The Nation Newspaper

Category: Ade Ojeikere

  • Golden Boot for worthy Africans

    The English game was a spectacle to behold last Sunday, with the last 10 matches of the Barclays English Premier League producing plenty of drama, twists and turns as the game rolled its course of 90 minutes. The attention was on Anfield where Liverpool, with 94 points, were engaged in a must-win tie against giant killers Wolves. The Reds won 2-0. The fans listened to radio commentaries or checked livescore.com for the results as Manchester City pushed to retain the title with an away tie against Brighton. The Citizens won by 4-1. Manchester City were champions again.

    The stories in the week cut across the teams, but the most significant was the emergence of three Africans – Mohammed Salah (Liverpool), Sadio Mane (Liverpool) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) – as joint highest goal scorers with 22 goals. As the games were going on, pundits were coming up with various theories to decide the eventual winner of the Golden Boot. Some of the theories included the first of the three scorers to get to 22. Others argued for the number of assists they provided for teammates to score goals. The rest talked about the quality of opposition against whom these scorers got their goals. Those in this last school mischievously pointed at Romelu Lakuku’s penchant for scoring against weaker teams and freezing like ice-cream before top-notch teams. Lukaku, happily, scored goals for Belgium at the Russia 2018 World Cup against Panama (two goals) and Tunisia (two goals). The Mundial isn’t a platform for Lilliputians. In the annals of the World Cup, Lukaku is a renowned goal-scorer.

    Until the final day’s games, Salah was ahead with 21 goals, although Mane and Aubameyang had scored 20 goals each. Goals make a game exciting, and it was good to hear or watch Africans adding to the spectacle with breath-taking goals in one of Europe’s biggest league competition. Years past, nothing good could have come out of the ‘Dark Continent’.

    Salah, Aubameyang and Mane are involved in Cup finals where they can score goals with aplomb to underscore the contributions of Africans to the beautiful game in the last decade. Mane and Salah will lead  Liverpool’s attacking onslaught against Tottenham in the finals of the UEFA Champions League on June 1 in Spain. Aubameyang can also increase his goals tally this season when he files onto the pitch with Arsenal in the finals of the Europa Cup against Chelsea on May 29 in Baku.

    If Liverpool and Arsenal triumph in the Champions League final against Tottenham and in the Europa Cup final against Chelsea, then the final of the Super Cup will be the turf to settle their difference, depending on how well they score in the two final matches.

    It is quite interesting to note that three Africans (Aubameyang, Salah and Mane with 22 goals each) rank behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in goal-scoring, not withstanding what the duo have done this season. Ronaldo and Messi have surpassed the 600-goal mark, though Ronaldo did his with several clubs, unlike Messi who did his with Barcelona.

    Aubameyang, in a post-match comment, told The Sun: ‘’It means a lot. I am really happy and proud of it. I am sharing this trophy with Mane and Salah – and I like these two guys. We are representing Africa so it is a good sign for the continent. I am really proud and I have to thank my team-mates for helping me to get it.’’

    “It was a tough season, but I had the chance to score goals because the team played a great season. Of course, the last months were not the best in the Premier League, but the whole season, we put in a great effort. I was near (to a hat-trick) but sometimes that can happen,” Aubameyang said.

    Salah, who scored 32 goals last season to clinch the crown, retained the highest goal scorer’s award with 22 goals. He shares the award with two others. However, Salah scored 32 goals last season to clinch the crown. Will Salah dump Liverpool if the side fails to lift the UEFA Champions League in Spain on June 1? Or will he stay with the Reds next season with a victory over Tottenham Hotspurs?

    “I say congratulations to Manchester City and we will fight again next season for this trophy. I don’t know what to say. We had a great season,” Salah told beIN SPORTS.

    “We earned a huge number of points and lost only one game, but we have to forget all of that and think about the next season in order to win the title. It’s great to share the Golden Boot with Sadio Mane. Winning the award for the second time is an incredible feeling,” Salah concluded.

    Records were broken in this year’s EPL, such that a team which lost one game and grabbed 97 points didn’t win the trophy. Previously, such points-haul was enough for the title, except for the previous season when champions Manchester City got 100 points to set a competition record. City retained the title this year with 98 points. Will City win the league title a third time on the trot? Possibly, more so as manager Pep Guardiola isn’t in a hurry to leave the team. He is willing to stay with the Citizens for another two years.

    Manchester City will on Sunday aim to beat Watford FC at Wembley to lift the English FA Cup, their third domestic title this season. Certainly, Guardiola would have loved to be in the final, with his achievement this season. He has to strengthen his team and learn what the finer details of winning the UEFA Champions League diadem are, beyond having the best players in your camp.

     

    Iheanacho is a good player

     

    What kind of soccer analysts do we have here? Yes, people have a right to express themselves on topical issues. But such views become worrisome when they destroy other people’s future. Our football critics need to take it easy because what we say or write goes viral. It is unfair to pillory Kelechi Iheanacho simply because he is listed in Nigeria’s provisional squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Egypt.

    Iheanacho could not have forced himself on the coach, who must have seen something good in him. Besides, we must learn how to support our players when they have issues with their clubs or they have things bothering them. We must stop inviting players to play for us and dumping them when they are either distressed or have lost form.

    When some analysts criticise, they forget that any player who sits on the bench is as good as those playing. In fact, some coaches keep certain players on the bench only to field them to plug loopholes in the team in the second half. We have seen many players coming off the bench to score goals or change the fortune of their teams for the better.

    I wonder why these analysts are after Iheanacho’s jugular for not playing, but keep mute over the invitation of Leon Balogun and Francis Uzoho. Iheanacho is closer to being fielded by sitting on the bench. Balogun sits at the stands, not listed for most of Brighton’s matches. Does it make sense not to invite a match-rusty Iheanacho, but list an injury-hit Odion Ighalo?

    This analogy raises the poser of club players and national team players. It also means that the coach knows how to field Iheanacho and Balogun to bring out their best, for instance, than the coaches at Leicester City and Brighton. Rohr, in picking the three players, wants to see them train with their mates to ascertain their true form. Rohr wants them for their experience. No manager throws away experience, especially of players who were at the last World Cup in Russia.

    No European coach will bench any international for a foreigner. They always like to protect theirs. For Iheanacho to play regularly, he has to bench Jamie Vardy, an England international. Besides, Vardy is a club hero at Leicester. Not fielding such stars puts coaches on the spot. I  think that Iheanacho can bench Vardy if given the playing time Vardy enjoys. Players can only correct themselves if given more playing time. Playing for a few minutes towards the end of games isn’t soul lifting.

    Premier League teams would rather give their players more playing time than allow foreign stars take over the league. This is because England would not watch foreign stars dwarf its own local stars, forcing them to travel overseas and ultimately killing the local league. This cycle, in turn, affects the economy because when England keeps its stars at home, money stays at home; there would be no need to spend what should be used to develop England’s economy outside England.

    New coaches, most times, work with what they have. Where they recruit new players, they stick to them. When I see Iheanacho on the bench, I sympathise with him because the coach who recruited him has been sacked.

    Iheanacho should, therefore, join West Ham next season if the story making the rounds in the transfer market is true. Under Coach Manuel Luis Pellegrini Ripamonti, Iheanacho kissed the headlines and gave big European players something to ponder over weekly. Iheanacho scored 12 goals under Pellegrini in the Premier League (8) and Champions League (4). He couldn’t have suddenly become a bad player. If Iheanacho is, he won’t be in Europe.

  • What a season!

    Women in Nigeria, especially the married ones, cherish the European league season very much because it helps in family bonding. The women know where their husbands are (for those who choose to watch the games with the ‘boys’ outside their homes). For others who dash home to see the matches with their families, the wives happily welcome them with sumptuous meals.

    Little wonder many families in the country are torn between themselves in supporting European teams. Some fathers conscript everyone into supporting their clubs. There are few exceptions to this rule. It is always very interesting watching games where the wife’s and kids’ clubs have a game with daddy’s and they win. They taunt their daddies, who take the jokes on the chin, knowing that their  day will come.

    The results serve as levellers in instances when the kids’ team loses to daddy’s club. There won’t be peace. Daddy rubs the defeat in for days. He is the boss. Such is the allure of the game that when there are important games, the streets are empty only to erupt when goals are scored. Sadly, some overzealous urchins among them take their fanatical biases to the extreme – they maim and kill fans of the opposing teams in defeat.

    One wonders why, but gets consoled when such European clubs report such dastardly acts and express their sympathises for the departed. These European clubs not only report deaths from such bestial acts, they all report the good things, especially when their African players score in their national teams’ assignments. Such is the popularity of the European leagues.

    You need to see the way Nigerians analyse the European games. Those who are not eloquent in English language resort to their mother tongues. In most cases, these people take their support for their clubs to such a level that objects inside their living rooms are painted in their club colours or they have the insignia of their favourite teams to show where they belong. Some take pride in taking their bedrooms decorated with their club attires online.

    It is also very interesting reading brickbats when big teams are beaten. Worst hit are fans of Manchester United and Arsenal this season, for instance. Both teams have to contend with Europa Cup matches next season, except Arsenal qualifies for the Europa Cup finals and win the trophy. If it happens that Gunners win the Europa Cup, then the team will qualify to play the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League, like Manchester United did this season.

