The Nation Newspaper

Category: Ade Ojeikere

  • Here and there

    Here and there

    Super Eagles Assistant Coach Daniel Da Bull Amokachi must forgive me for this slip. In fact, I almost missed out the name of John Mikel Obi as one of the Nigerians who have rocked the English game with their sublime skills.

    Perhaps, my slip may have arisen from the pains Amokachi caused those of us who support Liverpool. It may sound funny because that should be the reason why I shouldn’t remember to list him. On this score my unreserved apologies to Amokachi. I plead that he doesn’t walk alone. Don’t ask me what I mean. Amokachi knows exactly what I’m saying having played in the Merseyside derby for Everton.

    There is also Efan Ekoku, the first man to score four goals in a game in the Barclays English Premier league era while playing for Norwich. He was in the Eagles side to the 1994 World Cup held in the United States (US). I won’t forget the exploits of the Ameobi brothers and Sone Aluko, one of the few Nigeria-born players who dumped England for Nigeria.

    The list of Nigerians playing soccer in England is legendary. It just struck me that Danny Shittu once played for Bolton in the Premier League. With these exclusions, it should convince those who think that I have issues with Amokachi that nothing like that exists. I could have hidden under the cloak of listing a few because of space constraints. Not so for me because Amokachi ranks high on any Nigerian internationals’ list. Amokachi is, indeed, a legend of the Nigerian game. I rest my case.

    Easily the pick of the pack of performance by Nigerians in Europe is Mikel Obi, who scored his first Barclays English Premier League goal after 185 matches. What struck me first wasn’t the goal but the fact that Mikel will soon join the list of players who have played 200 Premier League matches. I hope he celebrates it with a goal.

    Again, this writer was excited that Mikel proved he could score goals. 24 hours after Mikel struck, the only African that can cause Nigerians pain by depriving Mikel of the 2012/2013 African Footballer of the Year award, Yaya Toure, scored one of the four goals that ruined Manchester United’s title defence. Yaya plays for Manchester City and is the incumbent African Footballer of the Year.

    For those who felt strongly that the Special One, Jose Mourinho, ruined Mikel’s career at Chelsea by converting him to defensive roles, they must do a rethink. The burden of scoring goals for any player rests with his predatory instincts which can only be actualised when such a player is adventurous.

    John Terry plays in the heart of Chelsea’s defence, yet he surges forward to score goals for the team. Ghana’s Michael Essien plays in Mikel’s position sometimes and scores goals. Ramires also plays in Mikel’s position at Chelsea and scores goals. The onus of scoring goals lies with Mikel and I hope that this is the catalyst he needs to join the legion of midfielders, such as Lionel Messi, who score goals with aplomb.

    One had been skeptical about Mourinho’s sincerity to give Mikel the desired games. But listening to him on television last Saturday, one had hope. Mourinho told the world that he introduced Mikel and Ramires for the game against Fulham for freshness and to add width to Chelsea’s forward surge towards the goalpost. He also explained why he preferred Oscar to Mata. It is no coincidence that Mikel and Oscar scored the two goals that separated Chelsea from Fulham at dusk on Saturday evening. Indeed, it was the hallmark of a good tactician, such as the Special One.

    While Mikel had a ball with his game, Victor Moses’ second outing for Liverpool caused pains. Hitherto lowly placed Southampton nicked a lone goal victory over the Reds, with the own goal scored by Liverpool’s reliable midfielder Steven Gerrard.

    Liverpool was awful against Southampton, making the few upfront runs by Moses counting for nothing. Pundits were, however, looking forward to Moses’ combination with Louis Suarez and Sturridge beginning with Wednesday night’s show-stopper at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Liverpool, a fixture Wayne Rooney described as bigger than the Manchester derby. Rooney surely knows what he is saying, having also played the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton severally. Moses will definitely have a fruitful season at Liverpool, given the way both players played on Wednesday.

    Moses has distinguished himself with Liverpool. A goal and three regular shirt appearances justify why he left Chelsea. It will also help Nigeria’s course at the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

    The story from France is exciting about goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. Several cleansheet outings show that he is in form, which should be good news for holidaying Stephen Keshi. Enyeama’s sparkling form spells doom for the Ethiopians as the October 13 tie in Addis Ababa approaches.

    Interestingly, Brown Ideye has found his shooting range by scoring goals for his Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev at a time when Fernerbahce FC of Turkey’s management are worried over the scoring form of Emmanuel Emenike.

    Keshi would sigh at the Turkey side’s agony because he knows how to utilise Emenike to score goals. What Ideye’s return to scoring form does for the Eagles is that it increases the team’s fire power upfront and equips the coach with enough options to nail the Ethiopians in Addis Ababa on October 13. Victory over the Ethiopians at home is what the Eagles need to make the return leg in Calabar on November 16 a formality.

    Our midfielders in Europe, except for Mikel, are having a torrid time with their clubs. They have performed below par, with some of them taking the stick from their coaches. One hopes that their poor forms with their clubs would be corrected with 15 days to the battle of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.

    The biggest fillip in this discourse is that most our players are playing regularly for their clubs. And it is an added advantage as we prepare for the Ethiopians.

    Huge cheers for Keshi

    Stephen Keshi is a good sport. He reads. He listens and has opted for the diplomatic resolution of his seeming intricate matter with Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet. I must commend him.

