The 2 – 3
humiliation of the Super Eagles of Nigeria at home soil in Calabar, by an
ordinary Congo national team, was a shock to many. But indeed, it could be a
sign of the END, the end of Nigeria’s glorious run in recent months.
Olaleye
Dada, a sports analyst said on LTV Sports Splash this Monday morning: “Stephen
Keshi should have seen the sign and
honorably resign his position as Nigeria national team Head Coach now that the
ovation is still loud. If Nigeria loss to South Africa on Wednesday 10, 2014 at
Cape Town, his patriotism as a freelance coach may count for nothing and then,
he may have opened himself to public mouthing.”
“NFF may use
the opportunity to rubbish his career and his current financial value may be
priced down.” Dada explained.
# Are we going back to the drawing
board?
It seem the
Sports minister , Tamuno Danagogo and his cohorts may have decided to put the
nation’s football on a reverse gear - Things has suddenly stopped moving
forward and our football is fast sliding back into the ditch.
 |
| Tamuno Danagogo, Sports Minister |
The story is
familiar to most football followers in Nigeria.
How one Baribote’s wife started a court case against NFF; how the court
sat and suspended the leadership of NFF; how the minister obeyed court order
and appointed an acting secretary general; and the resultant reaction by FIFA ,
to suspend Nigeria from participating in any organize football in world.
We all know
it was a well rehearsed script that was acted out like a typical Nigeria Nollywood’s
home video – to remove Aminu Maigari from office, as NFF President.
FIFA
Officials have insisted the NFF Extraordinary Congress that unanimously
endorsed the dissolution of the Aminu Maigari led NFF Executive Committee, did
not act in line with FIFA rules and regulations. For one, football matters are
not litigated in regular courts, there’s the FIFA Court of Arbitrations. Two,
FIFA is strongly against government interference in such matters and has
threatened to ban Nigeria right away.
The Sports
ministry in trying to manipulate the situation to beat FIFA threat, decided to
start Part2 of the drama.
By the sport
minister’s instructions, Baribote’s wife decided to drop the case in the
interest of the country, as she stated. Baribote himself came out to say: “I
pleaded with my wife to vacate the court case against NFF… Despite the
victimization I suffered at the hands of NFF, the interest of Nigeria should
come first.”
As wonderful
as that statement sound, it was still part of the plot in part2 of this
terrible drama. It heralds the blackmail, as an official at the sport ministry
said: “The national sports commission (NSC) deemed the action necessary as the
Federal government want to avoid accusations of any interference in the
administration of football. NFF should raise its own N239 million Naira to fund
the participation of Super Falconets at the U-20 Women’s World cup in Canada.”
 |
| Chis Giwa, New Acclaimed NFF President |
Well,
different scene played out, but at the end, a kangaroo election was conducted
and Chris Giwa emerged as the new NFF President. Yet, FIFA didn’t recognize the
election and asked that Giwa vacate office before September 8, 2014; that Aminu
Maigari should be re-instated immediately as NFF President.
Looking at
Maigari’s score card, FIFA seem to be speaking the mind of most football fans
in Nigeria. Maigari is perhaps the most successful NFF President ever in the
history of Nigerian football. We could see our national teams doing well and
our football moving forward. Take the recent records from 2013 till date:
- Nigeria Super Eagles won the Africa’s Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa 2013
- Nigeria Eaglets won FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE 2013
- Nigeria Home based Eagles was placed 3rd in Championship of African Nations (CHAN) 2013
- Nigeria Super Eagles finished in the second round of FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014
- Nigeria Super Falconets won Silver trophy (Finalist) in FIFA U-20 Women’s World cup in Canada 2014
The good
part is Maigari used Nigeria indigenous coaches to achieve all these. So why
does someone want to remove such a successful president? His results speak for
him and we must be quick to restate him, so he may continue his good works!
