The Nation Newspaper

Category: Ade Ojeikere

  • Silence please, Siasia

    Silence please, Siasia

    Our players have started again. They are boasting about their potentials to play in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup. They reckon that only Argentina stands on their way to qualify atop the group. There is nothing wrong with these players expressing their wishes. My worry is that they are raising the hopes of millions of Nigerians.

    I’m not too sure we have the fans who would accept a poor outing. Please, players and coaches, tread with caution. It is better to shock the fans with a superlative outing than to raise their hope, dash it and cause pains. A word is enough for the wise, as they say.

    It is true that the Eagles are not the only ones talking about the World Cup fixtures. My fear is that these other countries’ fans seldom take the law into their hands, like ours. Our fans seem to have this mob mentality.

    Wonders cannot stop happening here. I read in Monday’s newspapers Samson Siasia’s revealing remarks on some of the bench warmers invited for the Eagles’s World Cup task in Brazil, beginning with the opener against Iran. Siasia’s comments were germane, except that he listened to nobody when he held sway as Super Eagles coach.

    Siasia should spare us his analysis, having failed to accept pleas from concerned Nigerians to recall Vincent Enyeama to the Eagles camp. Siasia started the process of shutting out stars, such as Obafemi Martins. Nobody could talk to Siasia when he was coach. If Enyeama had manned the goalpost against Guinea in Abuja, Nigeria would have qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Siasia was the biggest culprit in picking half-fit players to the Eagles. In his Eagles were many clubless players. He had a fixation for his under-aged achievers, even when many of them had lost their form at their clubs in Europe. His camp was more or less a rehabilitation centre.

     I hold Siasia responsible for the failure of the youths discovered by the late Yemi Tella to graduate into the Super Eagles. It really hurts that members of the 2007 World Cup winning squad do not form the pivot of the Brazil-bound Super Eagles, despite the impeccable soccer they played in Asia under the late Tella.

    I recall my altercation with Siasia in Beijing over his decision to bench Osaze Odewingie and Victor Anichebe. He asked me to face my media job. Thank God, Siasia ate the humble pie when Osaze and Anichebe scored in the next game against Belgium, after his bench warmers flopped in the previous 2008 Beijing Olympic Games tie.

    It is clear that nothing would be done to the 30-man list to include Ikechukwu Uche and Chinedu Obasi, not forgetting Brown Ideye. Uche and Ideye scored for their Spanish and Israeli sides last weekend. We are being told to pray and support the squad. Will I join the prayer sessions? God forbid. Football allows upsets, but not when the team is lopsided – as ours.

    My worries stem from the fact that our best striker on the list, Emmanuel Emenike, was benched in the Fenerbahce FC of Turkey’s last game, raising the poser about his fitness – less than 20 days to Nigeria’s first game.

    How about those players who ignored the coaches’ directive to join the team in London for the May 28 friendly against Scotland from their European clubs, only to call him to announce that they were in the country? The puzzling aspect is that the players expected that their tickets back to London would be paid for by the NFF. What a cheek. Who knows when they sneaked into the country and what they have been doing? Argentina’s gazelle Lionel Messi joined his mates in Argentina’s camp on Tuesday, underscoring the importance he attaches to the Mundial.

    Another bone of contention is what our invited players are doing between now and when they converge in England on May 26, ahead of the May 28 international friendly against Scotland. Last Saturday, I watched Ecuador drill Holland in a titanic clash that ended 1-1. Both teams played with contrasting styles, yet it was the Dutch who struggled to cope with the doggedness of the Ecuador lads, who muscled out their hosts. The Dutch were rescued from a home defeat by the sublime skills of Robin Van Persie, who riffled home a belter, having controlled perfectly a long ball from his side’s defence.

    What amazed me in this game was the passion exhibited by both teams’ players, in spite of their hectic European season. The speed of the game was frightening. It gave me concern against the backdrop that most our Eagles stars have not seen regular action.

    The lame excuse that it could be an advantage to us is spurious because it is little that an unfit player can do. No matter how compact and united a team is, it still needs the brilliance of exceptional players to make the difference during matches, like we saw with Van Persie’s super strike against Ecuador.

    Only fit players can strike the ball with such accuracy. Listening to the commentators during Saturday’s game in the Netherlands, one heard how both teams were preparing to storm Brazil. As at Saturday, both coaches knew those to make the final 23-man squad, unlike Nigeria, where those to make the cut would emerge 24 hours to FIFA’s June 2 deadline for lists’ submission. In fact, for Holland and Ecuador, their players will hit Brazil departing from their home countries.

    Can we say so for our Super Eagles? If the coaches’ plans are to be taken seriously, the Eagles will fly straight to Brazil from the US. What a pity. We will be subjected to the agony of watching other countries send forth their soccer ambassadors with pomp and ceremony simply because we have an insensitive government that cannot provide its citizenry with a national carrier.

    Indeed, in the days ahead, we would see pictures of countries with national carriers emblazoned with such countries’ colours. The chosen aircraft will take their players and officials to Brazil. Can Nigeria assign any aircraft to such designs? Or are we thinking of storming Brazil on commercial flights? The England side was decked out in suits before heading out of London this week. It was colourful. Their suits fitted.

    Then, I asked, what will be the Eagles’ national dress? Agbada or Babariga? The conservative England management has begun talks with their manager Roy Hodgson to extend his stay till Russia 2018 World Cup, despite the fact that the Englishman would be 71- years-old at that time.

    They have hinged their negotiations on the fact that Hodgson has listed an England side for the future with nine of them being under 21 years. Can we say so of the Eagles? What is the average age of the Super Eagles? Did the coaches consider that before picking Nigeria’s 30-man squad? It simply means that the results of the 2014 World Cup for the England FA chiefs don’t matter.

    The FA men are planning for the future, having seen a manager guide England through an unbeaten World Cup qualification series.

    Are we thinking along this direction like the English? Have the Nigerian coaches picked players that suggest that they are looking into the future? Do we depart from Brazil in crisis? Do we expect the coaches to give their best when their future isn’t cast in stone? Will we return to the proverbial drawing board? Isn’t it about time we build on the gains of major competitions? Will Brazil be another battle ground to wash our dirty linens in the public? Aminu Maigari and his board have complimented Stephen Keshi thorough the rejuvenation of the Super Eagles. They have crossed swords during the relationship. But it helped the Eagles to achieve the feats that we craved for.

    Let us continue with them. They will get better. Let us pray the voice of reason prevails after the Mundial, irrespective of our lot. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

  • The England example

    NIGERIA is a huge joke. We want to compete with others at the global stage, yet  we do things differently. Sitting in my office on Monday afternoon, I called most of my colleagues to watch how England Manager Roy Hodgson tackled questions about the players he picked for the World Cup.

    Hodgson explained why certain players were dropped. Those excluded lost their positions due to poor club form or reccurring injuries, he disclosed. Hodgson didn’t abuse journalists who asked what Nigerian coaches see as “insulting” questions.

    For instance, Hodgson was asked if he thought England could lift the World Cup. His face wreathed in smiles, he sent the audience into a bout of laughter by saying there wouldn’t have been the need to clinch the qualification ticket, if England didn’t want to lift the trophy.

    Hodgson’s interview was colourful. Everyone in the hall departed with smiles and not a few journalists exchanged cards with the manager. The session also gave the English FA an opportunity to celebrate their corporate sponsors, whose insignia formed the backdrop of the stage where the manager addressed the world. After the conference, the media were awash with all angles to the interview. The applause was loud.

    All doubts cleared. Everyone left the hall happy with what they heard. With this setting, it is difficult for anyone to run the English manager aground over his team list because he was unambiguous in his responses to questions.

    This classic show was not done by the English alone. It was fanfare when the Brazilians unveiled their 23-man squad, with their coach telling us that he has four captains. What it showed was that every detail of the Brazilian side had been sorted out to avoid controversies. And it was done publicly. The Germans followed suit. Yet,for us, such fanfare doesn’t exist.

    Look at how the England manager handled the issue of dropping Ashley Cole. Knowing that Cole is a big player, Hodgson called the Chelsea star to explain why he wouldn’t be in the squad to Brazil. Rather than describe Cole as not being mature, like our coaches do, Hodgson kept mute when asked why Cole was excluded.

    Instead, it was Cole who resigned from international football, having been told by the manager that he wouldn’t make the team. The fact that Hodgson told Cole of his fate before releasing the list gave the Chelsea star the opportunity to quit international football. Talk about a manager who knows how to treat players who have done well for their country. Not ours. Cole had glowing words for the England manager unlike the barbs thrown between our coaches and our stars.