    Recently, one wrote in this column the need for Keshi to swallow his pride and negotiate for an out-of-FIFA-court settlement over the alleged racist comments on the then Malawi coach Tom Sainfiet.

    On Wednesday night, the story broke in one of Malawi’s national newspapers that Keshiwa hoping that FAM would withdraw the case in the spirit of sportsmanship. FAM chief executive officer Suzgo Nyirenda confirmed that “he (Keshi) called me last weekend to ask if there is a way we can sort out the issue amicably, but I told him that it would need Tom’s consent.”

    “We only facilitated the complaint on behalf of Tom as an association. Otherwise; it is between the two of them,” said Nyirenda.

    Keshi wants an amicable resolution. The NFF must reach out to the FAM chief to see how they can reach Saintfiet through him. I know that Saintfiet won’t do any business with the NFF, given the way he was shoved aside for the Nigerian job.

    But with FAM, Saintfiet will listen, especially when he is told that the initiative came from Keshi. We must save Keshi from an imminent five-match ban, no matter the quality of defence we may have for the Big Boss. I don’t want us to let this chance slip because we never can tell what FIFA chiefs will decide.

    To avoid regrets, the NFF must move fast to mend fences with Saintfiet. That is what the Belgian needs to withdraw the case. He wants to make Keshi the fall guy to get back at the NFF and the Nigerian government. Who is the coach who doesn’t want to work in Nigeria? It is the easiest way to stardom. Clemens Westerhof, Johannes Bonfrere, Father Tiko; the list of foreign coaches who made name coaching Nigeria, is endless or is anyone disputing this? Oba Khato Okpere, Ise.

  • Moses walking alone

    Moses walking alone

    The most popular football league in the world will soon witness a Nigerian raise his humble beginning with a meteoric rise to stardom, wearing the jersey number 12 at Anfield.

    Victor Moses is poised to hit the headlines, with his sublime skills and his goals that could break the 28-year duck for Merseyside giants Liverpool. The Reds haven’t won the Barclays English Premier League diadem since it started 20 years ago. But Moses’ creative instinct and whistling shots could serve as the match sticks to burn this Liverpool title hoodoo.

    Many a Chelsea fan predicts that Jose Mourinho would regret Moses’ sale when the league season comes to an end in May 2014. We all say a big Amen.

    Significantly, this Nigerian’s emergence in England smacks of pity, having been declared a refugee occasioned by the bloodshed that sacked Kaduna, including the death of his parents. But he has put those traumatic periods behind, preferring to make his mark through soccer.

    Not many were surprised that Liverpool manager Brenda Rodgers gave Moses a debut appearance because he had known the Nigerian as a kid in Chelsea’s youth squad and followed his growth while with Crystal Palace and Wigan.

    Scoring a goal on his Liverpool debut is the fillip Moses needs to roll back the years for the Reds. With this weekend’s game against Southampton at Anfield, all eyes will be on Moses. If he scores a goal and four-goal hero Sturridge doesn’t, the media will start a countdown to see if he would surpass Sturridge’s four-goal record over the four matches.

    Moses is in good hands at Anfield. He won’t be the main striker for the crunchy tackles, given Sturridge’s exploits this season. He also would be given less attention with the return of Liverpool attacking gazelle Louis Suarez from a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s defender Ivanovic.

    With two prolific strikers in Liverpool, cameo outings for the Reds won’t be enough to attract markers, since many of the clubs would rather hold down Suarez and Sturridge.

    It has been quite a while that a Nigerian held the English game spell bound. Recall the days of Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu. Most pundits won’t forget Kanu’s sterling show at Stamford Bridge, where he scored a hat-trick to nick the game for Arsenal 3-2. That game was the beginning of Kanu’s superlative outings for many English teams.

    Okocha didn’t play for the big clubs as Kanu, but he was so good that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) twice named Jay Jay the best African player in the English game.

    A few other Nigerian stars, such as John Mikel Obi, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Obafemi Martins, John Utaka, Joseph Yobo, Victor Anichebe and enfante terrible Osaze Odemwingie, have either played or are playing in England with credible marks that have enchanted the fans and made many a European manager crave to have young Nigerians in their teams.

    Indeed, most pundits have envisaged a naughty 2014/2015 transfer showdown between Chelsea and Liverpool, if Moses hits the mark that many are envisaging. They have foreseen a situation where Moses will insist on remaining with Liverpool and what happened between Tottenham and Real Madrid in the sale of Gareth Bale will be a child’s play. The pundits feel strongly that Mourinho made the wrong decision to loan Moses out

    Moses’ absence was felt on Wednesday night during the game against Basel FC of Switzerland as Chelsea didn’t have a player in Moses’ mould who could hold the ball in the midfield and spray the defence-splitting passes to open up the Swiss for goals.

    Moses helped Chelsea to lift the Europa Cup last season. His goals brought smiles to Chelsea fans’ faces. Rafa Benitez didn’t flinch in giving Moses a starting line-up in the Europa Cup.

    It was shocking when Mourinho declared Moses a surplus to his team’s requirement. At the pre-season, Mourinho poured plaudits on Moses. But after Nigeria beat South Africa 2-0 in Durban during the Mandela Challenge, Moses may have incurred the Portuguese’s wrath when he returned late to England from Durban. Moses has moved on, leaving Mourinho to stew in his selection mess as seen in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Basel in the UEFA Champions League.