    As for the relegated teams, Huddersfield, Cardiff and Fulham return to the English Championship League next season with a lot of experience. In fact, pundits are already tipping Fulham to return, given the way they prosecuted their last six matches, even after securing the drop from the elite class. Perhaps, one or two of the promoted teams may raid Fulham for their stars to strengthen their teams for the daunting task in the elite class next year.

    Former EPL campaigners Norwich City and Sheffield United are two of the three teams from the English Championship League promoted to the elite class. Norwich garnered 94 points. Sheffield chalked up 89 points to move on the English Leagues’ ladder. Yet, both teams should recruit new players lest they spend the new season battling the drop, which could be imminent, given the way old warriors in the EPL are plotting to strengthen their squad.

    Interestingly, it took 37 weeks to decide the last two teams for the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League, with Chelsea and Tottenham locked in a final quest for points to grab the third position. If Chelsea fails to beat Leicester in their away fixture, then Tottenham may if they beat Everton in their seemingly jinxed new stadium in London.

    However, Tottenham are in the finals of the UEFA Champions League, having eliminated the competition’s fairytale team Ajax Amsterdam 3-2 in Holland, to upturn the 1-0 loss they suffered in the first leg game in England. Tottenham has a bad customer in Everton on Sunday. A point is what they need, but they would strive for the full three points to place third, depending on how well Chelsea plays against Leicester tomorrow.

    This is Tottenham’s best season; they are in their first ever UEFA Champions League final. The manager summarises Spurs’ season thus: ‘’Still difficult to talk. Emotion is amazing, thank you football.’’

    ‘’Thank you these guys, they are heroes. In the last year I am telling everyone I have a group that are heroes and they showed today big balls. Second half was amazing, thank you football. This type of emotion is impossible without football. Thank you to the fans, those who believed in us, and to achieve this is fantastic. It’s hard to describe in words.

    ‘’We were talking before the game that when you work and when you feel the love, it’s not a stress, it’s a passion. We showed that tonight. I think in the game against City and today it is amazing. It was a joy to watch this type of game, difficult for Ajax, to compete at this level in this competition this can happen and I am so grateful to be a coach, to be in football and living this moment.’’

    ‘’Superhero for [Lucas] Moura. Unbelievable hat-trick. He deserves it, he’s a great guy. Everyone deserves it for all the tough moments we’ve been through over the five years. The chance to play in a final, it is for my family, for all the people who supported us in that moment. It is amazing. Thank you and we now need to be ready for Sunday and then prepare for the final in Madrid.’’ Well said, Pochettino.

    Manchester United and Arsenal are stuck in the Europa Cup bracket, which their fans are rooting for the sack of certain players and coaches. Will Arsenal’s and Manchester United’s management harken to their fans’ requests? Time will tell.

    The bigger fixtures on Sunday in EPL will be played at Anfield, where Liverpool are condemned to beat Wolves by as many goals as they wish, if they hope to reach 97 points. Early goals and a few more at half-time will compel those at home to check out what will be happening at Brighton which will be playing host to defending champions Manchester City.

    Victory for Brighton, which is farfetched, will roll out the drums of celebrations at Anfield, reminiscent of what happened on Tuesday, when the Reds overran Barcelona FC of Spain 4-0 to set the stage for a final game in the UEFA Champions League against Tottenham in Madrid on June 1.

    The 2018/2019 EPL has been a straight fight between Manchester City and Liverpool, with both teams interchanging the top position 32 times in 37 weeks.  If City fumbles, then the leadership change will be 33rd in the 38-week league format. Will there be another clincher for Liverpool to lift the diadem in the new era after 29 years? Football is cruel but Manchester City players know what it takes to win.

    If Manchester City and Liverpool win their Week 38 matches, City will nick the diadem with 98 points. Liverpool will rue the drawn games they had in the quest for the title. Liverpool will finish with 97, a club record in the competition.

    But there is something about ambition. It is not served ala carte and Liverpool knows so. They are thinking  of a double celebration, according to The Daily Mail on Thursday night.

    The Daily Mail reported: ‘’Liverpool have made plans for two separate victory parades should they win the Premier League and the Champions League. The Reds go into the final day of the domestic season on Sunday still with a chance of winning their first league title since 1990. They need to beat Wolves and hope Brighton can stop Manchester City from winning on the south coast.

    ‘’And they have a shot at a second trophy too after their Anfield heroics on Tuesday saw them edge past Barcelona to reach the Champions League final on June 1. Should they win the league, Jurgen Klopp’s men will enjoy an open-top bus parade on Monday 13 May – the day after the season ends. Victory in Madrid against Tottenham will see them return to Merseyside to show off the trophy on June 2. Both parades will begin at 4pm.’’

    Hmmm! Are Liverpool not counting their chicks before they are hatched?

    Glenn Hoddle’s heart relief

    Glenn Hoddle is a Tottenham legend. He has been down with heart attack. He fully recovered from the ailment seven months ago. He also recently returned to football punditry with BP Sport. As a Spurs legend, he was the best person to talk in such circumstances, having been through such difficult games.

    Trust the English media to capture those scenes which the cameras can’t show everyone. Indeed, it is someone’s duty to provoke such scenes. And Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand – and  former England defender and host Gary Lineker – did the job perfectly, bringing relief which modern medicine will cringe at.

    Daily Mail on Thursday reported: ‘’Lineker asked Hoddle: ‘Glenn, are you OK?’

    ‘’He said: ‘Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve never been happier. I’m so glad that I’m still around to see this. I’ve been a Spurs fan since I was eight years of age, what a proud moment that was.’

    ‘’Lineker replied: ‘I’m so glad you’re here to enjoy it with us.’

    ‘’Ferdinand then jokingly patted Hoddle on the chest as the former England manager added: ‘Incredible, two footballing miracles in two nights. Emotions flying in here. Incredible. I’ve never been happier.’’

    Thank you, Lineker and Ferdinand for this comic relief which lifted Hoddle’s spirit. Football is something else, especially when your team wins.

  • Before Rodgers benches Ndidi

    I’m not comfortable with Brendan Rodgers’ stay in Leicester City. Rodgers is a good coach, but he rotates his squad to the detriment of certain key players. He only realises his folly with such rotation when his side loses at home. A case in point is Leicester’s 1-0 loss to Newcastle, a struggling side in the Barclays English Premier League.

    Until Rodgers’ arrival in Leicester, some players including Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi, Wes Morgan, Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel, were the spine of the Foxes. They were regulars who decided the Foxes’ shape and formation. They missed games due to only card offences or injuries.

    Rodgers started the needless rotation, which kept Morgan on the bench, only to introduce him into the game following injuries in one of their matches. Morgan came on as a substitute and scored the vital winner. Rodgers’ serial rotation didn’t start with Leicester. He made some controversial changes as coach of Liverpool. The changes accounted for the Reds’ miss of the Barclays English Premier League title, even when the team had the awesome trio of Raheem Sterling, Luiz Suarez and Sturridge (aka SSS). They scored goals with aplomb.

    My concern as the EPL draws to an end is the recent substitution of Ndidi in Sunday’s 3-0 whiplash of Arsenal. Most football lovers thought the Nigerian was replaced to avoid a red card, having been shown the yellow in the first half. Rather than allow Ndidi return for the second half, Rodgers asked him to rest in what he called a tactical change. Is this the first time Ndidi has been yellow carded and ended the game without a red? Was Ndidi the only player who got yellow card? Why were the others not substituted?

    What manner of tactical change was he talking about for a team down to 10 men, with a red card. It was just a matter of time that the Gunners were going to capitulate. That Arsenal left the Kings Power Stadium with three goals in their kitty came from their goalkeeper Berd Leno’s brilliance all through 90 minutes. Nothing changed with the way Leicester played in the second half and that is typical of Rodgers.

    Perhaps, Ndidi needs to do a rethink about his future with Leicester under Rodgers, lest he is confined to the bench, when the manager gets a replacement for the Nigerian during the transfer window. The other option for Ndidi will be for him to sit with Rodgers to get his assurances of a regular first team shirt or he leaves.

    Ndidi has been outstanding for Leicester. He has won several laurels and awards which earned him rave reviews and an avalanche of interests from big European clubs seeking his services. If Rodgers cannot guarantee Ndidi a first team shirt devoid of such needless substitutions, he should move away now that his value is still high. He is young; this makes his future very bright. It will be a travesty if Ndidi stays to be made a 45 minutes player.

    “I thought when it was 11 vs. 11 we were the better team, we looked a threat, we just needed to control their counter-attacks.

    “In the second half we wanted to be more aggressive, taking off Wilf (Wilfred Ndidi) who was on a yellow card, put an extra creative midfield player in and then putting Harvey (Barnes) wide.

    “I thought in the second half we showed great fitness levels, great energy and scored all three very good goals,” Rodgers told the Leicester City club website.

    I have been pinching myself to find out what happened to Kelechi Iheanacho. As a Golden Eaglets star, he was awesome, scoring goals which reminded Nigerians of the late Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami, Thompson Usiyen et al. Many people looked up to Iheanacho as the next Nigerian to win the Africa Footballer of the Year award. But Iheanacho has melted away like ice-cream under the scorching sun.

    Iheanacho raised hopes with Manchester City but soon fizzled out. Citizens’ manager Pep Guardiola rushed to Brazil to recruit Gabriel Jesus, who shone like a million stars to eclipse Iheanacho and dump him into the transfer market. Leicester recruited the Nigerian. He had a few cameo appearances with Leicester and transferred his club form to the Super Eagles, scoring some vital goals

    that gave Nigeria the ticket to the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Africa  Cup of Nations slated to hold in Egypt from June 21 to July 19. These happened under the former manager who recruited Iheanacho. When he left, I had doubts about Iheanacho’s future, I knew Rodgers, a former Liverpool coach, would try him out and come up with a verdict. That is Rodgers’ strength.