    In Nigeria, it is forbidden to ask the coaches to sit with their employers, the NFF. It is a taboo to even suggest that Super Eagles’ coaches should face the press to explain why they took decisions that affect all of us. Eagles’ coach can attend scheduled meetings on our World Cup preparations when he likes. He can be in meetings without submitting the team list. He is infallible. Why our coaches are scared of facing the media is curious. With such a setting, the media are awash with questions that our coaches should have answered, only if they emulate others. Today, the media war has pitched supposed enemies of the coaches against their spin doctors. What a shame; washing our dirty linens in the public!

    Spin doctors are back. They are rooting for the lopsided Super Eagles’ World Cup list. They want us to support those listed. Many have asked us to support the coaches and pray fervently to beat teams at the Mundial, who picked their best lads. For these spin doctors, it doesn’t matter if we carry orthopedic players to the World Cup. What these lickspittles don’t understand is that each of the countries at the Brazil 2014 World Cup is bringing 23 players. What it means is that every position has two players who can hold their ground against any opposition. The composition of teams that have released their lists is such that those who will sit on the bench are as good as those playing. In fact, it is clear that those who will be benched during their matches will be doing so on tactical grounds, not based on incompetence. The implication is that when tactical changes are made, it rubs off immediately on how they will play. Can we say this about the Super Eagles’ flawed selection?

    The story of Nnamdi Oduamadi’s return to action for a Serie B side is laughable, especially when he was substituted in the 64th minute, in a game that his side lost at home. Yet our coaches are talking about what he did last year at the 2013 Confederations Cup against Tahiti, a country that our group’s opponents beat groggy with goals. A player who cannot command a regular shirt for a Serie B side isn’t fit to be invited to any World Cup camp. The World Cup is the platform to celebrate excellence, not mediocrity, like Nigeria’s 30-man squad portrays.

    These coaches and their hacks played down the sterling performances of Ikechukwu Uche, his 13th La Liga goal and Chinedu Obasi’s goal that sealed a UEFA Champions League slot for Schalke 04 next season, after a troublesome injury-ridden year. Rather than cover their heads in shame and urge the coaches to invite Uche and Obasi immediately, they have asked us to pray for the team’s success in Brazil as if the remaining 31 countries at the Mundial don’t know how to worship our Creator. One thing is clear; God doesn’t condone indolent workers. Our God is fair to those who do the needful before seeking his mercy and favour.

    Uche’s and Obasi’s goals last weekend for Villarreal and Schalke 04 represent warning signs from God, reminding the coaches to rescind their decisions.

    No one would grudge them if Obasi and Uche show up in the Eagles camp. Those rooting for Obasi and Uche’s inclusion are not asking the coaches to take them to the World Cup. What they are saying is that they are our best in this fading season and should be allowed to fight for shirts on grounds of merit. The majority cannot be liars while four coaches are right. Have we asked what the privileged 30 would be doing before they report to camp on May 26, ahead of the May 28 friendly against Scotland in England?

    What our coaches do not realise is that the world is a global village. They would be laughing at us in Brazil because, as African champions, we have the talents to rattle the world, only if our coaches can hide their mercantile tendencies and pick our best such as the duo mentioned.

    Countries going to the World Cup have used their qualifying games and friendlies to pick players who will plug the weaknesses in the teams. We cannot say for Nigeria, where her best strikers have been dropped for half-fit loyalists. Our Eagles have not scored more than three goals in any game, except for the historic comeback against Morocco at the CHAN tournament in South Africa. Yes, we scored six against Tahiti but others in the group scored more than that against the team. Goals will count in picking teams that will emerge from the group.

    Who will score the goals for us in Brazil if Emenike is injured? Far-fetched question it may look, but it is a possibility. Will coaches have the courage to play Mikel Obi in the defensive midfield role like he does for Chelsea? If Mikel is injured, who can fit in his place? Of course, Mikel is renowned for picking up cards, so our coaches must talk to him.

    We are experts in post mortem. We will ask the relevant questions after the competition, yet repeat the same errors in subsequent World Cup competitions.

    As I was concluding this column on Tuesday night, the story broke of how Argentines hit the streets to protest the exclusion of Carlos Tevez from the country’s 30-man list for the Brazil 2014 World Cup. They were dispersed by the police, not after they vowed to take their complaints to the country’s president.

    I had written about Carlos Tevez’s decision to take his family on holidays in the summer. So, no one can accuse him of stage-managing the exercise. The people have had their say; the Argentine coaches have had their way. But one thing is clear, the coaches’ future rest with how well the team performs at the Mundial.

    Silverbird television’s anchorman Niran Adesina asked if I would lead the protest for Ikechukwu Uche’s inclusion in the Eagles. I no wan die; papa dey for house; pickin dey for house; sister dey for house. So, policeman go slap your face, you no go talk, once sang the great one, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti of blessed memory in his Zombie album.

    Is Ade scared of leading the protest? No. I don’t want to be seen as leading such protests. But we have a lot to learn from the Argentines. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

  • Compensation list

    Nigeria’s 30-man provisional list is out. No changes. It is a list of loyalists, who dare not look into the coaches’ faces for fear of being dropped. The Super Eagles’ camp will be a cantonment of sort with everyone scared of the World Cup axe. Is this how others pick their best?

    But the victors in this battle to get into the Eagles’ provisional squad are Osaze Odemwingie and Joseph Yobo, both of who threw barbs at their coaches. Yobo and Osaze joined issues with the coaches, who swore not to list them for the World Cup. One only hopes that the fragile peace between the coaches and these two immutable stars doesn’t dovetail into fisticuffs when the final 23-man squad is named. We are watching. Osaze has told us he is bold. He won’t want to be used as a guinea-pig at the pre-World Cup camp. He is dreaming Brazil in the same way as Yobo, who has the century appearances for the Eagles as his lifetime ambition.

    The flipside to the invitation of Yobo and Osaze is the decision to exclude Ikechukwu Uche from a list that has Gabriel Rueben and several recuperating players. The coaches told us repeatedly Ike Uche is tactically undisciplined on the pitch. They also said that Ike Uche openly discredited the coaches’ tactics and that his comments caused bad blood amongst the players. Rather than pillory the coaches in the media, Ike Uche chose to face his club career. See what it has cost him? Sometimes, silence could be a sign of weakness because the coaches have no justification not inviting Ike Uche, given his club form with Villarreal FC in the Spanish La Liga. I admit the right to pick players is the coaches’.

    Perhaps, our coaches need to take a cue from the manner in which Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho handled the open criticism to his tactics by Belguim-born striker Edwin Hazard. Hazard, at a post-match interview after Athletico edged out Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, described Mourinho’s tactics as “boring”. He said that Mourinho’s system made it impossible for Chelsea’s players to exhibit their skills.

    Mourinho was careful with his counter remarks, although he lambasted Hazard, describing him as a lazy player, who won’t give his 100 per cent to his team in matches where he should prove his mettle. Many reasoned that a battle line had been drawn between Mourinho and Hazard. It didn’t happen. The manager listed the Belgian against Norwich, because Mourinho wanted to win the game, although the Blues ended the game on a barren note.

    Ike Uche’s exclusion reverberated at the press session with Clemens Westerhof in Lagos. The Dutchman identified Ike Uche as the best Nigerian forward in Europe, pointing out that he is an intelligent guy he would have loved to work with during his time with the Eagles. Westerhof’s enthusiasm died when the audience told him that Ike Uche wasn’t listed among the favoured 30 players on the provisional list. One hopes that the Eagles don’t have goal-scoring problems at the Mundial.

    The inclusion of goalkeepers Daniel Akpeyi and Chigozie Agbim is bad exhibition of the game at the domestic scene. It explains clearly that our coaches don’t watch the Globacom Premier League matches live.

    For instance, I was in Warri Township Stadium to watch the Federations Cup finals and I saw Daniel Akpeyi sitting on the bench. Akpeyi lost his first team place to Okeimute Odah. This is not the first time Odah has benched Akpeyi, yet Akpeyi keeps making the Eagles’ list. The question is where did those who picked Akpeyi see him perform?

    Again, one is tempted to believe the story that the coaches took two goalkeepers for the Mexico friendly simply because the technical committee resisted the inclusion of goalkeeper Agbi. It leaves this writer with the conclusion that Agbim would be picked ahead of a bench-warming Akpeyi as the third goalkeeper. Our prayers will be that goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama should not be injured. We would be in big soup especially, if such an injury keeps Enyeama out of the next game(s). Austin Ejide is equally as efficient and exposed as Enyeama. But Ejide is injury prone. Not a few Nigerians would leave their seats for the bed, if they see Agbim warming up to replace either of the goalkeepers. This argument seems far-fetched. But the opposition can wilfully injure Enyeama, if he is their stumbling block to score goals. It happened to Nigeria against Italy, where the Italians ensured that they took out Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke. Once they succeeded, our USA’94 World Cup campaign was over.