    A regular first team shirt for Moses would affect his performance for Nigeria, now that qualification for the Brazil 2014 World Cup is but a piece of cake for the Super Eagles, if our players play to their strengths.

    The Eagles have the Ethiopians as their last group opponents. With a galaxy of stars such as John Mikel Obi, Emmanuel Emenike, Shola Ameobi, Ahmed Musa, Brown Ideye et al, the Eagles should bury the Ethiopians with goals over the two-legged ties.

    As for Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi, a last fixture against Ethiopia is the icing on the cake of his efforts to rebuild the squad. Having lost the opportunity to lead Nigeria to the 2002 Japan/Korea World Cup and Togo to the Germany 2006 World Cup after securing the qualification tickets for both countries, Keshi won’t want to miss this attempt.

    It would be foolhardy to dictate what he should do. He knows what the stakes are and cannot afford to make any mistakes with his team selection and tactics.

    We only hope that the Tom Saintfiet’s racist saga doesn’t put a spanner in the works for the Big Boss. Thank God Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) eggheads participated in answering the query sent to Keshi by the Federation of International Football Federations (FIFA).

    This writer doesn’t expect any stiff sanction against Keshi, a first-time offender (that is if any harm was done, in the first instance). The lesson from the Saintfiet saga is that Keshi must henceforth be drilled on how to answer questions before he faces the media.

    Keshi must understand that mind games are meant to unsettle the opposition. It behoves on him to ignore such distractions, no matter how irritating they may be and focus on ensuring that his boys whip such coaches and their teams silly on the field.

    I was impressed with the introduction of Mikel into the Basel tie on Wednesday. It showed clearly that Mourinho didn’t have any reason to keep the Nigerian on the bench.

    The pre-match claim that Mikel was struggling with a knee injury looked like a hoax, given the way he played to help salvage at least appoint for Chelsea, which eventually became a mirage as the visitors stole away the vital three points with a 2-1 victory.

    Wanted: Official stadium for Eagles

    In other climes where there are official match venues for national teams, games such as the Nigeria versus Ethiopia tie are prosecuted with celebrations.

    Considering the fixture’s significance, FA chiefs and government officials pull all the stops to create the ambience to celebrate their stars and sponsors. The carnival setting on match days compel other sponsors to tag their products and services to the beautiful game.

    Tickets are sold out immediately the fixtures are announced. Advertisers launch new facilities to capture the audience and the overall setting forces the fans to throng the stadium in their numbers since there are compelling reasons for them to do so.

    Not so for Nigeria because of frequent changes that make it impossible for any firm to identify with our sports not just football. A classic case for a permanent venue for the Eagles is manifest with the return of the fans to watch last weekend’s Federation Cup finals.

    The fans stormed the Teslim Balogun Stadium because they liked what they saw last season. Besides, they planned ahead for the game, having known that the finals for the next three seasons would be played in Lagos. Is anyone shocked that fans hardly leave their homes to watch the Eagles play, in spite of the fact that the team is the most loved by Nigerians?

    I cannot understand the noise surrounding the likely change in venue for the final qualification game against Ethiopia.

    Much as I appreciate all the Cross River Government has done to galvanise the team to where it is today, we would be better playing against Ethiopia in Abuja because the Stadium’s setting will intimidate the Ethiopians, who may not have played before such a large crowd.

    It may be quite premature to start talking about where the team should play. But, talking about the Eagles drawing 2-2 against Guinea is bunkum because the Eagles couldn’t beat Kenya in Calabar, in the team’s first game as Africa’s champions. That draw against Kenya almost scuttled Nigeria’s quest for the ticket, until we salvaged it with an away win over the Kenyans in Nairobi.

    I will support NFF if they choose to compensate Cross River by insisting that the Eagles play in Calabar. It will be the best way of showing appreciation. But it doesn’t foreclose the need for the Eagles to have their own stadium where matches are played, reminiscent of England’s Wembley Stadium or Brazil’s Maraccana Stadium. The choice is NFF’s to make and I hope they make the wisest choice.

  • Thank you Emenike

    Thank you Emenike

    Emmanuel Emenike showed that he is a true professional by insisting on collecting the $5,000 match -winning bonus for beating Malawi in Calabar last Saturday.

    Emenike hinged his decision on the fact that it was a privilege to play for Nigeria, with a population of close to 190 million people. He felt honoured to wear our colours and looked forward to subsequent appearances for the country, unlike John Mikel Obi, Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, who were up in arms to fight for $10,000.

    Emenike’s decision quenched the fire in the troika, who were said to have had the coaches’ support. No one would say that Emenike is NFF’s lickspittle, not after his harsh words to the federation’s chiefs for failing to show concern about his welfare when he was injured playing for Nigeria.

    Emenike drew a parallel with his club by stating that he was satisfied with what he earned and would rather see playing for Nigeria as payback. This is not the first time that Emenike has shown love for a dear country, irrespective of what we say about NFF chiefs. He dumped playing for South Africa and a few other countries. Indeed, he pestered Joseph Yobo to convince Eagles coaches to invite him to prove his mettle. Little wonder Emenike doesn’t spare any moment to pour encomiums on Yobo.

