youth football. But we have refused to inculcate the LaLiga model of ensuring that Premier league clubs have youth teams. That is what obtains in La Liga and other European leagues. The youth teams play matches every weekend. They compete for league points and trophies, but we don’t have it in our league. Is it disgracing that we look for players in Europe for our age grade tournaments, what a shame.
Why still ruing Flying Eagles disgraceful exit, players and officials of Kano Pillars brought serious opprobrium on Nigerian football last Monday in Lagos at the Super Six Playoffs. The public disgrace arising from their shameful conduct was reprehensible. Watching the scene as their players manhandled the referee and their fans invaded the pitch, throwing stones and other dangerous weapons was a big reproach on our football. These supporters simply exhibited their animalistic traits. Just because they didn’t win the game? What if this game was played in Kano, what would have been the fate of the referee and his assistants and their opponents? Security was grossly inadequate, the punishment meted out to the team and Rabiu Ali who led the onslaught was just a slap on the wrist.
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