    The Eagles defence has been the team’s pivot. They stuck together to give the midfielders and attackers the effrontery to surge forward during Nigeria’s matches. One really doesn’t know why the coaches opted to return Oshaniwa to the fold after his jittery display in the final game at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which Nigeria won. Oshaniwa shouldn’t be in Nigeria’s final 23, if the coaches consider the Mundial as a serious business. One would have thought that the coaches would have considered one of the age-grade defenders, especially in the left back position where Elderson Echiejile hasn’t been playing for Monaco FC in France like his contemporaries in other Europe leagues.

    Nigerian coaches who would see Chinedu Obasi play so well for Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga, yet invite Nnamdi Oduamadi for the World Cup campaign, even when he isn’t a regular for his Italia Serie B side. Only God knows why Obasi, who starred in Schalke’s game against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League won’t be in Brazil for the Mundial. Perhaps, he is “tactically undisciplined” as Ike Uche. Perhaps.

    It is true that there cannot be a perfect list, yet it is expedient that the coaches pick players who will do us proud than compensate loyalists who are either match rusty or recuperating from injuries. I insist that those who clinched the Africa Cup of Nations for us in South Africa have been adequately rewarded. My other problem with Nigerian coaches is this fixation even when the house is crumbling under the heads.

    One needs to remind our coaches that Emmanuel Emenike has been in-and-out of matches for his Turkish club. What this means is that Emenike is injury-prone. Looking at the substitutes for his position further raises the need for the Eagles crew to swallow their pride and invite Ike Uche and Chinedu Obasi. Many have celebrated the exclusion of Brown Ideye. Is Ideye not better than Gabriel Rueben, Babatunde Michael and Obinna Nsofor? Isn’t it clear that our list is meant to compensate loyalists of the coaches? Good luck to the coaches.

    Thank you Delta State FA

    Going to the old Bendel State sends nostalgic feelings through me. It reminds me of my cherished youthful days. So, when the opportunity comes, I grab it, knowing that I would always see my old folks.

    Last Wednesday, I got a call from Pinnick Amaju. Amaju seldom calls, so I knew it must be important. Amaju informed me of my nomination for the Football Media Excellence Award. He wanted to find out if I would make the oceremony. I immediately told him that I would be in Auchi for the Okpekpe 10-km Road Race, which was held last Saturday. I would be in Warri on Sunday for the ceremony.

    I have been going to Warri since 1972, so I knew my way there. I was however marveled at the reconstruction work around the city. I must praise the Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for this job, even though the traffic jam at Enerehen Junction remains. There is hope, however that it will vanish when the road is completed.

    Last Sunday afternoon, I saw former school mates I hadn’t seen in decades. Many had aged, with grey hair. Some told me they were grandfathers already. We cracked the jokes of old. A few of them have dropped their youthful days’ vices. Others haven’t quite done so. These formed the butt of teasing them throughout the game and late into the night in the hotel where I stayed.

    The list of awardees was rich and I consider it a privilege to be decorated on such a day with the greats of the beautiful game. I want to express my gratitude to the Delta State Football Federation and, indeed, the Delta State Sports Commission (DSSC) for this award, in spite of the fact that I come from Edo State. This award ranks next to the Olympic Games Torch relay race I ran with 8,000 sports greats in the world before the 2012 London Olympic Games.

    I dedicate this award to my late mother, Mrs. Abigail Isevbua Ojeikere, who incidentally shares the same birthday with me. She passed on June 27, 2004 in Philadelphia, United States. Once again, thank you Delta State. And like the Edos would say, Oba Khato Okpere, Ise.

  • Mikel, our joker

    Mikel, our joker

    I enjoy sneaking into viewing centres to watch the weekend games because it gives me the opportunity to gauge how sports lovers relate with The Nation and Sportinglife. I deliberately enter such places when games have begun to avoid attention. Yet, I’m recognised and debates start. I listen to their views and leave better informed.

    These fans follow the game. They perceive writers as experts in their trade. Yet, I tell them that they always confound me with their depth of knowledge. The fans are not always impressed with my silence but that is who I am.

    On Saturday, I watched Chelsea lose 1-2 to Sunderland. l looked out for John Mikel Obi to see if he would start the game. Mikel didn’t but I was satisfied with what I observed as it concerned his relationship with the team’s manager Jose Mourinho. Mourinho won the battle to keep Mikel from Manchester United. Mourinho again sought a psychologist to talk to the Nigerian in the early days at Stamford Bridge to see himself as a professional and not a disc jockey.

    As the Chelsea game progressed without Mikel, I nursed writing a stinker about Mourinho because the squad he set out against Sunderland was too weak not to have the Nigerian play a significant role. But my sentiments for Mikel faded out when Samuel Eto’ O scored the opening goal. As Eto’O celebrated, he ran towards the bench to dance Azonto. Then I changed my mind on Mourinho.

    The Special One tapped Mikel behind him, shrugged his shoulders while dancing on his seat to copy what Eto’O was doing and he smiled. Mikel got up to tap the excited manager on the shoulder and shook hands across Mourinho’s shoulders. I was bowled over. No malice against Mikel, I muttered in between a smile. Mourinho clearly has Mikel in his plans and keeps him on the bench for tactical reasons. It dawned on me that Mikel would be our joker at the 2014 World Cup, only if our coaches are following his game through Chelsea’s matches.

    Indeed, Mikel chose his 27th birthday night to prove his world-class act against Athletico Madrid in Spain on Tuesday with a remarkable performance, although he would be excluded from the return leg game at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday. Mikel was Chelsea’s Rock of Gibraltar against the Spaniards, with his stout defending, culminating in a yellow card late in the game.

    Mikel’s sterling role on Tuesday showed that he is fit for the Mundial. He showed he could be handed duties to decide how a team should play. He galvanized Chelsea’s defence with his spirited challenges to wrest the ball off Atletico’s players. He earned seven points out of ten from ratings. This underscores why he needs to make Brazil 2014, the platform to wrest the Africa Footballer of the Year award from Yaya Toure next time around. Did I just see you sneer at the thought? Mark my word, Mikel looks set to be one of the heroes of the 2014 World Cup, if he maintains the fitness I saw on Tuesday night and shows the fighting spirit and doggedness while playing for Nigeria. Mikel needs to be told to avoid poking his nose into disputes on the pitch. Such commentaries are done by the team’s captain. The yellow card Mikel received was unnecessary. And this isn’t the first time he has been punished for side comments by the referee.

    But would Mikel show the same level of understanding with our coaches if kept on the bench for tactical reasons? Read my lips. For sure, our coaches have not earned our players’ respect with their tactics; nor have they shown that they would be fair to all with their selection methods? If Mikel plays in Brazil with the kind of tactical discipline he exhibits playing for Chelsea, the Eagles will be difficult to beat, especially if our coaches compliment Mikel’s qualities with the right players in the midfield and attack.

    Writing bits of this column on Monday evening, I saw three Argentine players score all the goals with which Manchester City beat West Bromwich Albion 3-1 in England in a rescheduled Barclays English Premier League game. My heart froze, not because the goals were spectacular, but because it meant that the Argentines would be a free-scoring side at the Mundial. Two of the goals were scored by defenders, although the goal that West Brom scored came from a sloppy defending from one of the scorers, Zabaletta. Add these feats to Lionel Messi’s stunner against Atletico Bilbao on Sunday, then you will appreciate why the Eagles must strive to grab the six points from their first two games, lest the World Cup is over. Indeed, the Argentines are on fire. But they could turn out to be club performers at the World Cup. That is our prayer because it is about time the Eagles got out of the World Cup group stage.

    My consolation is that Nigeria’s game against Argentina is our last. The Argentines could have qualified. They wouldn’t need the three points and could rest some of their big boys for the second round tie. The flipside is scary because if the Argentines need the game and we haven’t secured six points, then our misery would be complete. God forbid. But do we have any idea of how Iran and Bosnia play beyond our usual beating of the chest? My fear for the Eagles at the World Cup is Bosnia, especially if they lose to Argentina. If we beat Iran, we would assume that things are right and not make daring changes to address the flaws noticed playing Iran before the Bosnia tie. That has been our albatross at the Mundial. We celebrate pyrrhic victories. Brazil 2014 World Cup won’t be any different, with the cocky coaches we have in the team.