    Interestingly, one former Eagles coach told me that the reason why our players insist on getting such ridiculous figures is because they are bench warmers in their European clubs. One is tempted to believe this coach, given Emenike’s, the late Rashidi Yekini’s and the late Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji’s commitment to Nigeria’s matches.

    It is absolutely ridiculous that some players could contemplate another bonus row on a day when they shared N25 million given to them by Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke. Do the Eagles think that the money they received was the governor’s personal cash? Do the players not know that the N25 million came from taxpayers?

    I really cannot understand why Mikel keeps spearheading revolts in the Eagles. He plays for one of the biggest clubs in Europe and should know how requests for changes are made. What Mikel and his ilk don’t understand is that they would have been languishing in one of these novelty football-playing nations but for the opportunities they got to play for Nigeria. I would have been excited to hear that Mikel, Enyeama and Ejide rejected theirs when the matter was resolved.

    That they took the $5,000 tells a lot about their character and it is rather unfortunate since they are our ambassadors in Europe. Wait a minute: Didn’t Mikel get Tom Tom’s Man of the Match award of $5,000? So, what does he really want? Or is playing for Nigeria another casino?

    Except for Victor Moses and, indeed, Shola Ameobi, every other person in the Eagles got to Europe playing for one of our national teams. It behoves on them, therefore, to play for Nigeria on grounds of loyalty and show understanding when there is cash crunch.

    Sadly, we don’t have the right leadership in the team to call Mikel’s, Enyeama’s and Ejide’s bluff, largely because they also benefit from the increased largesse if their protests succeed. We are the laughing stock anytime issues such as bonuses, are discussed in the media. The big questions are – how do others do theirs without rancour? Is there no instrument in place to punish offenders? Will the trio say they are unaware of what has been said about the bonuses even after the show-of-shame in Namibia?

    Could this be the reason why Mikel feigned injury and headed straight to London, when his mates were busy playing for their countries in the European Group World Cup qualifiers?

    Mikel needs to exhibit the traits of a role model and desist from this despicable act whether or not he is being propelled by bigger forces in the squad. At this rate, it would be suicidal to make Mikel Eagles’ captain in sync with what is happening in other countries, such as Argentina where Lionel Messi is the captain.

    Mikel stands in good stead to become 2012/2013 Africa’s Footballer of the Year and he needs to be worthy in character, based on his stay in Europe where he ought to have acculturised to the European ethos. As for Enyeama, it is about time he stayed off the team. When Samson Siasia wielded the big stick on Enyeama after a mutinous act in the Eagles, we cried foul and begged Siasia in vain. We can now appreciate what Siasia saw then when he tagged Enyeama as a very bad influence. Let me tender my apologies to Siasia for hitting him so hard for refusing to accept pleas from Nigerians to return Enyeama to the fold. I really don’t know where to start in explaining Ejide’s conduct. A good goalkeeper, no doubt, but I didn’t know him to be a disobedient player. His calm mien disarms you. But his recent role of spearheading protests is shocking. Enyeama, Ejide and Mikel are our potential captains. It says something about their protests. Read my lips. Don’t ask me how. Let me urge Maigari and his NFF men not to succumb to any threat on this bonus issue. We cannot pay players match bonuses for all the games, yet they will also insist on having a share of Nigeria’s share of the gate-takings accruing from matches played by the Eagles at the World Cup. It amounts to eating their cake and having it. In other climes, revenues from appearing at the World Cup are ploughed back towards developing the facilities in their countries. But in Nigeria, our players share it. This dastardly act must stop. If the players want the revenue from our World Cup participation, they should forget about match bonuses. Thumbs up Jonathan President Goodluck Jonathan scored the bull’s eye in Abuja on Wednesday, when he decorated Africa’s speedster Blessing Okagbare with a national honour and gave her N3 million. It may be less than what the footballers got but the thought of rewarding her is commendable. Jonathan’s tall order to the sports administrators and athletes to win gold medals at the Brazil 2016 Olympic Games is good, except that the President ought to have told us how much his administration is pumping into the challenge. The President should also tell us when the cash will be released for the athletes because the task of winning any gold medals at the Olympics is a four-year project anchored on proper planning. As I have canvassed in this column in the past, the President needs to direct that a presidential dinner with Okagbare and the business community should be organised for our Olympic Games plans as envisioned by Jonathan be laid bare before these technocrats. Jonathan needs to ask what happened to the sports lottery projects in the past. Another sports lottery with a different organogram is required to lift our sports. The President must be commended for retaining Bolaji Abdullahi as the sports minister. The fillip in our sports owes its course to Abdullahi’s transparent handling of issues bogging the industry. Adbullahi has plugged all the loopholes in our sports with his enduring policies. His unbiased approach to issues that have bedeviled the industry underlines the relative peace in the federations. This has indeed restored confidence in the athletes, knowing that their efforts would be recognised with every feat achieved. Take a bow Abdullahi, for wonderful job. Jonathan should challenge Abdullahi to fix the rot in our sports lottery scheme, if we hope to attain the heights befitting of our athletes’ stature. We should have a deliberate policy to support the athletes and safeguard their future. This must have a presidential backing for the blue-chip companies to identify with. Our administrators must learn how to account for the cash given to them. No company will want to tag its goods or services to any form of scam arising from the misappropriation of cash given to sports federations to organise competitions. Corruption has been the bane of sponsorship of sports. Okagbare as a Nigerian brand with any company will signpost the way forward for sports and the athletes. It could also resolve the problem of securing their future since most of them would be funded by these companies to combine sports and the acquisition of quality education.

