This article will highlight the various problems battling Nigerian football both at amateur and professional levels. In world football Nigeria is a force to reckon with but the plaque eating deep into her wound has contributed negatively to her development. Nigerian football and Africa in general is not encouraging at all. Nigeria especially was known in the 90s as one of the strongest sides in Africa coupled with the calibre of players in the squad. That cannot be said of today even though we are not short of talents and those yet to be explored. The problem stem from the foundation of African football which encompass grassroots, orientation, culture and so on.
The number one factor is the bad leaders parading the surface of African football especially Nigeria. The negativity oozing from them has engulfed football beyond repair. The bad leaders referred to here are the FA. The Nigerian Football Association are not helping football. Recently, there was a fight on who to become the President Giwa and Amaju Pinick. Giwa has been banned by FIFA for 5 years but he still had the effrontery to push for the seat of the NFA presidency. That's really outrageous and denting the image of Nigerian Football.
The Contractual agreements of managers are always are slow to implement or not honoured. This occurred mostly in Nigerian football. The current coach of the Super Falcons is being owed 8 months salary likewise Gernet Rohr of the Super Eagles, can you imagine? The Super Falcons performed woefully against South Africa last weekend and people have been castigating them for their performance but have refused to have a deep thought for the treatment of the coach and his staff. How do you expect the manager to be committed to his job with a hungry stomach. Local coaches are also not exempted. Former coaches like Sunday Oliseh, Late Stephen Keshi and so on were owed before they left the managerial job. This attitude towards football cannot account for breakthrough whatsoever.
Another major factor is the prioritizing of the Super Eagles over the Super Falcons. Yes we know it is unavoidable but this is more pronounced in Nigeria. The NFA believe money is the only motivation for the Eagles and this has not been effective. They failed to understand that these players are big boys and no matter how much you pay them it can never match the amount they earn in their various clubs. The Super falcons on the other hand have been handed with levity. They trivialise everything associated to their preparation. The amount of money spent on the Eagles is far more than what they give the Falcons and you expect good results after 90 minutes. Are you kidding me?
The last issue that adds insult to injury is the manner in which Eagles coach, Rohr approached his job mainly on preparation for games. This man does not live in Nigeria and if there is a game at hand he comes 3 to 4 days to the game. Is that not a slap in the face of Nigeria. He earns so much money but refused to live in Nigeria to build a stronghold team. In England, the national coach attend various club games to monitor promising players who could be suitable for the national team but here we are in Nigeria. The neither lives in the country let alone watch the Nigeria Professional Football League. Anyway i don't blame because the league itself is not recording any remarkable development stemming from non payment of players and shortage of facilities to facilitate their development.
Ladies and gentlemen this is where i draw the curtain till another day. Kindly share your views in agreement or disagreement and the way forward.
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