    Carlos Quieroz, we are told, has been compiling our tapes ahead of the opening game. He is renowned for spying on teams. Indeed, he worked for the most successful manager in the English game Sir Alex Ferguson. But the big question would be if Iran has the type of players to interpret his strategies against a better exposed and talented Nigerian side. We’d better not draw that opening game, lest we kiss the competition goodbye. Again, God forbid. I don’t want to be accused of being a prophet of doom. We must keep it tight at the defence. We must anchor our midfield on Mikel and pray that he understands that we must score goals by releasing the balls early to any free mate. Our strikers must not be wasteful. They must score goals not attempt to be classy in their efforts.

    Our preparations for the World Cup began on Tuesday when the Technical Committee members impressed it on the Eagles chief coach to convince them that some of the players reported to be injured were good enough to be taken to the World Cup. Equally important was the directive that the coach should inform those he dropped about his decision. This is the trend in other places because he could need them for subsequent assignments. The NFF must get the chief coach to address the media after releasing the 35-man or is it 38-man squad for the World Cup. Nigerians deserve to be told why those selected made the list irrespective of what the coaches’ contract state. When we lose, the country is like a grave yard. Most times, the coaches walk away and we are to stew in the mess.

    We are tired of fielding half-fit players. Those with recent history of injuries must be subjected to rigorous medical tests here to confirm if they are fit. The era of rewarding injury-hit players with a place in our World Cup squad simply because they secured the ticket for us is gone.

    NFF President Aminu Maigari’s condescending posture towards directives from superior bodies has helped us achieve a lot in our soccer. Last weekend, the news was broken that the Federal Government was toying with the idea of constituting a Presidential Task Force (PTF) to be headed by Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke. My first response was to celebrate the decision because the governor has been the bridge to the growth of the beautiful game here. I also know that the NFF men would be favourably disposed towards working with him.

    I was therefore not surprised when Maigari backed the decision to have a PTF. He hinged his decision on the fact that the task of lifting the World Cup in Brazil isn’t essentially an NFF affair. I agree, especially if the government is spending its cash on the project. It simply means that with the governor, the government would give enough cash. More so when the NFF are ready to work in tandem with those appointed. This is the way forward, if we hope to make any meaningful impact at the Mundial. Take a bow, Maigari. Up Nigeria! Up Super Eagles! Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

  • Playing catch up

    Playing catch up

    Poor Victor Moses! By now, the immensely talented star will be ruing his decision to quit Wigan Athletic for Chelsea. He certainly would have asked Liverpool’s manager Brendan Rogers why he had been reduced to cameo appearances in the Reds’ quest for a league title, after 24 years.

    Indeed, Moses’ search for a solution to his problems would be further complicated by the fact that he stands the risk of not playing for any big European team next season. His fears won’t be unfounded because Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho has listed him for the transfer market. Not playing regularly for Liverpool this season has reduced Moses’ chances of showing other clubs what they would gain by signing him next year.

    With the door seemingly slammed against Moses at Chelsea, the poser will be if Liverpool’s manager would keep the Nigerian, who he nurtured at Crystal Palace FC, years ago. The silver lining in Moses’ predicament is that he gets into Liverpool’s squad for tactical reasons, most times late in the game. It simply means that the Reds would be prepared to keep the Super Eagles star, provided the transfer fee by Chelsea isn’t outrageous.

    Looking at the players Moses has to contend with for Liverpool’s shirt makes his case pitiable. Raheem Sterling, aside being an Englishman, has been awesome, playing for the Reds, scoring amazing goals and can be described as the fastest Barclays English Premier League player, since Arsenal’s Theo Walcott is currently out of the season. There is also the smallish Continho from Brazil, who aside performing his creative midfield role like Moses, scores goals.

    The Nigerian scores goals but they are as far-and-wide-apart as the dentition of a century-old human. Many have argued that Moses’ limited appearances for Liverpool is chiefly responsible for the inertia in his game. The flipside to this argument is the Demba Ba example at Chelsea. Ba has the same problems as Moses. The difference is that Ba seizes every opportunity to prove his mettle by scoring goals. Today, Ba can count himself as regular at Chelsea, especially as coaches don’t like to change their winning squads. This Ba feat didn’t come on a platter of gold. He fought for it and doesn’t look like one to let it slip since Chelsea look like the team with an eye for both UEFA Champions League and Barclays English Premier League diadems. Who can bet against Chelsea? Do so at your peril.

    Moses played for one minute or more against Manchester City. My joy stemmed from the fact that he is fit and was used as game-changer, which is quite remarkable. It will be nice if Rogers retains Moses next year with Liverpool as Barclays English League champions. It will guarantee Moses the opportunity to fight for a place next season. The difference this time is that Liverpool players will be having their hands full with matches. So, Moses can seize the chance to reclaim the shirt and hold on it for as long as his feet can carry him.

    Moses will be fresh at the World Cup in Brazil. He is witty and knows what to do with the ball. He will be an asset to the Super Eagles. He will find in John Mikel Obi, another talented player who has not been used regularly at Chelsea due to injury, a worthy partner. Besides, the pattern created for Mikel to perform is defensive. I only hope that the coaches can play Mikel in this role at the World Cup and not throw him into the attacking slot. But will our coaches play Moses in the creative midfield role to complement Mikel?

    Oguenyi Onazi is back in Lazio’s first 11. He scored a goal last weekend, his first this season and it could signpost better fortunes for Nigeria at the Mundial. It is likely that the coaches would opt for the fighting edge that Nosa Igiebor possesses playing for club and country. My fear is that he is injury-prone and picks up cards from games because of his gutty style. Can the coaches polish this rustic aspect of Igiebor’s game? Let’s wait and see. So, what are the other midfield options for the Eagles? Brown Ideye, Michael Ogu, Nnamdi Oduamadi and Obinna Nsofor.

    These are the men who would provide the passes from the midfield for our attackers. Who are these strikers? What is their pedigree in Europe? Emmanuel Emenike is our best. Strong and reliable, only if he is given good passes by the midfielders. Who will pair Emenike upfront? We have seen him play with Ahmed Musa, Ideye, Shola Ameobi and Nnamdi Oduamadi. His partnership with Ideye has benefited both players. Indeed, the chief coach has described Ideye as a player who works for the team. Perhaps, they need to ask Emenike who he prefers. The reliving aspect of our strikers is that they are paying regularly for their clubs. Their return is timely.

    What would the Eagles’ starting squad look like in Brazil? Many have said the coaches should be left to do the selection. True. But who do we blame if things go awry? Those who say that the people are putting the Eagles’ coaches under pressure must be told that the Argentines are also pressuring their coach to include Tevez, who plays very well for Juventus. Their call for Tevez’s inclusion is based on his current form. And it is justified, even though the Argentines are loaded to the hilt with stars. Need I name them? They are an awesome bunch of players who have stuck together since their days at the under-17 cadre. No lads have joined them since then, yet they are a delicate side to play against when the chips are down.

    An Argentine musician, Daniel Ursini, wrote a tango for Carlos Tevez. According to a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report, Ursini is using music to send a message to national team coach Alejandro Sabella, once an elegant midfielder for Leeds and Sheffield United.

    Entitled “Sabella, you’ve forgotten Carlitos,” the song’s melancholy tones accuse the coach of having taken the wrong path. “You can’t be so stupid as to leave out one of Argentina’s most popular players,” argues Ursini.

    A year ago, Ursini wrote a song to mark the birthday of Lionel Messi, and separate songs for the two stars may well have been a wise move because it could boil down to a choice between one or the other in the Argentina national team. And that is not a particularly difficult decision to take.

    The power of soccer, most commentators would say. Soccer truly unites people. The game belongs to them. They follow it with passion. They celebrate when their teams win. They sulk and some even cry when things go awry for their squads. Some take it to the ridiculous level of maiming themselves. Yet the game rules. When the 2014 World Cup begins on June 12 in Brazil, everything will stop for people. They would prefer to follow the event. People will keep vigil to watch their countrymen. Will you blame them?

    Will Argentina’s coach bow to the pressure? Not likely because Tevez called it quits with the team. If Tevez is dropped, it would be justified just like the English have told Chelsea’s Captain John Terry to bury the thought of returning to the squad for the 2014 World Cup.

    Irrespective of what the Argentine musician has done to canvass support for Tevez, the cantankerous midfielder has restated his position about being left out the squad stressing that: “I don’t think I will be with my national team at the World Cup. I’ve already bought tickets to go with my wife and my three children to Disney World. They deserve this trip and I have been very clear in my mind where my place is. Things as they are and that is that,” Tevez said. Tevez on the hindsight has shown that he is man of honour unlike our players who can’t stand by any decision. They can’t because they know that Nigeria’s participation at the Mundial is always a bazaar for the players and coaches. I digress.