  • Eagles must whip Malawi silly

    Eagles must whip Malawi silly

    Ordinarily, the game between Nigeria and Malawi in Calabar ought to be the lead discussion in this column today. Not so. Malawi are minnows in global football. And if Nigeria wants to be counted as a soccer nation, matches against countries such as Malawi should be a piece of cake, irrespective of the squad (Europe-based or home-based) that we parade.

    It is on this premise that I want to assume that Nigeria will whip Malawi silly, given the pedigree of our players in Europe and the Diaspora. Super Eagles players should bash the Malawians groggy with goals, if they must assert themselves as African champions.

    The Eagles must stop the Malawians from the blast of the referee’s whistle. An avalanche of goals will suffice to warn any country wishing to be our next foes in the last stage of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers to surrender as soon as the draws are made next week.

    A convincing victory will silence their loquacious coach. Tom Saintfiet has stirred the hornet’s nest with his mind games. Saintfiet’s antics have captured a casualty in Stephen Keshi, who must prepare soon his defence for Zurich, Switzerland at FIFA’s headquarters.

    But I’m sure that Keshi won’t need to visit FIFA’s headquarters, if the Eagles beat the Malawians silly today. If that happens, we can seize the friendly atmosphere at the post-match conference to get Keshi to apologise to Saintfiet.

    After Keshi’s post-match apology, we should get Saintfiet to assure the international media that he won’t press for further sanctions against Keshi, in the interest of peace.

    If I were a photographer, my first shot would be Saintfiet’s reaction, when he meets with Keshi inside the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar. I urge Keshi to swallow his pride and walk up to the Belgian to apologise. No one should sacrifice Keshi on the altar of neutrality. Keshi is our best and must reap the fruits of his labour by directing the Eagles’ affairs from the sidelines, if we eventually qualify for the 2014 World Cup slated to hold in Brazil.

    The Big Boss shouldn’t listen to those who think that there is nothing FIFA can do. I’m not interested in what FIFA can do or not. My concern is for the good of the Nigerian game since our young boys need the national teams to blossom under a coach, which is what Keshi has shown us with his feats since November 2012 when he was employed.

    I’m sure Keshi would have been told by his employers NFF that they have received FIFA’s letter on the issue. Saintfiet is a gentleman. His grouse with Nigeria rests with the uncanny manner in which he lost the country’s technical director job. But he knows that cannot be the end for him with Nigeria.

    In the event that Keshi sticks to his gun, the NFF must seize the platform of the post-match dinner that the Cross River state governor is to organise to get Saintfiet and Keshi to talk the brouhaha over. That post-match party could also be used to compel Keshi to mend fences with Saintfiet in conjunction with the Malawi FA chiefs.

    Keshi must lead us to the 2014 World Cup. We need to keep Keshi busy through refresher courses or allow him to understudy any foreign coach whose style of play he wants to adopt for the Eagles.

    There will always be a lacuna in our preparations for the next stage of the qualifiers. I won’t be surprised if Keshi tells us after the game that he wants to head for California for a deserved rest. He would be granted but when he goes, there won’t be a plan until we draw a big country such as Cameroon as our next foes.

    A calculated plan must be instituted to get Keshi fully prepared for the 2014 World Cup. Our players have shown capacity to compete and excel over other nationals. What we should do is to make sure that our coach enjoys this advantage by ensuring he is not idle at any point leading to the World Cup matches in Brazil. Good luck Keshi, good luck Super Eagles. Up Nigeria!

    No Gaiya no!

    House of Representatives Chairman on Sports Godfrey Gaiya wants the industry to grow, albeit through improving the welfare of the athletes.

    He has lofty ideas for the industry but what he lacks is the will power to push through these ideas such that cash to implement his thoughts are released to athletes. Gaiya has this tendency of playing to the gallery. There is nothing wrong with that, if he can back his claims with facts.

    Gaiya wants to rock the boat again by stating that the NFF must pay the players $10,000 to beat Malawi. I hope he knows that the Malawians would be paid $500 if they beat Nigeria. Ordinarily, it wouldn’t cost the Malawians to promise their players $10,000, knowing that such a feat won’t happen. The Malawians haven’t done that because they don’t have the cash to back such outlandish promises.

    This is the point that Gaiya must understand, beyond playing the nice guy that he wants the players to perceive him. NFF is cash strapped. I don’t know of any legislation by Gaiya and his co-travellers in the National Assembly to encourage the government to provide waivers for firms that support sports.

    Even if there is, Gaiya needs to focus his attention on ensuring that such novel ideas are implemented. In other climes, efforts would have been made by the Gaiya-led body to visit firms to support sports.

    Visits by such policy making unit will instill confidence in the corporate world to identify with sports. I would have been excited if Gaiya had told us that his committee has gotten a firm to pay more than $10,000 per player without recourse to government cash.

