Olalekan Okusan
Former Nigeria internationals in the Diaspora under the aegis of the Nigeria Ex-International Footballers Association (NE-IFA), have lamented the dwindling fortunes of football under the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF.
A statement signed by its President and Secretary Charles Okoye and Francis Moniedafe described the state of football as disheartening especially the neglect of the grassroots and local leagues.
The group berated the NFF for its nonchalant attitude towards the overall development of football across the country.
“Pinnick’s two terms have underlined a disastrous period for the development of football in the country with the abandoning of previous structures that sprung Nigeria to the pinnacle of global youth soccer,” the group said in a statement. “Nigeria’s dominant cache as the U-17 kings of global soccer has disappeared.
“ Under Amaju, Nigeria barely qualifies for competition at the continental level. Participation at the global level is now an afterthought.
“Only a trickle of talent has moved from the youth levels to the Super Eagles. This is a drastic change from the past. These downturns directly result from Amaju’s nonchalant attention to grassroots and youth football. Instead, he has shifted attention to seeking youth talent from European academy structure,” the group said.
Furthermore the group lamented the naked neglect of Nigeria Football Professional League (NFPL) which used to be a production for the various national teams and picked holes in the NFF guidelines which they said have shut the doors over ex-players who have no voting power in determining the NFF president.
They further regretted that the NFF leadership of focusing on self-promotion in the corridors of global football, they, however, called on the Minister of the Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare to stop the trend while also insisting on the total change in the glasshouse.
“We, as Nigeria Ex-International Footballers Association (NE – IFA), are crying out now and asking for our football to be saved from the clutches of Amaju Pinnick and his cohorts. The damage is extensive and increasing. We are calling for a S-T-O-P to the carnage. It is time to step on the brake and insist on a change,” they added.