    The mind games have begun. The Iranians are boasting. Tagged the weakest in the group because of their pedigree in the game, they have dropped the Asian Maradona from the squad. The advantage of releasing the provisional list early is for the Iranians to criticise it.

    Carlos Quierioz is a tested hand. His 28-man squad has been exposed. His friendly games are known and those on spying mission have begun their exercise. What about Nigeria? Shhhh. We are still bickering.

    Indeed, the Bosnians have started talking. Those invited know themselves and are celebrating. Those dropped have kept quiet, knowing that those picked are better. Our boys are responding to the diatribes thrown at us and those talking won’t be in Brazil. That is the way we are. Like the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti sang in one of his hit albums, we are opposite people. Dem go show o; dem go show, dem go show themselves clear, clear, dem go show. Opposite people, dem go show. Everywhere dem go, dem go show.

  • God forbid

    Ask any Green Eagles star his regrets, he will definitely list the fact that he didn’t play at the senior World Cup. Most of them were very skillful but Nigeria had not acquired the status of being a regular at the Mundial. Many have reasoned that our economy wasn’t as poor as it is now to compel the stars of old to consider the star trek to Europe. Those former stars who went abroad chose to acquire education, perhaps because of the orientation in those countries where they played the game – most times at the novelty level.

    Not for the new generation of Super Eagles players since we clinched our first Africa Cup of Nations diadem outside Nigeria in 1994. The year also marked our epoch at the senior World Cup, with many of those who excelled at the USA’94 World Cup hitting it big with European clubs. The ripple effect of Nigeria’s superb outing in 1994 at the Mundial dovetailed into our winning the gold medal of the 1996 Olympic Games’ football event in Atlanta.

    Given our achievements and the players’ exploits with foreign clubs, our football hit its apogee in 1994 and 1996. But we lost track when the demented Abacha regime barred the Super Eagles from defending the Africa Cup of Nations which they won in 1994 in South Africa in 1996. Things fell apart for our soccer. Providence intervened at the Africa Cup of Nations held in South Africa, last year. We won.

    Our exploits at the World Cup in 1998, 2002 and 2010, since we broke the jinx of attendance in 1994, have been nerve wrenching, especially with the after competition tales. Things changed last year. It appears now we are poised to shock the world, only if we settle the wrangling within the team. It is interesting to note that the NFF have chosen to work with Eagles Chief Coach Stephen Keshi. The Big Boss has also turned a new leaf.

    Equally cheery is the news that Keshi would be paid his outstanding four months salaries. He will also an upfront payment until June 30. Keshi’s assistants are to enjoy the same treatment. The salary palava over, leaving the coaches now have their job cut out for them; they should produce a good squad for the Mundial. It presupposes that Keshi would be allowed to pick his squad, even if he decides to pick goalkeeper Chidozie Agbim. The story was told how Keshi refused to go with a third goalkeeper for the game against Mexico, simply because the technical committee disagreed with his inclusion in the team. Keshi had his way because it was a one-off game. He certainly wouldn’t try that with the World Cup. For crying out loud, the technical committee should allow Keshi pick his squad on April 22.

    The technical meeting should be followed with a press conference where the list will be made public. NFF should allow the media drill Keshi over his list. Whatever reasons he advances will serve to determine his fate when the chips are down in Brazil, beginning with Nigeria’s opening game against Iran on June 13. It means that we could rule the world at the Brazil 2014 World Cup, if only all the parties are sincere with their resolve to work together.

    Nigeria’s quest for a remarkable performance in Brazil, beginning with the opening game against Iran, has being dogged with the agony of our reliable players either sitting on the bench or being left out their European clubs’ matches. But the flipside to this scenario is that we would have injury-free players, a situation most of the managers whose players star regularly for their teams would pray for.

    The pain of watching our stars in limbo has been worsened by the tale from Jose Mourinho last Friday that Eagles midfield pearl John Mikel Obi was injured. Mourinho didn’t state the nature of Mikel’s injury. I quickly swept this tale away, given Mourinho’s pedigree for mind games before The pain of watching our stars in limbo has been worsened by the tale from Jose Mourinho last Friday that Eagles midfield pearl John Mikel Obi was injured. Mourinho didn’t state the nature of Mikel’s injury. I quickly swept this tale away, given Mourinho’s pedigree for mind games before matches. It turned out to be the best option when on Sunday, Mikel made Chelsea’s squad for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match against Paris Saint Germain (PSG) at the Stamford Bridge Stadium. But did Mikel play against PSG? No; he didn’t, but he loosened up on the sideline in the second half, meaning he could have played had Mourinho not opted for an all-attacking formation, when Chelsea were looking for the vital winning goal scored Demba Ba in the dying minutes of the game.

    I panicked until I saw Mikel warming up. I felt he could miss Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup matches like he sadly did in South Africa, four years ago. Mikel is our biggest player – in terms of pedigree in the European game. Mikel would be the peg on which pundits would hinge their previews and reviews of Nigeria’s matches. Mikel missing Nigeria’s shirt again in Brazil, amounts to a taboo. God forbid, I said unconsciously while writing this article.

    Even Eagles’ stars would be downcast if the news comes that Mikel is out of the games. Recently, Mikel showed he is world class. In Brazil, he will give his best, knowing that he could get a new club, given his limited appearances with Chelsea under Mourinho. Even Mourinho will have a rethink. Certainly, Mikel shouldn’t leave Chelsea for Inter Milan. If Mikel must leave Chelsea, he should join any club that qualifies for UEFA Champions League regularly. I digress!

    With the European leagues drawing to a close and the quest for the UEFA Champions league diadem high on the minds of the stars in the four teams (Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid), it remains to be seen how many of these games Mikel will play.

    Victor Moses hasn’t complained openly about his bench role at Liverpool. It may not be his style. But the few minutes he has played for the Reds show that he is a damn good player. He could be benched because those playing in his position are Englishmen. Do you blame them? It is their league. If a foreigner isn’t clearly better than their wards, it is only fair the Englishman is given a run of matches to sharpen the rustic ends of his game, especially in a World Cup year.

    If Chelsea wins the UEFA Champions League trophy and Liverpool lifts the Barclays English Premier League diadem, Mikel and Moses would be star-acts of the Super Eagles in Brazil. Emmanuel Emenike is a big star in Turkey. He was voted the best player at the Africa Cup of Nations, yet he will rank behind Mikel and Moses, when pundits start to zero in on the Eagles.

    Irregular appearances for Oguenyi Onazi in Lazio in the Italian Serie A, Shola Ameobi in Newcastle, Godfrey Omeruo for Middlesbrough, Ahmed Musa, Elderson Echijile for Monaco in the French Ligue 1 and Brown Ideye in the Russian league is worrisome. Not much is expected from them when Eagles play in Brazil.

    Nobody knows how Godfrey Oboabona is faring beyond reports of his own goals. Yet the silver lining in the Eagles is that goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide have been marvelous at their clubs, not forgetting Ambrose Efe, who was part of the league winning Celtic side in the Scottish Premier League side. But soccer is like the biscuit you don’t know where it will crack, like the Sierra-Leoneans would say. The Eagles could be the surprise package for the World Cup if the selection doesn’t divide the squad.

    One was excited watching on television the video of Brazil’s manager Fillipe Scolari discussing with his players in England. He watched Chelsea beat Stoke 3-0 and also saw some other games involving his players in other English clubs. That further cemented the relationship between the coach and the players. Scolari’s dinner with his boys enhanced bonding. He must have told them his philosophy for the Mundial.

    Talking about bonding between players and coaches, this writer screamed, watching Everton’s manager Martinez and his left back Leyton Baines at the stands during Manchester United’s UEFA Champions League game against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the first leg game, which ended 1-1.

    Martinez told the media in England that he took Baines to the match because he wanted the left back to watch how Bayern’s captain Philip Lahm plays. He wanted Baines to observe how the German performed both in offensive and defensive positions, not forgetting how he combines his role as the team’s captain and the being the coach on the pitch.

    These are some of the ways that coaches bond with their boys and also get them to see themselves as an indivisible unit. Managers or players shouldn’t lead needless revolts.

    Up Eagles! Up Nigeria! Of course, Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!

  • School boys please

    I feel sad that former Super Eagles winger and indeed one-time Africa Footballer of the Year Emmanuel Amuneke seems not to know where to find kids for the Golden Eaglets. Amuneke, having played for Barcelona FC of Spain, should know where to find kids between the ages of 12 and 16 for the Eaglets.