    Gaiya must learn to be a team player. Smacking the NFF or deriding our sports administrators raises the question of the role of his committee in prospecting for sports at the National Assembly.

    Good riddance!

    Change produces new ideas. But when changes don’t bring some freshness, the smart way forward is to discard such innovations.

    The biggest news from the National Sports Commission (NSC) is the scrapping of an ill-informed concessioning of some sports. I deliberately retained the headline – “concession my foot” because the last time I wrote on this issue with the headline, I was called names. Rather than look at my suggestions, I was maligned by those who introduced it.

    The truth is for any sport to be considered for the concession plan, it has to be popular and have a large followership. No sponsor will splash cash on a sport that has few followers. Any attempt to bankroll a sport with empty stands amounts to winking in the dark.

    One thing about the Bolaji Abdullahi-led NSC is that it doesn’t shirk from taking key decisions. He could also find a way round the concession theory. Perhaps, the NSC needs to shop for technocrats with the pedigree of revamping moribund companies to run some of the designated sports.

    In asking for those sports to be concessioned, what the eggheads at the National Sports Commission (NSC) ought to have done was to visit those firms that bankrolled those games to return. They should have guaranteed those firms some tax waivers. They should also have allowed the firms’ nominees to run the show themselves since the general reason why they pulled out was because there wasn’t proper accountability of the cash pumped into such federations.

    Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas has singlehandedly bankrolled a table tennis competition for over 43 years. Sponsors fell over one another in the golden era of the game.

    The mood in the sports hall was always electrifying, with the spectators cheering ceaselessly, as players exhibited their skills. No sponsor would stop exploiting such platforms especially, if their goods are the consumables. The feel good setting that comes with watching the fans sip from sponsors’ products on television is unquantifiable.

    It must be stated here too that our sports didn’t lack sponsorship in the past. The administrators of yore were honest. They spent the cash on what it was earmarked for. They organised competitions that compelled sponsors to advertise their products. They accounted for the cash spent and introduced innovations that made the events exciting.

    Adequate funding will come when federations’ boards are made up of credible people. The presence of men and women of integrity in these boards will restore confidence on those who want to commit cash to such sports.

    Good leadership is infectious. It propels all other components of the sport to always produce their best. It elicits discipline within the rank and file of such federations. It reduces suspicion among members, athletes and coaches because they trust their leaders.

  • FIFA shouldn’t ban Keshi

    FIFA shouldn’t ban Keshi

    Stephen Keshi needs help. We must save his coaching career. Keshi has unwittingly fallen into the mind games trap set for him by Malawi’s coach Saintfiet, who feels that is the best way to distract him. He must be joking.

    We know why the Belgian is crying wolf over Keshi’s seemingly uncouth utterances, which at that time he thought was an expression of his angst against the coach for daring to insinuate that Calabar was unsafe. We mustn’t make Keshi Sainfiet’s fall guy.

    Nigeria will beat Malawi groggy, but it shouldn’t come with any price – FIFA ban on Keshi. It is on this score that this writer feels that a ground work should begin to free Keshi from this trap. It is good to read Keshi’s comment that he didn’t mean what he said the way in which the Belgian interpreted it. Good talk, Big Boss. Now you know that English isn’t our mother tongue and we need to watch our utterances.

    This writer warned Keshi in this column on the need to address foreign coaches as Europeans instead of whites. My comments arose from what he said in dismissing the contributions of foreign coaches to African football. Rather than heed the advice, he tagged me an enemy. Keshi knows better now.

    We have led Keshi to this path because we have condoned his jibes at his employers. Perhaps, Saintfiet’s case will compel the Big Boss to choose his words carefully, especially when addressing those whose views are different from his.

    However, we cannot allow a coach that we rejected disgrace our best, no matter what. When FIFA’s letter comes, NFF chiefs must get good lawyers to respond to it. Given where Keshi has been in the last decade or more (California, US), such terminologies don’t mean any harm.

    We must explore the possibility of using diplomacy in getting Saintfiet to take it easy when he comes for the game in Calabar. The Belgian is angry with the way in which he lost the Nigerian job. Malawi FA chiefs could be persuaded to talk with him on the need to embrace peace. Such soft landing mechanism can provide the platform for Keshi to apologise to him at the post-match meeting.

    Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi should exploit the possibility of speaking with the leader of the Malawian delegation to urge Saintfiet to back down on his pursuit of justice from FIFA over what he has termed Keshi’s racist comments.

    The allegation is weighty. Nigeria will lose more, if Keshi is axed by FIFA. Without any doubt, Keshi would be found to have infringed on the rules of the game, given the Luis Suarez vs Evra precedent in the Barclays English Premier League. Suarez called Evra a “negro”, a word used in his native Uruguay to describe a dark-skinned person. Between “negro and white dude,” the difference is the same because it describes the colour of the skin of the individuals concerned. On that score, Keshi is culpable. What we don’t know is what the punishment will be. But it could be a lengthy ban. If it happens that way (God forbid), Daniel Amokachi cannot sustain the good foundation Keshi has laid.