    “I think he’s a great talent but he’s a number nine. He’s not one who can play on the sides or come in. Some strikers I’ve worked with you can maybe shuffle them about and slide them around to make it work – but he’s a number nine and that’s it. And we already have a good number nine. So he’s got a fight to get ahead. But there’s maybe another system to make it work, like a diamond,” Rodgers said.

    “It’s been hard for Kelechi because he’s come in and he’s been a secondary striker at Manchester City. All of a sudden he makes a move for big money and I think everyone can see the potential. But he’s come in to one of the top strikers in the league (Jamie Vardy) and I think it’s very hard to displace that. But it’s just a case of adapting to these new players.

    “Actually, my job is not to put them in a trap of pressure, and take that away from them. Enjoy your football, but ultimately your first job is to press and work hard. From that what can you add into your game?”

    Reading Rodgers’ comments about Iheanacho when he joined the Foxes gave me a little hope, having been told that the Nigerian was just a traditional striker who couldn’t function anywhere else but as a point man to score goals. I was a little excited that Iheanacho stood a chance of stealing Vardy’s thunder anytime he is injured or is dropped due to card offences.

    It never happened for Iheanacho the few times he started the game ahead of Vardy. Even when he came in as a substitute, his output was off the mark; largely anonymous.  Iheanacho’s performance with the Foxes has been apologetic, culminating in his being dropped from the Super Eagles, and rightly so.

    I hope Iheanacho is talking with his agents to search for a new club next season. Rodgers uses every opportunity to tell the media that he is shopping for a striker to challenge Vardy as the team’s top striker. What it means is that Iheanacho is on his way out of the Foxes, since he is Vardy’s rival in the striking role position. He shouldn’t wait until January to quit Leicester. A stitch in time saves nine.

     

    Pharaohs or Super Eagles?

     

    June 21 is a landmark date in the annals of Africa Cup of Nations, with a 24-team format which sees the continent’s best players fighting to outdo one another for glory in Egypt. It is expected that by July 19, a new champion will emerge – likely Nigeria or the hosts Pharaohs of Egypt.

    Pundits are at their wits’ best in picking the finalists. They are considering Senegal, the continent’s number one in the FIFA ranking. They argue that the Terenga Lions of Senegal is built around Sadio Mane, who may be so tired as a result of the hectic European season with Liverpool, where he has scored 20 goals for the Reds in the ongoing Barclays English Premier League. The fatigue argument can be likened to Mohammed Salah, who plays for Liverpool and has scored 21 goals in the EPL. The leveller tilts in Salah’s and Egypt’s favour because of the support from their teeming fans as the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations.

    Both players (Mane and Salah) are top contenders for the Africa Footballer of the Year Award. But football is no respecter of pundits. It also doesn’t know who brought the ball to the pitch. The best playing side which takes its goal-scoring chances wins.

    Those tipping Nigeria to play in the final, have hinged their bet on the unpredictable character of the Super Eagles, especially after missing the last two editions. In fact, Nigeria, against all odds, won the Africa Cup of Nations on February 10, 2013 in South Africa. The pundits stressed that since Nigerian players made their marks in most European clubs this season, they are match fit. But will selection of players be Nigeria’s headache?

    Chief coach Gernot Rohr is having grey hairs over the inclusion of John Mikel Obi, Francis Uzoho and Chukwueze in his squad. He, however, has solutions to the trio’s inclusion, beginning with Uzoho.

    Rohr, in a twitter conversation with @osasuo, said: ‘’I have sent Enrico Pionetti, my goalkeeper trainer, to @anorthosisfc to work on goalkeeper Francis Uzoho. At the moment; it’s not, for now, a question of him being number one but of his being one of our three goalkeepers for the AFCON.’’ Good thinking coach. The way forward.

    Asked if Mikel Obi was returning to the Super Eagles, Rohr told @osasuo: ‘’This is the question that I and my team will resolve. I will soon get to see him at Boro. There are many things to consider but I respect him and what he has done for Nigeria. He remains an important player.

    ‘’He has been away from the team for a year but we qualified for the AFCON without him. His absence, as our captain, has been evident. But he has had to deal with a range of issues, after the World Cup in Russia.’’

    Asked by @osasuo if Chukwueze will start Nigeria’s matches at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Rohr said: ‘’ You seem to know all my present challenges. He is a great talent and I would like him in my team, although I don’t know if he will be an immediate starter. The challenge, of course, is that he is also wanted for Nigeria at the FIFA U-20 World Cup holding in Poland.’’

    Well said, Rohr. Good to know that NFF chieftains have promised to give the team all the logistics support they need. Up Nigeria!

  • Klopp’s lessons for Nigerian coaches

    Nigerian coaches would tell you that the players followed their instructions when the teams win matches. They would blame everyone but themselves if the result is unfavourable. When they are not blaming the boys for failing to carry out their instructions, they are lampooning the match officials or telling us how poorly the team prepared for the competition. Of course, they won’t remember promising us the trophy at the departure lounge. They won’t recall the prayer sessions they begged us to conduct as if our opponents don’t know how to pray.

    No prize for guessing that Nigerian coaches may not be following the trends of the European matches. They would be engrossed in watching other things not related to their training. If you bother to call any of them, you would be told that there isn’t anything different the foreign coaches are doing. The coaches would tell you they don’t have job satisfaction here unlike with their European counterparts. What they fail to realise is that European coaches develop themselves on the job. They are willing to undergo refresher courses and remedial training to update their knowledge without necessarily relying on the clubs.

    Nigerian coaches would submit that the reason we prefer the European game is that it is better organised, the players and the coaches are not owed wages and that there is  motivation for anyone to excel. I won’t blame Nigerian coaches much because the NFF and indeed the League Management Company (LMC) have refused to grade them such that they would aspire to acquire knowledge, knowing that they would be demoted to the lower leagues, if they don’t upgrade.

    Perhaps Nigerian coaches need tutorials from their better exposed counterparts to improve. So this writer decided to highlight what Liverpool FC of England’s manager told the media in a post-match analysis on Sunday. Indeed, Liverpool struggled to beat Cardiff 2-0, scoring a perfect set-piece from a corner-kick situation. Klopp was stunned, knowing it never came from his book of coaching tricks.

    Klopp – whose side has scored more goals from set-pieces than any other in the Premier League – ended that debate after the final whistle, explaining how his players had planned it during the interval.

    “We put a lot of emphasis on set-pieces,” explained the boss in his post-match press conference.

    “We knew that Cardiff is outstandingly strong from offensive set pieces but we knew that from time to time they have some problems with defensive set pieces. The boys obviously found out, if you make all these runs on the pitch, no camera angle is as good as your own view.

    “They decided to play that flat ball and Gini could make that run with all the blocks. Still, you have to hit the ball like this – a brilliant goal, I loved it!”

    Speaking to Sky Sports, Klopp said: “The boys decided this at half time in the dressing room, they saw the space on set pieces.”

    It is testament to the focus and intelligence that exists in this current Reds squad, picking holes in the opposition to devastating effect. Such coaches’ comments enliven the boys to give their best. No wonder Liverpool are fighting till the death to wrestle the EPL title from Manchester City.

    Klopp’s theatrics at the sidelines help propel the players when things aren’t working as planned. Klopp joins in the celebrations. He hugs or pats on the back everyone including those who didn’t live up to expectation. Liverpool look towards Klopp during matches for instructions. Little wonder the boys fight till the death to grab late goals and points to make the difference on the chart.

    Nigerian coaches should copy all of Klopp’s theatrics and comments before, during and after matches. Klopp isn’t alone in his attitude towards his players. He’s phenomenal because even the fans are inspired with the way he communicates with his boys. Liverpool has lost only one game in the EPL to Manchester City. It says a lot about the team bonding within the Reds group.

    Even when Klopp had issues with Liverpool’s captain Henderson over a poor outing, he went to the player in the dressing room to resolve the crisis and never made any news of it despite prodding from the media. Klopp had his way in the next game by benching Henderson which could be explained by the age-long theorem that nobody changes a winning squad. Henderson is back in the team.

    Henderson knows he isn’t indispensable. He has accepted that being substituted in matches doesn’t mean you are a bad player. Such changes come with different formations, which Klopp has the sole authority over.

    Back to the Barclays English Premier league and its changing faces at the top and at the bottom of the rung. Fulham beat Bournemouth at home despite being relegated to become the banana peel for teams dreaming of whipping them silly. At the bottom, Cardiff defended stoutly against Liverpool but conceded two goals to worsen their position.

    But this weekend, Fulham hosts Cardiff in a relegation dog-fight which could confirm the third side to be relegated, if Fulham continues its winning run under Coach Parker. Fulham have 23 points from 35 points but with a colossal goals difference of 43. Sitting close to them are Cardiff with 31 points. Both teams meet today, a game Cardiff must win if they hope to upstage Brighton which lost the chance to increase its points’ haul by losing to Tottenham on Tuesday night. Tottenham won the game 1-0 through Ericsen’s 89th minute strike. The goal lifted Tottenham to third, have seen others (Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea) struggling for the position lose ground through drawn and lost matches.

