Super Eagles Foundering, Slowly

By Tayo Balogun

I am increasingly getting worried that those who have been saying our national football teams are declining rapidly are right afterall. All along the evidence supporting perceivable depreciation stand out like a sore thumb but I have always believed things would be sorted out by concerned parties to effect necessary changes. That was why when our age group teams were foundering. I urged caution believing that what I considered a glitch should not lead to panic. My belief was that we can go back to see what went wrong and redress same. But that didn’t happen. Instead, the rot has spread to our female football teams. Please recollect that since almost forever we were the dominant country in Africa when it comes to football as played by women. Now Equitorial Guinea, Ghana, Togo, Morocco and Mali think they are on the same pedestal as our Falcons. And current results show we are. Some few weeks ago, South Africa came to our shores to rubbish our team in the maiden Aisha Buhari Gold Cup. This is notwithstanding the fact that officials took money to ‘prepare’ the Falcons in Australia! The defeat by Banyana Banyana ( don’t know why they have to use Banyana twice), was particularly painful because the South African girls showed that we have regressed greatly in a sport in which were once revered and feared.

Four years ago our Super Eagles qualified for the World Cup in style. The expectation was that our team would go as far as at least the second round of the tournament. Some pundits postulated that we might be able to get to the quarters. We crashed out in the first round, conceding defeats in two matches we were good enough to win. The naivety of our coaching crew allowed Croatia to force their game plan on the Eagles by slowing down the match to allow the aged Croatian team cope with the speed of the much younger and more vibrant Nigerian players. The Argentine team we faced was available to be taken but Gernot Rohr just didn’t know what to do.

The anger at our shock exit from the World Cup soon petered out when we got a couple of good results culminating in our winning the bronze medal for the umpteenth time at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations held in Egypt.

But since then, we have continued, like with most aspects of our national life, on a downward slide. Confounded by the tepid display of a once vibrant Super Eagles, our players, like their coach, seem to believe all they owe us was to be on the field of play. Except for a few, our players no longer display the zeal and panache associated with football teams from Nigeria. Save for Osimhen, It was glaring for all to see yesterday at Teslim Balogun Stadium.

It does appear that something has gone horribly wrong. Since when does it require prayer and fasting to beat teams from Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Benin Republic, Central African Republic? Just yesterday, Nigerians had to rely on divine intervention for Eagles to survive Cape Verde after Victor Osimhen scored in the first minute but Nigeria got pegged back four minutes later.

Gradually our most important brand is losing its value. Suddenly, we are waking up perhaps too late to find out that our football is in dire straits. Almost all our football clubs get kicked out of continental competition in the first round reflecting that our teams are not good enough. The Nigeria Football Federation appears not to see anything wrong. Subsequently they cannot work out a solution. Feelers from the body is that most of them are busy trying to entrench themselves. Their main concern is the next NFF election due in June next year. No one is paying attention to the inferno on the mountain! My fear is that, somehow, we may not be at the next World Cup in Qatar unless everyone wake up. I hope something can still be done. Our coach must be told to take his job more seriously and be assisted to perform optimally. Everyone loses if we do not get to Qatar !

…ABBA YOLA AND ADOKIYE

Last week, the Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, was reported to have appointed Malam Abba Abdullahi Yola as his Chief of Staff. I am curious about the designation because I am told such post is not provided in the Civil Service structure. Since this is a novel idea who pays him? What happens to the Permanent Secretary ? Would Abba be the Head Boy of all the Minister’s Assistants and Advisers? I have no doubt Abba Yola has a lot to offer but… While i acknowledged receiving a copy of Adokiye Amiesimaka letter to the Sports Minister rejecting to serve in the Committee set up to draw a 10 year Master plan to develop our football. His reason:’ … Carefully thought through Reports on similar subjects by other(earlier) committees some of which I was privileged to serve on were received with high commendation by the authorities only to gather dust. Regrettably, there is no indication whatsoever that things will be any different this time around. Accordingly, respectfully decline your kind offer as it would amount to a waste of my time and public funds.’

I agree with Adokie completely. I have once written that there is NOTHING the Minister needs to develop our Sports or Football that he would not find in the archives of his ministry.