    Going through a FIFA document on racism, it appears that Keshi may be banned for five weeks or even more. There is also the clause for first offender or a minor case, depending on how FIFA eggheads classify Keshi’s matter. My worry about the FIFA five-match ban is its description. Is it five FIFA World Cup matches or any five matches that Nigeria plays? It could be five FIFA World Cup matches, depending on when the decision is taken, then no 2014 World Cup for the Big Boss (God forbid). If it isn’t, then Keshi could sit out any five games. Sincerely, Keshi must learn how to talk to people respectfully. It won’t take anything away from who he is.

    We should save Keshi from this organised chaos by employing diplomatic moves through government-to-government discussion or FA-to-FA jaw-jaw. But I must warn that these two meetings must be done after the game, perhaps at the post-match conference. Only post-match discussions will suffice, lest we are accused of match fixing.

    If Keshi escapes this ban, his public speeches should be curtailed, especially those in the foreign media. Keshi should know now that he is the face of our football. Whatever he says counts. He can do with some polish ing by his media men.

    One is miffed that Saintfiet is being given cheap publicity, with this needless saga. But, who is to blame when you have a talkative of a coach? Who?

    Victor Moses’ cross

    Victor Moses must be cursing himself for joining Chelsea now that the “Special One”, Jose Mourinho, isn’t favourably disposed to having the Super Eagles gem in his squad.

    Mourinho’s decision is shocking because he had showered encomiums on the Nigerian, until he left Chelsea for Nigeria’s game against South Africa on August 10 as part of activities marking the Mandela Challenge in Durban.

    When the story broke that Mourinho had declared Moses missing from the team, I knew that his days at Chelsea were over. Mourinho doesn’t tolerate indiscipline. There is no second chance for defaulters. So, for Moses, the game is up.

    Moses needs to leave Chelsea to plan his future. He must remain in England to show Mourinho what he is missing. Moses should be prepared to pay the difference in whatever negotiations is struck to have him out of Stamford Bridge.

    With the 2014 World Cup in Brazil looking like a reality for Nigeria, Moses has no business sitting on the bench of any club, irrespective of the glut of stars there.

    We are told that Moses could join Liverpool next Monday, which is good. If it doesn’t happen, Moses must quickly decide on his future before the next transfer window opens in January 2014.

    Cry for D’ Tigers

    I’m not a fan of Nigerian coaches. So, I’m surprised that Nigeria’s senior basketball side lost to Senegal at the AfroBasket tournament holding in Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire.

    After the 2012 London Olympic Games, I wrote here that D’Tigers’ major problem was coaching. Our coaches exhibited poor understanding of the matches in London. I canvassed refresher courses for them. I was shocked when the coach resigned his appointment. I expected the NBBF not to look in his direction when the opportunity to recruit a new coach became necessary. But they did, making it imperative to ask if they are shocked that D’Tigers lost the game to Senegal?

    In Nigeria, we have this habit of engaging the reverse gear and expect the car to move forward. Ordinarily, NBBF ought to have sent the coaches who handled the squad at the London 2012 Olympic Games for refresher courses where they would be taught the finer details of the game, especially how to read matches.

    With this failed adventure, I expect the NBBF to send our coaches on refresher courses. If it cannot raise the cash, the federation can invite renowned basketball coaches to retrain our coaches. Their methods are archaic for a game that is dynamic. The rules of basketball change by the day and except our coaches are shown how matches are read they would continue to increase our pain with myopic decisions on the court.

    It hurts that the Nigeria side that has collegiate students in the US and some others who play in the reputable NBA won’t be in Portugal for the World Championships. We cannot continue with this trend. It must change.

    Welcome Robinson Okosun

    Psychologist Robinson Okosun returns to the Super Eagles after being dropped due to paucity of cash in the NFF. At that time, the body’s president, Aminu Maigari, promised to return to the status quo when its finances improve.

    Now that Okosun is back, one only hopes that he concentrates on his job. The players spoke glowingly about his contributions in lifting their spirit, especially before the quarter-finals game against Cote d’Ivoire.

    I had written about the need for Okosun’s return, largely from the perspective of his being knowledgeable. The Eagles would have been the only team in the world without a psychologist.

    Maybe soon, Coach Silvanus Okpala would rejoin the team. It is a possibility and I look forward to it. Welcome Okosun.

  • Eagles’ coaches’ tantrums

    Eagles’ coaches’ tantrums

    Super Eagles coaches like to heat the polity with every good outing. They enjoy putting their employers NFF on the spot. Eagles’ coaches disparage NFF with their convulsive decisions. Sadly, we are emotional when dealing with matters concerning the Super Eagles, hence the despicable monster status the coaches now enjoy. I have decided to pluralise this discussion by using the term coaches instead of being specific, even though I know where the buck stops with the team’s technical crew because I don’t have any grudge with any member of the technical crew. I also feel that decisions emanating from the Eagles are binding on the group.

    Eavery time the coaches choose to make the NFF look like puppets either through their utterances or decisions on the team, the world laughs at us.

    A simple decision shouldn’t be made difficult because of a coach’s tantrums. Employees cannot dictate to the employer. They either obey or look for another job.

    I cringe when I read about NFF’s poor financial status, especially when they plead with the coaches to appreciate their position. So, when an employee chooses to do things that would incur more costs, it is either he doesn’t believe them or just wants to be mischievous.

    Global practices suggest that coaches don’t change winning squads. I wonder why ours is different. Our coaches have perpetually changed the squad since February 10, when the Eagles clinched the Africa Cup of Nations diadem, such that pundits have asked when this rebuilding will stop.