    Tottenham will finish in the third position if they beat West Ham today in a London derby. Manchester United and Chelsea meet on Sunday with the odds in favour of the visitors who must win tomorrow to grab the fourth place on the rung. Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City has put them on a tightrope for a continental ticket to the Europa Cup.

    Not a few people have ruled out any upsets for the top two clubs (Manchester City and Liverpool). They argue that both teams will win their next three matches, leaving Manchester City as the eventual winners by one point.  Interesting permutations but the human elements make their submissions laughable. Many watched in awe as Crystal Palace ran rings round Arsenal players culminating  in 3-2 away win for The Eagles. Not many could stomach the 4-0 drubbing which Everton inflicted on Manchester United last weekend at the Goodison Park.

    Players’ agents, scouts and Eagles

    Chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have struck the right chord by working out a strategy which would stop the diabolical influence foreign scouts and agents have in the selection of Super Eagles players for international competitions. This writer isn’t raising a false alarm. We get to hear about the illicit deals surrounding the choice of players after the country’s exit.

    It appears NFF’s resolve to change the situation isn’t lost of the team’s manager Gernot Rohr as he has ruled out new players from the selection process. Part of the allegation against previous coaches is that they invite new players after the qualification series. these players eventually make the team since the emphasis isn’t on who is picked by how well the team plays.

    If we took a young squad to the 2018 World Cup, it is only logical that 60 per cent of the players make the AFCON team. New players have emerged since the Mundial. Some of those dropped from the Mundial have matured and are doing well in their European clubs. Other may have lost form, retired or are ageing and need to be eased out.

    Rohr can’t continue to rebuild the Eagles without trophies. Qualifiers are meant to blend the boys. They have played quite a number of matches, so Rohr should know his team. We need to lift the trophy in Egypt with the quality of players in the team. Rohr should free his mind of fixations and pick the best. Rohr’s insistence of having Francis Uzoho is good, but he needs a goalkeeping expert to make this decision, like Clemens Westerhof did when he was undecided with goalkeeper Peter Rufai.

    Anything short of winning the trophy will be unacceptable. Eagles on paper have the most talented squad based on their performances in Europe. The team also has enough boys on the bench who can swing games in our favour like they do with their clubs.

  • Never walk alone

    The drama in the ongoing Barclays English Premier League is captivating. Every game tells a unique story either at the top of the points’ table or at the bottom. So competitive is this season that within the top four, there is another competition that will see one of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham or Arsenal missing out of the European inter-club competition next season. No wonder most big players want to play in England, irrespective of the poking eyes of the British media, which can be very nauseating, especially with exposes on players’ out of the pitch activities.

    At the bottom of the rung, there are two clubs which won’t be in the elite class next year, having been relegated – Fulham and Huddersfield FCs. They will play in the English Championship, yet Fulham beat an improving Everton FC, which won four games on the trot, at the Cottage Stadium on Saturday 2-0. What Fulham’s victory signifies is that the club’s management has accepted its fate, having sacked two managers recently. The club is using the remaining Barclays English Premier League matches to prepare for the tortuous campaign in the Championship next year. Fulham lost 4-0 to Tottenham last week but it was very competitive in the early stages of the game.

    Three teams will go down. Fulham and Huddersfield are gone. Cardiff may be the third candidate for relegation, only if Liverpool whip them this week with as many as four goals. Brighton played against Cardiff on Tuesday night with the latter winning 2-0, not enough to push Brighton down the ladder. Interestingly, Cardiff with 31 points have Liverpool as their opponents this weekend. This is a mountain to climb, going by the Reds’ quest for its first EPL title in 29 years. Brighton cannot afford to celebrate any advantage over Cardiff because their outstanding game is against Tottenham at away. This is a must-win fixture for Tottenham if they hope to finish third on the log and earn a ticket to the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League.

    What the Cardiff and Brighton scenario portends is that the two teams will play till the last day to decide which of them is relegated. Brighton and Cardiff have difficult fixtures in the last two weeks against teams seeking a berth in the top four. Cardiff confronts Manchester City in an away game on the last day while Brighton visits Manchester United at Old Trafford. It is easy to say that the Manchester sides will win both games. But football is like biscuit, you never know where it will crack.

    For Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, this season’s league is one to forget in a hurry. The four teams have played in the Champions League; they know what it entails. To imagine that two of them won’t be at the next edition explains why their last matches will be ones to follow. Arithmetically, anything is possible in search for the last two teams to make up the Top Four.

    But looking at the permutations in the EPL dispassionately, it appears Manchester United and Chelsea won’t make the top four, if we consider their fixtures. On April 24, Manchester United must beat their noisy neighbours Manchester City to stand a chance for top-four finish in a rescheduled tie. Indeed, Chelsea would have expectedly beaten Burnley at Stamford Bridge, putting pressure on Manchester United to win the City clash. Should both teams win their outstanding games, their clash at Old Trafford on April 28 will be the clincher for the winner. Should Manchester United beat Chelsea, then the Blues are out of the UEFA Champions League for next year. If they draw, both teams will be out or they will pray that Arsenal falters in the away fixture against Leicester on April 29.

    Today at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City’s quest for a back-to-back EPL title feat will be on their players’ minds, knowing that a slip could hand the title over to Liverpool who will wait until Sunday to rip Cardiff apart in an away fixture. Liverpool has enjoyed a fixture where they either wait to see Manchester City’s result or play ahead of City in the title chase.

    Tottenham and Manchester City have met twice in seven days, with today’s game their third encounter in 11 days. The first two games have defined their season with contrasting fortunes, although Tottenham have every reason to thank the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) machine for returning verdicts in their favour, even though they were the right decisions. Manchester City lost the first game 1-0 to Tottenham in London, but were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League’s away goal rule, even with the 4-3 victory over Spurs at the Etihad Stadium.

    Again at the Etihad this evening, Manchester City players and coaching crew must forget about the team’s elimination from the Champions League by today’s opponents and beat Spurs. If they draw or lose (God forbid),  they would have given Liverpool the chance to dethrone them on May 12, if the Reds win their remaining four matches. On Sunday, Liverpool will strive to beat Cardiff at home. Liverpool will be further boosted to whip Cardiff, if Manchester City doesn’t beat Tottenham today.

    “It is cruel but it is what it is and we have to accept it.)  After 20 minutes we were 3-2 up. In the second half we created a lot of chances and we scored the goals we needed. Unfortunately, it was a bad end for us. So, congratulations to Tottenham and good luck for the semi-finals,” said Guardiola, who has asked his players to put behind them the Champions League ouster.

    “We’ve to stand up and react. It is a close (short amount of) time and the same team. We can’t think too much now.)  We have to try to sleep as much as possible and the day before the game we are going to prepare for the game. We have fought for nine or 10 months in the Premier League and still we are there. It is in our hands. Today is tough and tomorrow will be tough too but the day after we will be ready,” he said.

    Asked whether reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time had sunk in, Tottenham’s manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “I think it means a lot. We still haven’t realised because we are still in a dream. We are still in a bubble. We felt the happiness of the fans and the messages of our family and friends. But because we are so focused and busy preparing for Saturday, you do not allow yourself to live your reality. But in some ways that’s good, because our job is to be focused and try to be ready for Saturday. Of course, we are so happy and it means a lot for everyone. We feel so proud but there is a lot of work to do until the end of the season.”

    The Argentine said: ‘’You know I didn’t want to watch again because in the moment they scored, I took off my jacket, threw my jumper, I started to think very bad things. Then I hear my assistant Jesus (Perez)’s voice say ‘Oh, maybe offside and VAR is checking.’ Then I was alive again. I understand the situation in bench of City. City were on top of the world and then to the disappointment. It’s unbelievable. The emotion was amazing. You feel sorry for them when that situation happened. Maybe another night… but what can you do? Enjoy, be respectful,’’ Pochettino said.

    Liverpool can start dreaming about their first EPL title in the new era of the competition in the last 29 years, if Tottenham leaves the Etihad Stadium unscathed. If it doesn’t happen and Manchester City wins today, then Liverpool and their teeming fans will be looking towards Manchester United for favour on April 24.

    The Manchester derby has some very exciting templates. For Manchester United, they are torn between two rivals- Liverpool are their fiercest foes in terms of records in the English game. Manchester united has won the title, including in the new era, 20 times. Liverpool has 18 titles to its name, excluding winning it in the new era. Will Manchester United beat Manchester City to spark celebrations at Anfield, home of Liverpool? Or will they rather allow their neighbours win to spite Liverpool and cause their fans pain?

    It will be difficult for Manchester United’s fans to watch City beat them at home, especially as the team needs to win all its games to stand a chance of qualifying for one of the UEFA inter-club competitions next year – Champions League or Europa Cup. Of the four teams, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham, the Red Devils have the toughest fixtures. I hope they don’t walk alone out of European football next season.

     

    Let Mikel go to Egypt

     

    John Mikel Obi is playing again. He was picked by foreigner Coach Tony  Pulis who saw him excel at Chelsea in the EPL when the Nigerian became a free agent in January. Pulis wasn’t interested in Mikel’s fitness, having known his potential.

    At Middlesbrough, many doubted Pulis’ choice of Mikel based on his form where he was coming from – China. Pulis stuck to Mikel and it didn’t take long for doubters to see what informed the Nigerian’s choice.