    Equally disturbing is the acceptance by the NFF that Amuneke should throw the camp open by allowing kids in Abuja to converge on the National Stadium in the city for screening. NFF may have bowed to Amuneke because of the freehand clause in the coach’s contract. That is the way coaching contracts are signed. However, Amuneke shouldn’t insult our sensibilities with the caveat that those kids coming for his open screening would be subjected to MRI test. If he goes to secondary schools, he will find kids who wouldn’t need to undergo any form of test. From their looks, it would be clear that they fall within the age bracket. Any kid who cannot come for screening with birth certificates should be dropped. No kid should be screened with sworn affidavits to authenticate his age.

    It would be morally wrong for Amuneke to fill the squad with kids from his academy even if they are all qualified. Amuneke needs to thread with caution because his constituency for picking players is Nigeria, not Ajegunle or wherever his club is located.

    Common Amuneke, don’t be lazy. Draw a proposal for the NFF to pay your way through Abuja to pick the kids. Didn’t Amuneke learn anything from Garba Manu on how to prepare a winning squad?

    Amuneke needs to visit all the playing fields in Abuja to pick the right players, if he wants to throw the camp open for talents. He could also task his former mates in the national team to help spot talents across the country. Otherwise, the safest places to pick kids for the Eaglets are in the secondary schools. Indeed, in other climes, the schools and academies serve as the nursery to discover and expose budding talents at the grassroots. It is for this reason that great players get rave reviews in the media, using clips captured when they played at tender ages.

    As defending champions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Nigeria doesn’t have any point to prove in that cadre again. What should guide us now is how we are able to graduate last year’s winners into the Super Eagles in eight years time, as we have seen the Argentines and the Spaniards do.

    There are a lot of credible soccer academies in the country which have the right players, who have been groomed in the game. Some of these academies encourage the kids to go to school while playing the beautiful game. After all, Amuneke was part of the Golden Eaglets winning squad last year. I wonder what he wants to achieve by reinventing the rule that produced world champions.

    Nigerian kids are no longer hot cakes in Europe after age-grade competitions because of the controversies over their real ages. Most of our age-grade players, who make it to European clubs, don’t compete favourably with their ilk from other climes. Except our age-grade coaches take their drive for kids in these cadres to schools, academies, streets and parks around the country, we will continue to experience stunted growth at the Super Eagles level.

    Successes recorded in our age-grade national teams should be the barometer to gauge the development of the beautiful game at the grassroots. Indeed, any adult that is fraudulently kept in the Eaglets, for instance, has robbed the genuine kid of the platform to define his future because he could be the breadwinner of his family, like we have seen with most of our successful soccer stars. Besides, kids who excel in our age-grade teams become models to lift the game at the grassroots, especially in the neighborhood where they live.

    Let’s boo Enyimba’s, Pillars’, Wolves’ managers Nigeria is a huge joke. And the jokers here find it difficult to depart from their old ways that have brought us pain, anguish and shame. Sadly, they peddle their influence in high places to get the plum assignments meant to bring joy to us. What do we do to them?

    Last week Sunday, Warri Wolves FC joined the list of losing Nigerian representatives at the CAF Confederations Cup. As usual, they are passing the buck. Truth said, Wolves, Kano Pillars and Heartland crashed out of the continental championship the day they changed the coaches – and some of the players- who won the trophies for them.

    In other climes, teams that win trophies don’t do wholesale recruitment of players. Even if they do, they hardly change the coaches. This ensures continuity in the team and strengthens the synergy among the players during matches.

    Not so for our Nigerian teams. Coaches and players win trophies, yet the club managers sack those who labored for the ticket, citing spurious grounds, such as indiscipline and need for them to get experienced personnel. The results have been the same – failure, like we have seen with the three teams.

    Sadly, these changes have been the same. They rush to take players who represented us in previous teams and failed, yet they expect different results. It has been the same vicious cycle. We can only avert this pitiable setting if the LMC and indeed the NFF enforce the rule, which ensures that players and coaches serve out their contracts. This idea of certain players and coaches oscillating around our continental teams will not yield the desired results.

    If coaches and players win trophies for teams, they should be allowed to reap the fruits of their efforts. Otherwise, the law of karma that has been the lot of our recent continental teams will apply.

    It suits the managers of our continental clubs to change guards without recourse to the fact that the team must blend to perform. What this simply means with the failure is that they are the problem, since they were the only component not changed in the chain.

    Governors should ask their managers to explain their teams’ poor outing at the continental level. The first rule of soccer – or any business for that matter – is that you don’t change a winning team. Why these managers continue to destroy teams that won trophies remains a mystery.

    Thank you Ghana, US

    The World Cup is serious business. It is the platform for excellence, not mediocrity. Countries that are lucky to qualify for it leave no stone unturned in their quest for glory.

    First-timers at the Mundial spend most of the time celebrating the feat without realising the enormity of the assignment. Regulars, simply dust up their files to find out what went wrong at their last outing. Notes recorded from the last assignment provide the clues for them to plug the loopholes noticed in the squad.

    Ghana’s Black Stars were the best African nation at the 2010 South Africa World Cup. They almost hit the semi-finals but for the penalty miss. They took the painful loss to Uruguay on the chin and dug deep into their armoury to clinch the qualification ticket. Having qualified, they have strengthened their backroom staff by recruiting a renowned placenta expert to attend to their players’ injuries, using the modern technology. Not done, the Ghana FA has got match readers and technocrats to spy on their World Cup opponents. Their findings would be discussed with the coaches.

    Put simply, the Ghanaians won’t be playing any game in Brazil blindfolded. They would get enough data on their opponents and perfect counter strategies to beat them. The Ghanaians have sent their coaches to England to understudy Liverpool FC’s coaches to know what do to do with the data from their spies. Please don’t ask me what Nigeria is doing.

    In the case of the United States, they have recruited former Super Eagles technical adviser Berti Vogts as a World Cup adviser. Not much is known about his brief. But I fathom that he would be there to psyche up the Americans. He would tell them his World Cup experiences, among other roles. What is clear is that the Americans wouldn’t play like novices. They would be mentally prepared for all their games. Are we taking down notes on what others are doing while we bicker?

  • Power of television

    The European leagues are in their critical stages. The contending teams are either targeting the ultimate prize or struggling to avoid dropping into the lower cadre. Players are using their club matches to show their countries’ managers that they are ready to “explode” at the 2014 Brazil World Cup. But the fight for the top prize is fierce in England and Spain. Pundits have watched their predictions go awry to underline the fact that the beautiful game is filled with shocking results. Otherwise, who would have thought that Arsenal won’t be among the top three in the Barclays English Premier League?

    Many had tagged the Premier League as Arsenal’s to lose, given the way they entertain fans with their scintillating soccer artistry. Arsenal played such inviting flair that their opponents’ fans applaud even in defeat. But things have gone haywire for Arsene Wenger and his thrillers, largely because the French tactician is so dogged about his philosophy of the game to change. He doesn’t believe in the armada of start which he once said could be problematic, especially when they are on the bench or not being fielded.

    Wenger’s dogma in Arsenal’s style earned him the stick from Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho, who, when told that the Barclays Premier League had changed, retorted: “You’re saying that the English league has changed. Has Wenger won it since I left?”

    Vintage Mourinho and his mind games. Wenger dismissed Mourinho’s jibes with the wave of his hand, insisting that he wouldn’t be drawn into discussing silly things. These scenarios were captured on television and they form the butt that rival supporters throw at another before games are played or shown on television.

    Indeed, the beauty of the European games rests with the way the leagues are packaged on television. Each contentious act, including those too fast for the referees’ eyes to pick or those the referees forgot to include in their match reports, are captured on television. Decisions are also taken decisively no matter whose ox is gored. A few of the decisions have been questionable. Yet there is the platform to seek redress and such untoward acts rectified with superior judgment.

    Only last week, referee Marriner mistakenly flashed the red card at Gibbs instead Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain. Tempers rose initially from those who saw the events. Yet no one took the law into his hands because the television captured it adequately. Of course, Gunners’ management rightly appealed against the decision. And by Tuesday morning, Gibbs and Oxlade-Chamberlain were qualified to play against Swansea at the Emirates Stadium where Arsenal was held 2-2.

    Referee Marriner wasn’t punished. His error was human and he will be in charge of Southampton’s tie against Newcastle on Saturday. However, the beauty of the decision making had to do with the fact that the arbitration panel didn’t need to secure tapes from the away side like we do in Nigeria nor did it rely on any document submitted by the home team. Instead, it relied on the master tape of the broadcast rights holder to decide the issues raised during last Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea won 6-0.