    Things went on smoothly for Boro until they ran into a string of consecutive losses. Not one to ponder on issues such as this, Pulis pulled Mikel aside and got his consent to captain the side in subsequent matches. It has turned out well for Pulis and Boro as the team hasn’t lost a game since Mikel wore the captain’s arm band.

    The lessons from this Boro experience is that Mikel isn’t just a good player, he is a lucky leader, a role which comes with his experience in the game.

    I have chosen to liken Mikel’s performance at Boro to the debate over his inclusion in the Super Eagles’ squad to Egypt for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. If Mikel says he wants to play for Nigeria, he should be registered. The argument that Mikel waited for Nigeria to qualify before signifying his interest to play is bunkum.

    Mikel opted out of our games to gain fitness playing for Boro. Now that he is ready, he should go with the Eagles. Happily, Ahmed Musa, who has been acting as the team’s captain, says he is doing so on Mikel’s behalf.

  • ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu

    I’m sad. I’ve spent the last five days pondering if doing anything for Nigeria is really worth the trouble. As much as I love Nigeria, I think that our negative attitude towards those who helped shape the image of the country needs to be changed. We mustn’t wait until our heroes and heroines are laying prostrate in their caskets (God forbid) before we remember who they were.

    We must stop this morbid mentality towards honouring our past heroes and heroines (the few that we remember) only in death. Many of them carry the vestiges of their death from playing for Nigeria, in the case of football, to win honours for us while we sit in the comfort of our homes or at the stands applauding their remarkable performances. It is cruel for anyone to talk about what they earned during their active days, because the proportion of those who make it to the big stage is small.

    We should remember our heroes and heroines as other countries do. I flinch reading through some of the names being given national awards yearly, especially when I don’t find the names of our deserving sportsmen and women. I’ve been told that the names come from the states; this shouldn’t be. The Ministry of Sports should impress on President Muhammadu Buhari the need to yearly reward our sports ambassadors. We shouldn’t attach national honours to winning trophies only. Those who get honoured haven’t done anything for us that brought joy to the citizenry like our sports ambassadors.

    On reflection, I seem to have a second thought on the significance of such awards when the recipients are abandoned in their old age. I’ve lost count of the number of neglected athletes who are dead. We shouldn’t allow this bad trend to continue. We should rise in support of these athletes, lest we find it difficult to convince our younger ones to embrace sports.

    I’m still pinching myself to ask how Nigerians allowed Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu’s health to deteriorate so miserably as captured in all the videos trending on the social media. If we value such icons here, someone could have taken the Enugu State governor to Chukwu’s house to physically see him instead of relying on his subordinates’ accounts. My pain worsened reading accounts of those who were privy to Chukwu’s health condition. I asked God to forgive them. Indeed, nobody asked the club to tell us how much Chukwu is being paid. Who cares if he earns N700,000 monthly. I hope they understand the meaning of this revelation in this era of kidnapping.

    Had the health challenges of the late Rashidi Yekini, the late Thompson Oliha et al been highlighted like Chukwu’s on the social media, they would still be with us here – perhaps. Yekini didn’t deserve to die the way he did.

    I salute the courage of the person who took Chukwu’s health condition to the social media. That singular action shook Nigerians’ into action. Today, we have been told how the governor released N1.5 million and N1 million based on reports of those who saw Chukwu. What these people failed to tell the governor was the need for him to visit the clinic or hospital where Chukwu was to see things for himself. The governor is very busy with state matters. But if he was told of the need to see Chukwu, the former Green Eagles captain won’t be in the hospital. Nobody is disparaging the hospital where Chukwu is being treated. Most modern hospitals are world-class. What was been highlighted was Chukwu’s health condition, which wasn’t pleasant to see.

    The point being made here is that if an icon such as Chukwu is distressed, it becomes a national issue. The flyer in the social media was explicit; it evoked emotions for everyone who saw it. It is cruel for anyone to blame the man who took Chukwu’s health to the social media because it is the language we understand. Indeed, the fellow stated clearly that he was doing that on behalf of former Enugu Rangers’ players, insisting that the unspent cash from Chukwu’s treatment funds would be kept in the account to treat others who may be ill. This man never said that Chukwu was abandoned or treated unfairly.

    There were two sets of videos. The first showed Chukwu struggling to come down from the staircase. Watching Chukwu struggle through the staircase raised the poser of how he got there in the first instance. It was a wicked experience for such a man in severe pains. The second video showed Chukwu walking out of the hospital or clinic in measured but painful steps.

    As he took the slow but painful steps through the door, an unseen bystander called his name, ‘Chairman’  Christian Chukwu Ndo. This bystander did that deliberately to show everyone that the fellow in the video was Chukwu. At that point, doubters knew it was Chukwu. Chukwu’s response threw into the gutter suggestions that the video was a scam. This writer fought back tears as Chukwu turned slowly to mutter ”hmm!” One was taken aback why they allowed Chukwu to ‘walk’ that far after exiting the hospital. It would have been tidier if a car was driven close to the door for him to just enter than to totter towards the vehicle.

    It is, however, heartening that many Nigerians have responded to Chukwu’s situation. He deserves the best because he gave his all playing and winning laurels for Nigeria as a player and as a coach. Put simply, Chukwu belongs to Nigerians as a Member of the Order of the Nigeria (MON).

    Speaking to thenff.com on Monday evening following his visit to the former defender, Chairman of the Enugu State Football Association and Member of the NFF Executive Committee, Hon. Chidi Ofo Okenwa reported that Chukwu is in a ”very stable” condition and he is being adequately taken care of in a world -class medical facility in Enugu State.

    “In all sincerity, I never knew this kind of hospital existed anywhere east of the Niger. It is a world -class facility with highly qualified medical doctors and nurses. The doctors are on top of Chukwu’s matter and I can tell you that I met ‘Chairman’ in a very stable condition. I met a Christian Chukwu that talks and eats normally and is of sound mind and spirit.

    “I want to assure Nigerians from all walks of life that their former captain, their legend, Christian Chukwu, is in good condition and in good hands. I am assured by the doctors that there is no cause for alarm, and that if there is any need to fly him abroad for further checks, they would promptly so advise.”

    Reassuring words from the NFF chief, but it should be stated here that the Chukwu scenario should jumpstart the process of taking care of our stars in the twilight of their careers. If a concerned Nigerian deems it appropriate to seek help from the ”Gofundme” platform, he is doing it for general good. Such a person should be applauded, not derided as a fraudster. If he didn’t do it, eminent Nigerians such as Femi Otedola wouldn’t have volunteered to foot the bill for Chukwu’s overseas treatment.

    Since the Chukwu story broke, I’ve been waiting to read about what the players’ union have done. Nothing has been heard from the players Chukwu nurtured to stardom as a coach for Enugu Rangers and Super Eagles. I don’t expect Chukwu’s playmates to do anything significant because they didn’t play the game for cash like we have now. The players’ union is enmeshed in needless power tussle while one of their best is in pains.

    The players’ union should have enough cash to quickly attend to an ailing player and then reach out to others. $50,000 should be chicken feed for our big boys, if they are together. I’m sure that Ahmed Musa, Obafemi Martins, Osaze Odemwingie, Mikel Obi and a few others known to be compassionate on such matters will act, if contacted. The leadership of the players’ union should bury their heads in shame.

    This writer has spearheaded a campaign of this nature here for the late Coach Willy Bazuaye and Sunday Eboigbe. I heard of their plight during visits to Benin City. I visited them and raised the alarm here. Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola responded. He brought the soccer icons to Lagos, where they were treated. Sadly, Coach Bazuaye died, but Eboigbe lives on.

    Whenever I called Eboigbe, he spent much time praying for Fashola. He ends the prayers session thanking me. Our heroes and heroines are Nigeria’s project in their distress. They deserve our care.

  • Wanted: Woman Sports minister

    I’ve seen it all with the appointment of sports ministers in Nigeria. Sadly, each succeeding minister has been worse than his predecessor. No woman has been appointed sports minister; why not a woman because the men haven’t shown enough leadership qualities? They have fallen the way of others. They have been misled by influence-peddlers in the industry, most of whom have lost out in elections into various federations. Nothing improves until they are eased out.

    Most ministers vow that they won’t be football ministers, but they end up being soccer ministers, with many meddling in the activities of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). They hide under the cloak of the NFF accounting for what it got to stoke a crisis, which embarrasses the country. What these football ministers forget is that there are mechanisms to ensure accountability for funds. These former ministers create divides in the NFF, threatens to punish Nigeria and a crisis is born. Accountability? Fine, but aren’t there bodies given the responsibility to probe corruption?

    Every former minister drags NFF to EFCC or ICPC, but won’t allow the agencies’ investigators to do their jobs. Every minister either visits FIFA’s headquarters or attempts a futile tour to report the NFF as if other sports federations don’t make infractions. Every sports minister has constituted a panel to recommend to the government what to do with our football to compete with the best. Why always football? All transactions are done in foreign currencies. It doesn’t matter if the minister condescends to the level of paying sportsmen and women their allowances under the guise that the cash would be misappropriated.

    Every minister hops onto the plane to watch all our matches with a retinue of friends and government officials, yet they talk about accountability. Who pays for these busybodies? Of course, the NFF under government delegations. Panels constituted by these ministers don’t reflect these expenditures in their reports. How can they when most of them were part of waste as friends of the ministers.

    These panels submit the same recommendations, chiefly – Nigeria should stay out of football for two years for proper restructuring. No surprises when almost the same people are chosen or their lackeys.