    Did you see the goal Wayne Rooney scored against West Ham at the Upton Park Stadium? “Out of this world, Wayne Rooney,” screamed the commentator on television. In a flash, the camera rolled towards the stands where David Beckham sat with his kids. Wonderful. Such is the power of television that a flashback to the goal Beckham scored against Wimbledon that had Nigerian, Efan Ekoku, starring. When that flashback was shown on television, the argument among pundits bothered on the distance where both shots were taken. Quickly, that dispute was settled when the television brought forth the measurement showing that Beckham’s was scored from 60 meters whilst Rooney’s was shorter. I sighed thinking about when Nigerian matches would be so described and covered. Thank God Nduka Irabor is doing a great deal to transform the Globacom Premier League. Irabor must stay there to withstand the brickbats thrown at him for the good of the game.

    Issues raised from Sunday’s El Classico in Spain are being handled through the power of television, with the big games getting top priority. I have taken you, dear reader, through what operates in Europe because we will soon have such matters in our domestic league. We must be prepared to handle them with dispatch and ensure that justice is done decisively.

    The power of television rests not with handling controversies. It is best appreciated when you sit at home to watch how the two teams at the stadium. The behind-the-scene pictures of the stadium’s dressing rooms push anyone within such areas in Europe to watch the next game live.

    The pre-match talks with key members of both teams on what the fans should expect compel those at home to sit tight and not miss any moment. And, of course, the post-match interviews where the most valuable player is given an opportunity to relive what he did on the pitch. It is about time Nigerians at home got a complete menu of everything that happens weekly in the Globacom Premier League.

    The present right holders are doing well. Yet they still need to replicate what we see weekly from Europe to compel Nigerians to leave their living rooms and head for the stadium nearest to them. What if the rights owners decide to show the arrival of Globacom Premier League teams at match venues? Don’t laugh. The buses will be rickety. Broken windows and marked windscreens. At the end of the matches, the television would capture our players pushing their vehicles to start; just as the smoke from the silencer would suffocate a rabbit in its hole, if pumped into it. The players’ boots would be an eyesore and, of course, different shades of jerseys. These elements would be a bad advertisement for the Nigerian game. It would take such visuals to force our clubs to do the right thing.

    Since most of the teams are government owned, highlighting these flaws would move the governors to buy their teams good buses and improve players and officials’ welfare knowing, what the implications are if they don’t.

    Who can stop Big Boss?

    Stephen Keshi has unwittingly played into the trap set by his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). He is in big trouble because the evidence is overwhelming.

    Documents leaked to the media show that Keshi left the country without permission. Keshi’s leave request showed that he ought to have proceeded on vacation on February 15 and was expected in the country on March 10. Yet, Keshi travelled to the US, in spite of the fact that the NFF President, Aminu Maigari, told him not to. Indeed, Maigari insisted that Keshi should attend President Goodluck Jonathan’s dinner with the bronze-winning CHAN Eagles on February 13.

    Keshi defied this directive, according to the NFF. He wasn’t seen at the Presidential Villa on February 13, raising the poser if he could have acted in the manner, had the CHAN Eagles lifted the trophy.

    Keshi’s leave request showed that he should be in Nigeria on March 11, yet the Big Boss hit the country March 25, 14 days after his vacation had expired. But that isn’t NFF’s major grouse. Keshi, in his wisdom, called the head of technical department, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, informing him that he wouldn’t be able to attend a scheduled meeting for March 25 from the US because he was having connecting flight hitches. This prompted the NFF to shift the technical committee meeting to April 8.

    Surprisingly, NFF watched in awe as Keshi parleyed with the media on March 25, a day that Big Boss said wasn’t feasible due to flight hitches. Peeved, Ikpeme gave Keshi 24 hours to respond to the query. Let’s hope that he responds or apologises.

    Like we do here, Keshi can do no wrong; otherwise, when the Big Boss announced his resignation on radio in South Africa on February 11, 2013, in spite of the fact that former Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi was there with him, we should have either asked him to apologise for the national embarrassment or wielded the big stick. We didn’t. Keshi was given the red carpet while NFF chiefs were made to look like fools.

    Is anyone shocked that Keshi could pick personal interest ahead of national interest, which is what snubbing the technical committee meeting amounted to? Please, this insolence must be checked. But who can stop the Big Boss? Just who, please?

  • Call Obuh to order

    The League Management Company (LMC), which runs the Globacom Premier League, matches must protect the brand, if it hopes to attract more sponsors to the domestic game. Most times, willing corporate bodies sit on the fence to watch and evaluate the trends in the Globacom Premier League before making any form of commitment.

    Therefore, the LMC must be proactive to comments by those who try to bring the game to disrepute by their words or behavior. Sanctions must be immediate on those found culpable. Where the referees don’t record such comments or conducts like they often do, the LMC could on the strength of comments in the media invite those culpable to explain why they should not be punished.

    In cases of media reports, the LCM can invite a reporter to substantiate his or her claims. Where the media can provide recorded voices of players, coaches and officials bringing opium to the game, then sanctions should be handed out to deter others.

    Indeed, the only way the LMC can reduce – if not eliminate – these unwholesome conducts by coaches, players and officials is for the broadcast right holder, Supersports, to show us all the matches in delayed broadcast. It is not enough for Supersports to show matches live. Supersports should also show recorded matches and get credible people (former referees, ex-coaches, renowned journalists and ex-international players) across the strata of the game to express their views on the controversial aspects of the matches.

    For instance, Enugu Rangers technical adviser John Obuh pilloried the referees who handled Sunday’s Globacom Premier League cracker against Enyimba in Aba. Curiously, Rangers lost 2-1 with all the goals scored by Enyimba players. Even the goal recorded for Rangers was an own goal by an Enyimba player.

    The question then for Obuh would be if Rangers scored a disallowed goal. But those who know how some unscrupulous referees manipulate games say that he or she could use the whistle to kill off potential goal-bound moves.

    In some cases, such a referee could ignore crunchy tackles on the visitors or intimidate the visiting side’s players out of their wits with yellow cards. These are mere allegations, which can be thrown into the trash bin with visuals on television from the match venues.

    I saw the three goals scored in the Enyimba/Rangers game in Aba during the SuperSports’ Monday night show on television and none of them was fraudulent. Supersports need to have daily progammes dedicated to the Globacom Premier League where all the week’s matches are shown. Fans should be allowed to express their views on talking points of the league, like we see daily on Supersports from the Barclays English Premier League.

    This fans’ forum will set the agenda for us. Such candid views would help the LMC know the problems plaguing the league, particularly why attendance at venues is poor. Fans who like what they see at home weekly may be moved to watch the Globacom Premier League matches anytime the teams they admire visit the towns where they reside.

    The ripple effects of some of these unsubstantiated allegations rest with the fact that fans wouldn’t want to come to see the games because the results, in their view are pre-determined.

    Aside, the gestures from these complaining coaches, players and officials trigger violence from the spectators, who are divided along the two teams. Of course, the visiting teams go home with unsavoury tales of what happened in the first game. These sad tales set the stage for vengeance in the return match.

    If we must get the fans to watch the Globacom Premier League matches, then untoward tendencies as highlighted with the actions of the coaches, players, officials and referees must the reduced.

    We must create the right environment for the games to be played. The essence of sponsorship of the domestic league will be lost if there are no spectators at the stands. In other climes, the fans are the 12th player. The noise from the stands gives their players the energy to fight on.

    The domestic league is the cradle of our football. No one should desecrate it. If the matches are free of violence, scouts from Europe, the Americas and the Diaspora would storm the venues to see our players strut their trade. Most of the players that made their marks at the senior level played the game here.

    For this season, Enugu Rangers are the cash cows for all the teams anytime they parade Ejike Uzoenyi. Fans will storm any stadium where Rangers is playing to touch Uzoenyi. They would want to see him live.

    In Aba last Sunday, the fans held him hostage, not essentially for his role in Rangers 1-2 loss to Enyimba. But for his sterling outing for the home-based Super Eagles at the CHAN tournament held in South Africa early this year. The irony of Aba fans’ mob of Uzoenyi is that he was rejected by Enyimba. Besides, he played for Rangers last and didn’t get this mob action from the appreciative fans. That is what Uzoenyi will face in any city in Nigeria, if he plays for Rangers. Uzoenyi was Nigeria’s best player in CHAN and rightly deserves all the accolades from Nigerians. He brought us joy. He united us with his dazzling performance. And there cannot be a better way to say thank you than for the fans to throng the stadium for his autographs and pictures which they will treasure for life. Imagine if Enyimba paraded Austin Okocha or Nwankwo Kanu? The Aba stadium would have recorded a stampede.

    The LMC must do everything within its power to bring the fans back to the stadium. And it would start by getting the clubs to make the venue safe. With many fans comes higher earnings from the gates. I’m sure that any club that brings Flavour to thrill the fans before matches, for instance, would record a capacity-filled stadium, if the next artiste is Tuface Idibia. Sports and entertainment can mix to lure the fans to the stadium. Clubs must offer the fans something to lure them back. The period between 1.30pm and 4 pm when the game begins will be meaningful to the fans if they can dance to their favourite music. With such top notch musicians at the venues miming (before you ask me how we would remove their equipment), the stadium will be jam-packed. The clubs will earn more from the gates and the players, coaches and officials will be happy. The increase in the players’, coaches’ and officials’ emoluments will enhance performance. The Nigerian game will be better for it.

    My problem with most club managements is that they are lickspittles of the government in states. Most times, they are excited with being board members of clubs because they feel it is an avenue to “chop.” They don’t think. They feed themselves fat, leaving the real actors being owed salaries for up to two years.

    We need to improvethe financial status of our clubs, if we must compel Nigerians to identify with it. I cringe when Nigerians pride themselves as financial members of foreign clubs. I really don’t blame them because our local clubs are more or else casinos for governors’ lackeys, which is regrettable. But we cannot surrender the clubs to these lickspittles. Hence, one is pleading with the LMC to create a platform where players’ inter and intra club movements are documented for us to evaluate them at the end of each season.

    The general impression being created by those who run our local clubs is that they are drainpipes. They would peddle all the influence they can muster to retain their jobs, if asked to quit for others.

    In Europe, transfers serve as money spinners for clubs with the culture of grooming talents for the richer clubs to poach. Most governors who sponsor soccer teams would be shocked to hear how the clubs get from transferring players to Europe. Not many of these state government clubs have domiciliary accounts, yet they have transferred players to Europe. So, how did money change hands between the Nigerian clubs and their European counterparts for the players to change teams? Herein lies the biggest scandals of our football. But who will bell the cat? Until governors, through their commissioners for sports, compel club administrators to account for the cash given to them, the rot in the domestic league will remain.

  • Whose headache?

    Super Eagles fans seem to have many questions over their darling team’s composition. One school feels strongly that the status quo should remain, arguing that strengthening the Eagles under any guise could destroy the team’s homogeneity. The other school feels that the old order got their rewards after lifting the Africa Cup of Nations diadem.

    For those in this half, the Brazil 2014 World Cup is serious business. Besides, many of those who lifted the Cup in South Africa have lost their form. They warm the bench in their European clubs.

    But what do the Super Eagles coaches feel about the thoughts from the two divides? Are the coaches confused? Could they have made mistakes when picking the squad that secured the Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria after 19 years? Would it not be appropriate to pick players who are playing regularly for their European clubs than stick to a squad of benchwarmers? Should loyalty to the coaches – not to the nation – be the key condition for picking players? Would it be wise to pick players who would rock the boat if made to sit on the bench? Should players’ discipline be sacrificed on the altar of picking experienced stars? Or are we back to the drawing board?

    The simple solution to these posers will be for our coaches to emulate what others do. Others pick players who play regularly. This factor helps them to fit into any system the coaches want to adopt. It is for this reason that coaches contact the managers of clubs for which their countrymen are playing, to find out what the issues are – for those who are on the bench or injured.

    Besides, coaches endeavour to visit clubs to watch key games involving their wards. These visits create the environment for the coaches to know their players’ off-the-pitch activities. The synergy between the players’ clubs and the coaches ensures that every detail is known to both parties.

    It is for this reason that many of the European players going to the World Cup play regularly. Disputes between the players and club coaches are easily resolved. Indeed, those players who don’t feature in the coaches’ plans for this season were told bluntly to seek for clubs elsewhere to get regular shirts. Brazil’s first choice goalkeeper Ceasar stayed with relegated Queens Park Rangers (QPR) of England. Clearly, national team managers counsel the players on their career to the advantage of their countries. Not here. Our coaches want our players to show enough commitment before they are invited.

    Watching the recap of European matches played last week on television, football pundits knew why certain players were fielded and others benched. Tactical changes made were informed by the trends of the matches. Most times, even before the changes were made, pundits guessed correctly those to be dropped. And they were spot-on in their choices.

    Brazil 2014 World Cup will be a strikers’ show, with countries such as Brazil, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Uruguay, Argentina and the Netherlands leading the pack. Have I unwittingly listed likely quarter-finalists? No; football isn’t mathematics. It is a game of surprises. Shocks. Yet, I would be very shocked if none of the eight listed makes it to the quarterfinals.

    Have I ruled out Africans? Certainly not, but I foresee Cote d’ Ivoire making the desired impact for the continent – for the first time. In recent times, they have been the best playing African nation. Their players are regulars across the globe, yet they totter, with nationals blaming their players’ off-the-pitch activities for their poor performance.

    In Brazil, things would change. The Ivoriens’ golden generation may be Africa’s pride. This feeling is getting stronger, especially with the way the Ivoriens battle back to a 2-2 draw against Belgium in Brussels penultimate Wednesday. The fighting spirit shown by the Ivoriens against the Belgians has been the missing link in their previous games. If they sustain that style, then Africans can celebrate the way they did in 2010, when Ghanaians held the world spell-bound until they were eliminated by the Uruguayans. Please, don’t remind me of the Luis Suarez handling of the ball for the penalty kick which Asamaoah Gyan lost. Looking back, Gyan’s penalty loss still hurts. One must commend Africans for the way they rallied behind the Ghanaians until they lost. Show me one striker who hasn’t lost a penalty kick? Better luck in Brazil, Gyan.

    I won’t be discussing Nigeria’s chances because we hate the truth. Whatever happens to the Super Eagles in Brazil would be discussed at the post-competition level. At that time, it would have dawned on us to always see the task of doing well at the Mundial as a four-year plan. We are experts in setting up panels to find out why we failed in competitions. Yet, we repeat the same mistakes.

    Belgium leads the pack of upstarts at the World Cup who would spring surprises, given the way their nationals are playing in the big European clubs. If they stick to their current form and show the resilience they exhibit with the European clubs over their first three group games at the Mundial, then they could be the team of Brazil 2014 World Cup.

    To stretch the argument further, I foresee a semi-final pairing of Spain, Brazil, Germany and Netherlands, although my hunches tell me not to foreclose Portugal and the Netherlands. What a tight order where the world may not see Gonzalo Higuan, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano. Argentines have the talents but lack the tactical savvy to hit the semi-finals, largely because their talisman Messi isn’t at his best yet. Poor Messi. He has won every trophy there is to be won in the beautiful game, except the World Cup. Will Argentina lift the diadem in Brazil? Read my lips.

    A strikers’ battle will be seen when Spain and Netherlands meet in one of the Group B matches. On parade will be Alavro Negredo, Pedro, Diego Costa, the Brazilian star who opted to play for the Spaniards, David Villa, Llorente, Fernando Torres, Michu, Tello and Soldado. The Spaniards have a line of good strikers. But their coach has been able to fix the puzzle of those he uses during matches from their contributions during international friendly matches. That they are the world’s best buttresses this fact. Mention must be made of the massive improvement of the Spanish La Liga, unlike in the past where it was a two-team competition.

    Netherlands’ list comprises Kuyt, Robin Van Persie, Robben, Huntelaar and Depay. If names win matches, it should be a stroll in the park for Spain. But, wait for it, both teams met in the finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and it was a nail-biting 1-0 victory grabbed at the closing minutes of the game by Xavi.

    Group G where Portugal, Germany, Ghana and USA would fight for the qualification tickets would be the toughest, with the game between Portugal and Germany being the decider. If Ronaldo stays fit, then the two will qualify. But they must watch the Ghanaians, who have the penchant for upsetting the apple cart. This Black Stars side doesn’t look good enough to create any upset in Brazil.

    The way Portugal demolished Cameroon shows that they are ready for the world. But the Portuguese rely so much on Ronaldo. Against the bigger countries, Ronaldo would be caged and that would be their albatross.

    Hosts Brazil are ready to win the trophy. They have jettisoned the strictly Samba style for an adapted system that has incorporated the ruthless European finishing in front of the goalpost. And with strikers such as Neymar (when I remember that this boy played at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos in 2009 as U-17, I shed tears), Hulk, Fred and Jo, it is only appropriate to flow with the Brazilians as the next World Cup winners.

    Doubters of this Brazilian squad must sit back and watch the matches of the 2013 Confederations Cup. The Brazilians have improved tremendously. They handled the home fans’ pressure with ease. They scored goals with aplomb. If they sustain the tempo, gusto and cohesion exhibited at the 2013 Confederation Cup, it is only fair to crown them winners.

    But my friend has taken me to task by insisting that Nigeria will upstage the world by lifting the Brazil 2014 World Cup diadem. Please, don’t wake me up from this sleep. Oba Khato Okpere, Ise!