    The latest one recommended that Nigeria should pull out of international competitions for two years, in a year where Nigeria is expected to participate at the Africa Cup of Nations in Abuja, slated for June 21 to July 19. The Super Falcons are to participate in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France in June, the Flying Eagles will be at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland and the country’s U-23 side, Olympic Eagles, will defend their title at the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in November for a qualification ticket to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Nigeria finished with a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It was the country’s only medal at the Olympics, in spite of the minister’s disparaging statement about the team –  he later apologised. Nigeria won the gold medal in 1996, silver in 2008 and a bronze in 2014, one of the few countries with such records at the Olympics’ soccer event. One isn’t surprised that former football chieftains who held positions at CAF and FIFA keep suggesting a break simply because it will stop those who replaced them from functioning. Do these ‘ban’ advocates not know that these players earn a living playing football? Today, Nigeria is the 42nd best football nation in the world, moving four places upwards on the chart just as the Super Falcons are the world’s 38th best; Africa’s best. These feats tell the story of Nigerians distinguishing themselves in Europe, Americas and the Diaspora. Yet, some people whose kids don’t do sports are pushing for a break of two years.

    Can there be NFF officials without the players and coaches playing the game? Are they not aware that Nigeria is bigger than anyone else? Can they not see what playing soccer has done to our boys and girls, who until their emergence as stars, couldn’t make the simple trip from their villages to Lagos, not to talk of travelling overseas? Do they not know how the money these boys and girls make have changed the fortunes of their families, friends, relations etc? Do they not know that these boys and girls could play for other countries if FIFA imposes a long ban on Nigeria?

    Surprisingly, this  latest panel has three former NFF chairmen and people who have acted in various capacities, including fighting to stay in the federations. Some of these chairmen were victims of former ministers’ suffocating interest in the federation’s activities. That they appended their signatures to such a document suggesting that Nigeria pulls out of football activities for two years underscores the recurrent problems at the Glasshouse.

    Most of the ministers start by organising seminars where serial orators in sports mount the podium to sermonise and pontificate on the industry’s problems, as if the models they authored in the past didn’t worsen the situation. After such showboating presentations, the minister embarks on fruitless visits to dilapidated sports centres, such as the National Stadium Lagos, National Stadium Abuja, Liberty Stadium Ibadan etc where many of them literarily cry like hungry kids.

    Every former minister promised to improve on the state of the National Stadium, Lagos. Yet, the facility is derelict, raising posers over how the Ministry of Sports spends the money earmarked for infrastructural repair. Sports City Surulere is Sodom and Gomorrah, where the unthinkable happens, depending on when you visit the place. It hurts to note that the only things that remind anyone of the once famous sports centre is the convergence of alcoholics in all the joints and attendant obscene things that follow.

    When these ministers leave such centres, work starts on the repairs of the swimming pools, which take another two to three years to complete only to return to its disused condition before the minister leaves. At such venues of lamentation over the rotten complexes, ministers suddenly remember the hosting of the National Sports Festival. They ignite another controversy of the hosting of the festival beginning with which state gets the hosting rights, which again dovetail into another round of politics about the number of events to be held.

    In fact, the National Sports Festival at the country’s best sports arena, usually hosted by the government, is the only competition the Sports Ministry should organise. They have shirked this responsibility to governors. The festival is no longer a biannual event. The minister covered the ministry’s shame by hosting the festival inside the shameful Abuja National Stadium. It didn’t matter if the athletes ran on torn tartan tracks. Nobody bothered to ask why the football event didn’t hold in the stadium. A festival without its burning flame lit by a renowned Nigerian sportsman or woman is a glorified secondary school inter-house sports.

    The symbolism of the lighting of the festival torch at the opening ceremony, coupled with the razzmatazz of the torch’s flame being extinguished at the closing event, is legendary. This event terminates with the handing over of the games’ flag to the next host. One wonders what our ministers see when they attend multi-sports competitions, such as the Olympic Games, after which the festival is modelled.

    Surprisingly, we find ourselves in the same chaotic setting when a new administration is to be inaugurated. Rustic facilities around the country and the refusal of the corporate world to identify with sports, largely because the ministers label the federations’ members as thieves because they didn’t do their biddings.

    I’m not a chauvinist, hence I’m inclined towards suggesting a woman as the next sports minister, with no one in mind. We have tried people knowledgeable in sports; they failed. One of such ministers with rich sports pedigree suggested that black people don’t win medals in swimming. He argued that swimming isn’t a sport meant for black people. Is anyone surprised that all the swimming pools in the stadia owned by the government are habitats for rodents and dangerous animals. Several others, including those who were former NFA chairmen, didn’t push the NFF Bill at the National Assembly.

    Let’s not talk about those ministers appointed without any background in sports or its administration. They take us back to the stone age with their myopic approach to issues. They are hijacked and led by the nose to the detriment of the industry. One of them wrote a recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari, that Nigeria participating in the Senior World Cup was a huge waste because we were not going to win the trophy. He argued that it was only a platform for people to make money. This minister forgot that Nigeria got close to $12 million just for qualifying for the Mundial and preparing for it. Won’t it shock you to learn that he was at the Mundial with a government entourage. Is this how to save funds, dear minister?

    Most of our ministers have brought us shame with stories of Nigerian sports contingents sometimes being walked over in competitions due to lack of funds; other times due to denial of visas. Even the few sports federations which attend competitions do so due to patronage from sports-friendly governors, who incidentally are governors where the federations’ chairmen come from.

    Is it that government doesn’t provide funds for such events, especially where we are defending champions? After all, when we excel, ministers easily ascribe the feats to the government, rushing to the Villa to present the victorious squads to the President. The governors who hosted the events or bankrolled the trips hardly get mentioned. A few brave federation chairmen mention the governors and other sponsors, if they are allowed to speak.

    As for me, I’m done with all that pretence. I vote for a woman sports minister.

  • Rohr’s whip for Iheanacho

    I’m a big fan of competent foreign coaches handling our senior national teams. This is not to disrespect the feats achieved by many Nigerian coaches, including Adegboye Onigbinde, the late Shauibu Amodu and the late Stephen Keshi. I have avoided mentioning age-grade coaches because of certain reservations, rightly or wrongly. I love Nigeria, so I won’t talk about the reservations. Foreign coaches’ selection processes are fair and they cannot be dictated to, having laid their cards on the table during their engagement. This isn’t to say that some Nigerian coaches don’t have some of these attributes.

    The biggest advantage foreign coaches have over their indigenous counterparts is the players’ vote of confidence for them and their change of attitude during the country’s matches. This trend didn’t start today. It predates this era. In fact, the Eagles’ ‘’mafia’’ decided who coaches the team. Clemens Westerhof began the process of crushing the cabals, forcing Nigerians to change their fixations about who should play and who shouldn’t. One had thought with some of former ex-internationals transiting into coaches, things would have improved. No way! Some of the obscene ‘sins’ committed by former coaches manifested during such internationals’ reign, including the accusations by one of them that he ran away from the job, because of juju in the camp.

    This ex-international complained about his failing health, which he attributed to some of his assistants. He banned them from putting their hands inside their pockets while talking to him. Ex-internationals’ relationship with top stars in the new generation has been unthinkable; most times they were close to punches. Other times, such ex-internationals stood their ground that those new stars won’t make their squads, even if they were the best or were scoring goals in the moon, like one former Eagles coach once said.

    Foreign managers in the Eagles have brought peace and stability, improving the quality of invited players. They were respected by their employers. They got what they wanted and upped the scale in terms of achievements. They visited our players in their clubs. They spoke to coaches to find out what the problems were. They established the right synergy between European clubs and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chieftains pertaining to the release of our players for international competitions and friendly matches.

    Therefore, when Gernot Rohr reenergised the Eagles through their clubs, he went further to get those who didn’t have clubs new teams, which toughened them for the new challenge. Rohr ensured that Kelechi Iheanacho got fielded by Leicester City’s Claude Puel, who was eventually sacked. Puel did his friend’s bidding by increasing Iheanacho’s playing time, but the Nigerian couldn’t seize a first team, even when Jamie Vardy was injured.

    No doubt, Vardy is a good striker. He may not be flamboyant in his play nor is he a dribbler, but he uses his pace to outrun his markers just as his finishing is legendary – for his age. Rohr’s strong words to Iheanacho is coming at the right time. The Leicester star raised hopes since his Golden Eaglets days. With the new boys paraded first against Seychelles, then against the Pharaohs, pundits seem to appreciate why Rohr used the whip on Iheanacho.

    Rohr told the international media:  “I think he must be more professional. We’re not satisfied with his performances the last time he was with us.There’s a new coach at Leicester City and it will be an opportunity for Iheanacho to show during this international window that he wants to get back into the starting team of Leicester. Personally, I think it’s a good thing for him to stay back at his club to prove this.”

    Well said, Rohr. Iheanacho should accept the challenge by making the Foxes’ first team, even if it means benching the much older Vardy. Rohr has spent close to two years on the job. Nigerians will start demanding trophies and nothing will thrill the fans more than lifting the Africa Cup of Nations like the team did in 2013 in South Africa.

    The way the country’s U-23 Olympic Games side destroyed Libya on Monday to qualify for the last round of the U-23 AFCON competition with a game against Sudan, many have submitted that Iheanacho’s days in the Eagles are numbered. A few people hugged themselves during the game as the U-23 lads did incredible things with the ball on a turf that Eagles complained about in the course of beating Seychelles 3-1 inside the late Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, last Friday.

    Paul Onuachu offers the biggest threat to the team’s attacking options, comprising Odion Ighalo, Henry Onyekuru, Ahmed Musa and Iheanacho, who was dropped from the two games against Seychelles and Egypt. Onuachu’s height reminds fans of the late Rashidi Yekini. Yekini was muscular and could sprint with his height. Many described Yekini as ‘gangling’, but it appears Onuachu is the real ‘’gangling’’ striker whose speed gave him the space to hit that rocket-like shot, just under 20 seconds after the kickoff of Tuesday’s game against the Pharaohs. Onuachu’s goal separated both sides at dusk.

    Onuachu was quiet in the first game against Seychelles as a 72nd minute substitute, which made it difficult to judge his potential. But his early goal against the Egyptians, coupled with the way he shielded the ball in between markers and still made passes, showed that Nigerians could start celebrating the emergence of a new Yekini. In Africa, Yekini’s presence in Nigeria’s matches meant we hardly played barren draw games.

    As Onuachu bestrode the pitch on Tuesday, I searched for the right person to marshal Eagles’ attacking onslaughts. Such a person should be as clinical in front of the goal area as Nwankwo Kanu. The nearest player to that in the current setup is Alex Iwobi, only if he reduces his passes even inside the 18-metre box. Will anyone blame Iwobi for that attribute? No. Arsenal players like caressing the ball. Arsenal players are a beauty to watch when they are in their elements.  Did I hear you say Kanu played for Arsenal? Yes, Kanu did, but he started his game here in Nigeria, where shooting accurately in front of the goalpost when the chance beckons is the only way to win matches. Iwobi grew up with Gunners’ tip-tap soccer as a kid.

    I do not think Ighalo can function besides Onuachu. Ighalo is wasteful and could easily be muscled off the ball. African football is physical, with a lot of sprinting. I remember Ahmed Musa – I dreamt of goals. I played back images of Onuachu winning the ball and laying the pass for Musa. I can’t fathom how many people can outrun Musa.

    With young boys graduating from our age grade teams in the tow, it won’t be long that Nigeria will be talking about an Eagles side without John Mikel Obi, in spite of his experience. We might be looking at the Eagles playing in Egypt without recuperating Ogemyi Onazi, possibly John Ogu and a host of others who were at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It will signpost the need for growth in the Eagles. How best can this be celebrated without products of the Golden Eaglets, Flying Eagles, CHAN Eagles and the U-23 Olympic Eagles, who shone like a million stars last week Monday, whipping Libya 4-0 inside the late Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba?+

    Going to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the debate centred on the Eagles’ first choice goalkeeper. The tournament settled that debate, with Rohr saying: “Uzoho is our number one goalkeeper, and it is unlike him to make such an error. I know his worth and won’t rush to condemn him over this error.”

    Rohr has defended Uzoho, over his howler against Seychelles, asserting that he remains the number one. “Mistakes are mistakes and they are what they are and can be committed by anybody,’’ the manager said.

    The other positives from the World Cup is the retention of goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Akpeyi, aside Rohr’s affirmation that no new players will make the team to Egypt. With a collection of 40 players to pick from, only an unserious manager will want to add to this list. Only 24 will be picked for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations holding from June 21 to July 19.

    What stands clearly is that the average age of our players to the 2019 AFCON will be lower than the group we took to the Mundial in Russia. It shows growth which is further reinforced by the NFF’s decision to keep Rohr, despite his tantrums. Nigeria was the second youngest team to the World Cup. A few of them who were naive in their display have grown, with such improved performance rubbing off on the others.

    Interestingly, Nwankwo Kanu appraised the Olympic Eagles’ outing against Libya. He said on Thursday:  “I was very impressed with the overall performance of the team on Monday. The boys re-enacted the spirit of the Dream Team and fought till the end, showing class over their opponents. Now it’s time for them to build on it and ensure they qualify for the tournament proper.

    “Again, Kelechi Nwakali showed his worth and dominated the midfield. I believe he has come of age and should be given a chance with the senior national team. The AFCON is just three months away, so we must select our best legs in the tournament.

    “Also, Chukwueze showed he has plenty to offer and the hat-trick boy, Osimhen also showed good promise. I believe the future remains bright for Nigerian football,” Kanu concluded.

    Thank you Papilo. I hope Rohr is reading this. Up Nigeria!

  • Mane: The rise of a star

    Senegalese Sadio Mane was ten years ago pushing a wheelbarrow on the dusty streets, hawking sugar cane to eke a living. There was no sign that in a decade’s time, the world will watch in awe as he plays for Liverpool FC of England in easily one of the biggest soccer competitions in the world.

    As at Sunday when he led Liverpool’s army to beat Fulham, Mane had scored nine goals from nine consecutive matches – not an easy feat for an African, who defied his parents’ craving for education, so that their fate (illiteracy) wouldn’t be their children’s. Yet, 12 months ago, Mane donated £200,000 to the Senegalese village of Bambale to help build a school. He asked for this not to be made public.

    Mane is in red-hot form for the Reds right now, with 11 goals in his last 11 games in all competitions. Indeed, he is attracting juicy contracts, such as over $180m package from Real Madrid, in addition to giving one of their best defenders, Varane, to Liverpool as part of the deal. Clubs pray that Real Madrid doesn’t show interest in their players. If they do, they are prepared to break the bank for them.

    Mane has scored 17 goals in the Barclays English Premier League, not forgetting the few he scored in the prestigious UEFA Champions League competition, where Liverpool have a quarter-finals date against FC Porto at Anfield in April. In Germany, Bayern Munich supporters are sulking, having watched in awe as Mane bestrode the Allianz Arena, scoring two goals that etched Liverpool atop the two-legged tie, winning the second leg tie 3-1, after a goalless first tie at Anfield.

    Not tall, but swift and sharp, Mane has left his markers stranded. But it is his telescopic vision within the goal area and his ability to leap higher than taller markers that have created the goal scoring niche for him this season. If he continues this way, he could be crowned the 2019 Africa Footballer of the Year, especially if Liverpool win the Barclays English Premier League title, after 29 years. This won’t come easy for Liverpool, with Manchester City aiming to retain the title they won last season.

    Many may argue that it is too early to talk about the next Africa Footballer of the Year. But there is the need to highlight those who are garnering the points that will qualify them for the shortlist. Mane is light years ahead of the pack that has the current holder Mohammed Salah, also of Liverpool, who has scored 17 goals in the EPL, but has not scored a goal for the Reds in the last seven games. Interestingly, Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp is solidly behind Salah; this is what he needs to restore his goal-scoring confidence.

    Top African performers abound besides playing for Liverpool, including Nigeria international Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Isaac Success, Kelechi Iheanacho et al.  But Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang ranks close to Mane and Salah, having also scored 17 EPL goals, aside others who scored in the Europa Cup competition. Arsenal has been drawn against Napoli in the two-legged quarter-final fixture just as Liverpool have a two-legged date against FC Porto of Portugal.

    With the European league season drawing to a close, pundits have their focal lenses on Mane, Salah and Aubameyang. Sad tales for Nigerians craving for another Super Eagles player to be crowned African Footballer of the Year.

     

    Iheanacho the striker

    Kelechi Iheanacho can heave a sigh of relief now that we have found a reputable manager who knows his rightful position. Iheanacho’s emergence from one of FIFA’s grassroots competitions suggested that he could be a prolific striker. But at 17, the little boy’s target was to score goals. It didn’t matter the position from which he scored them. Iheanacho’s concern was to help his team win matches. The Nigerian coaches who handled the Golden Eaglets’ games leading to Nigeria winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy in 2013 didn’t make Iheanacho the team’s arrowhead in the attack.

    Not even Iheanacho’s emergence as the top scorer and best player at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup competition could convince Iheanacho or his coaches about his rightful position. With such a nebulous setting, signing for Manchester City brought fame and cash, but couldn’t allow him to hit the top of his career as quickly as many anticipated.

    Iheanacho joined Manchester City’s Academy on 10 January 2014. Before the 2014–15 season, City visited the United States on a pre-season tour. Although still not formally a City player, he joined up with the squad. He played and scored in the first match of the tour, a 4–1 win against Sporting Kansas City, and scored again against Milan in a 5–1 win. After the conclusion of the tour, Manchester City arranged for Iheanacho to train with the Columbus Crew until mid-October.

    Delays in obtaining a work permit meant Iheanacho was unable to play in England until February 2015. He made his debut at under-19 level in a UEFA Youth League match against Schalke 04, but sustained an injury after only 11 minutes. After his recovery, he began to represent Manchester City at both youth and under-21 levels in the latter part of the season. Iheanacho played in the FA Youth Cup final, where he scored, but ended on the losing side after Chelsea claimed a 5–2 aggregate victory. The following week, he scored the only goal as Manchester City beat Porto in the final of the 2014–15 Premier League International Cup.

    Manuel Pellegrini signed Iheanacho into the Manchester City main team where he scored goals which raised hopes in Nigeria that, perhaps, a new replacement for the late Rashidi Yekini had come.

    Pep Guardiola, the manager who replaced Pellegrini, didn’t want Iheanacho and recruited Jesus, who he gave playing time. Jesus started scoring goals, which eliminated Iheanacho from the squad. He threw Iheanacho into the transfer market, where Leicester City offered him a deal, which now looks threatened, with the Nigerian’s continuous bench role and cameo appearances. Claude didn’t help matters with Iheanacho, rightly preferring Jamie Vardy to the Nigerian as the Foxes’ top striker.

    As a Liverpool fan, I was excited when Leicester replaced Claude Puel with Brendan Rodgers, whose tactical savvy is top notch. Rodgers has guided Leicester through three matches, losing one and winning two. A good citation. But it is his findings on Iheanacho and where he should be playing and what he should do that bowled me over.  Eureka, I screamed unconsciously while reading Rodgers’ assessment of Iheanacho.

    “It’s been hard for Kelechi because he’s come in and he’s been a secondary striker at Manchester City. All of a sudden he makes a move for big money and I think everyone can see the potential. But he’s come in to one of the top strikers in the league (Jamie Vardy) and I think it’s very hard to displace that. But it’s just a case of adapting to these new players.

    “Actually, my job is not to put them in a trap of pressure, and take that away from them. Enjoy your football, but ultimately your first job is to press and work hard. From that what can you add into your game?”

    “I think he’s a great talent but he’s a number nine. He’s not one who can play on the sides or come in. Some strikers I’ve worked with can maybe shuffle them about and slide them around to make it work – but he’s a number nine and that’s it. And we already have a good number nine. So he’s got a fight to get ahead. But there’s maybe another system to make it work, like a diamond,” Rodgers said.

    Someone who knows Iheanacho closely and a colleague, Morakinyo Abodunrin, told me that the Leicester star likes being challenged, raising hope that the last of the strikers in  Eagles shirt is not nigh. Abodunrin was the Media Officer of the Golden Eaglets in 2013, 2015 and 2017, so his word is authority on matters of our youth players in the last decade.

    Super Eagles’ real test

    March 26 is a big test date for the Super Eagles, irrespective of the team’s result against the Seychelles Pirates. On that day, Eagles will be playing against a slightly weakened Pharaohs of Egypt inside the late Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.

    The Pharaohs are here without their talisman Mohammed Salah, which should change the way they will play on March 26. If the Eagles mean real business, this is one game in which they must aim to trounce the Pharoahs to send the signal to others that the games at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt will be filled with upsets.

    The Eagles are outsiders in the permutations of likely winners of the trophy when the games begin on June 21. But, this is the kind of setting any underrated Eagles side choose to tear the form books and lift the trophy like they did in 2013 in South Africa, the last time Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations’ title.

    I expect the legion of Europe stars to boost the team’s chance of improving on Nigeria’s monthly FIFA ranking. A top 20 ranking will improve our chances of playing against formidable soccer nations. Nigeria’s ranking won’t move up if we continue to play against countries which we should beat.

  • The German ‘’machine’’ lessons

    The process of revving the German ‘’machine’’ has begun. Rustic components of the machine are being replaced, with the resultant effect of shocking the world in the next three years in Qatar. That is how to plan for the future, making short term, but enduring decisions. Indeed, the recent changes in the German team have thrown up lessons which developing football nations, such as Nigeria, should learn, if we hope to compete favourably with world beaters when the chips are down at the 2022 World Cup slated for Qatar.

    The Germans have thriving youth academies, which produce new talents, using the country’s football federation’s templates. The changes in the squad are meant to expose those nurtured in the nurseries. Going to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Germans were a seeming emerging force in the game, having fallen on their fours after a heartbreaking World Cup outing in 1998. Croatia cranked the German machine with a humiliating 3-0 victory, courtesy of goals scored by Robert Jami (45th minute), Goran Vlaovic (80th) and Davor Sucker (85th).

    Berti Vogts (remember him? He was once Nigeria’s senior team’s manager) guided the German national team to a Euro 1992 runners-up place and a Euro 1996 win, two World Cup quarter-final defeats in 1994 and 1998. He stepped down as manager in September 1998. The Germans were provoked to do a holistic rebuilding of their team, which yielded dividends in 2002, four years after Vogts stepped aside. Germany and Brazil met in the final game on June 30, 2002, the first World Cup meeting between the two sides. The Brazilians won, with Ronaldo de Lima scoring goals which fetched him the highest goal scorer’s award. The Germans have also been runners-up three times in the European Championships, four times in the World Cup and four third-place finishes at World Cups. East Germany won Olympic Gold in 1976. Germany is the only nation to have won both the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

    With such a rich resume, playing in the final of the 2002 World Cup wasn’t their target. They wanted the ultimate prize and strove for it, using flaws noticed in this final game to upgrade their national team. Things went awry for the Germans in the 2006 edition, even as hosts, because the final game was between the Italians and the French. Italy beat France 5–3 on penalties. The match ened 1–1 after an extra time on  July 9, 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany.

    The Germans sprang into action to redeem their image, knowing that they had not won the World Cup at the senior level since 1990. They beat Argentina 1-0 on July 8, 1990 at the Stadio Olimpico in Italy’s capital. That was unacceptable to one of the world’s football powers and one of the eight that have won the World Cup. The eight countries are: Brazil, England, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Spain, Uruguay and France. The Germans have  won four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996), and one Confederations Cup (2017), making them one of the most successful national teams in international competitions.

    The major lesson that Nigeria’s football chieftains can learn from the Germans in rebuilding our national teams is the promotion of Joachim Low to senior level, jettisoning early penchant for elevating former star players to coaches. The other advantage was that Low bridged the transition of players from the younger teams to the senior side. Low did it so well at the 2017 Confederations Cup, where he dropped his 2014 World Cup-winning stars for younger boys who won the trophy in Brazil.

    Immediately, Germany won the Confederations Cup in Brazil, they had 44 title-winning players, which was good but troubled the manager when it came to picking his best 22. It showed at the Russia 2018 World Cup with the way the Germans crumbled easily as defending champions. Rather than sack Low, the Germans kept him in the saddle.  A lesson in continuity for Nigeria. After all, the game is about winning, drawing and losing games, even though all fans want their teams to win all titles and games.

    Planning isn’t rocket science. It comes from taking stock. It becomes more difficult in teamwork where all facets of the relay need to be oiled to achieve set objectives. Germany are reaping the benefits of keeping Low on the job because he is walking a familiar path.

    Low ruffled feathers among the hierarchy of the German machine, when he visited key players, such as those in the Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. He told them that he wasn’t going to invite them for the team’s matches. Low doesn’t reckon with their experience, which is what has ruined most attempts to reinvent the operations of the Super Eagles. The German boss ended the career of World Cup winners Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller.

    ‘’I thank Mats, Jerome and Thomas for the many successful, extraordinary and unique years we shared,’’ Low said in a statement issued by the German FA. Now it is time to set the course for the future. We want to give the team a new look. I am convinced that this is the right step. The youngsters coming through will have the room they need to grow. Now it’s up to them to take on responsibility.’’

    What Low has done is to throw experience into the lagoon, having used the 2017 Confederations Cup held in Brazil to assemble younger players, who have imbibed the German winning mentality. Experience cannot be achieved, if those who should replace the ageing stars don’t play matches.

    What most Nigerian coaches forget, unlike Low is that the experienced players started as rookies. They used the matches they played to improve on their games. Such experiences don’t come by not fielding new players or keeping them on the bench. It was difficult for Low, but he looked at the future. He didn’t respond to the jibes thrown at him by those dropped. He expected such responses, but has moved on.

    The striking aspect of Low’s expedition was that it never leaked. No football chief accompanied the manager to see them. It wasn’t discussed at board meetings nor did Low banter with any so- called technical committee. It was the manager’s show, knowing that he will carry the can, if the German Machine doesn’t rev on all its cylinders at the next tournament.

    Will Gernot Rohr, who interestingly is a German, adopt a similar template in ringing changes in the Super Eagles? Will the federation’s chiefs trust Rohr to make the right decisions? Will Nigerians back Rohr, if he decides to stick to his guns that Victor Moses should call him to say he wants to play again for Nigeria, before he could be invited? Is it right for Rohr to leave the door open for a seeming reluctant John Mikel Obi on grounds of his experience and leadership qualities? Does Rohr have the powers to re-jig the Eagles without recourse to the NFF board or its technical committee?

    Where will Rohr find the replacements for our ageing stars from the rudderless domestic league? It is sickening to note that we have turned our searchlight to Europe for Nigeria-born kids to replace players across our national teams, including age-grade teams. We have lost hope in our domestic coaches in picking players with the right ages, which can’t be faulted by any disgruntled person.

    Grassroots competitions, which in the past produced the new kids of our soccer are dead. The synergy between the schools and the states’ sports councils to develop sports in the 774 local government areas is extinct, largely because some of the playgrounds have been built up to accommodate more students. Physical and Health Colleges that groomed the games masters and mistresses who were redeployed to the schools are derelict, in some cases built up to become hotels, shops etc. The facilities inside colleges, such as the late Pa Michael Imoudu College of Physical and Health education in Afuze, Edo State, are outdated.

    States’ ministries of education which had the relevant personnel to oil the operations to groom talents, have looked elsewhere for greener pastures, knowing that their calling has no future. Some governors have not helped matters by paying lip-service to sports. These governors are driven by their pre-election promises to the electorate, which most times doesn’t include sports. Sports can only thrive if the nurseries are oiled through competitions. The nurseries are the grassroots in the states.

    We will be helping Rohr to fix our soccer if  we return to the old templates, but this time with effective record keeping to prevent cheats from circumventing the system. Germany can re-jig their soccer teams because of her rich nurseries. We should emulate her.