    That coaches who are being owed salaries submitted a 42-man list to prosecute the September 7 qualifier against Malawi in Calabar shows the height of insensitivity to the issues at stake.

    Nigerians applauded the clinical manner with which the Eagles dwarfed Bafana Bafana in the Mandela Challenge played on August 10. We are, therefore, shocked that the coaches could submit on August 20 a list that suggests another rebuilding.

    We must encourage the NFF to stop this drift, if the coaches cannot call themselves to order. Equally unacceptable is the fact that our opponents don’t think it is worth their while to stay in camp for the Eagles game. They know that Nigeria and Malawi are not on the same pedestal, irrespective of what their coach is saying- pure mind games. So, why our coaches so desperate to camp 24 home-based players at grave costs to the NFF, only to pick five of them for the main team? Who doesn’t know the five best home-based players? They are Sunday Mba, Godfrey Oboabona, goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, Azubuike Egwuekwe Muhammed Gambo. Why do they want 24 players in camp?

    The Eagles squad that beat Bafana 2-0 in South Africa needs perhaps Victor Moses, John Mikel Obi, Emmanuel Emenike and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to strengthen it. If the coaches are sincere, they should know that these additions will rip Malawi to shreds.

    The talk of using the opportunity to prepare for the CHAN 2014 is laughable because the 2014 World Cup appearance is sacrosanct.

    As for the Europe-based stars, we know that they must play their weekend games before coming to the camp. The earliest time they can get to the camp is Tuesday morning. The team’s camp will be full by Wednesday; so, what is the talk of camping? Is this not what happens in other climes? Our coaches must grow up and work in tandem with the NFF, lest they remain unemployed after this appointment with Nigeria.

    Coaches and their FA chiefs work in concert when picking squad members, with the coaches having their way in the final selections.

    NFF must ignore these coaches and dictate what they want done. I agree with pruning the squad to 23. We have played enough matches for the coaches to easily pick 23. These 23 players must be highly populated by home-based stars. After all only 14 players can play a game and that includes the stipulated three changes. We must cut costs. We don’t need to break the bank to beat Malawi. If we spend fortunes beating Malawi, how can the NFF be solvent?

    The coaches can have their say on technical issues, but the NFF must have its way in administrative matters. He who pays the piper dictates the tune. Not so?

    Where is Osaze?

    He is alone, pondering where he got it all wrong? He must have learnt his lessons, if he thinks he caused his problems. In his solitude, he will be thinking about his future, a future devoid of conflicts. He will learn to respect people and understand that no one is an island.

    Osaze Odemwingie has burnt his candle on both ends. He was the pearl of all the clubs that he played for, until his success got into his head. He threw decorum into the dungeon, preferring to pillory his coaches and mates on the social network. Many tagged his conduct as childish. But Osaze thought otherwise. For him, it was simply an expression of his fundamental human rights, no matter whose ox is gored. Now he knows better.

    A gifted player whose presence in his hey days drew applause from everyone, Osaze’s now attracts hisses and sighs. But some people feel that he will surely get right when he returns. Those in this school argue that he needed this rude reawakening to be a better player. At 31? What is left in his career? Perhaps, Osaze could be another Roger Milla. It is possible, only if he can convince Super Eagles coaches that his old ways are past. Will they believe him? Is he talking about playing for Nigeria again? His double-speak on this issue has made it difficult for people to know how to rescue his brilliant career from being extinct.

    Should we fold our arms and allow Osaze’s career crash? I don’t think so; after all, he is not injured. We should cousel him. He needs to be told that conduct counts for more than all the millions he has acquired. He must change his attitude. He must learn to respect constituted authority. He should know that there areseveral ways of seeking redress.

    Reports from West Bromwich Albion suggest that Osaze has been shown the door. He has until September 2 when the current European transfer window closes to decide if he would still play soccer at the top level again.

    West Brom has, however, left a caveat where he could be reconsidered, if he fails to get a club at dusk on September 2. Is this what Osaze is worth? No way, only if he does not appear to think he is too big to play in the lower league- the English Championship.

    Osaze should learn from Obafemi Martins’ mistakes. Martins dumped Newcastle simply because they were relegated. Newcastle is in the Premier League but Martins’ career is dwindling. Had Martins gone down with Newcastle, he would still be in the Premier League, showing his stuff like Shola Ameobi.

    Interestingly, Queens Park Rangers (QPR), which caused his last problem, wants him. But he feels too big to play in the lower rung. A word for Osaze: grab the QPR deal and reinvent hiyour career. I would be shocked if QPR doesn’t get promoted to the elite Barclays English Premier League next year.

    Besides, playing for QPR will offer him an opportunity to show the elite sides some useful lessons about the depth of his talent. Harry Redknapp is renowned for doing the impossible with clubs that he handles. He won the English FA Cup with lowly Portsmouth. If Redknapp wants Osaze, he should go immediately. Osaze can reinvigorate his career by offering to buy out his contract or pay the difference of whatever QPR is offering. He needs to start playing again.

    For now, QPR fans don’t love him. The manager has blacklisted him. The club is making it difficult for him to leave by insisting on three million pounds transfer fees. It would have been chicken change for him but for his unruly conduct under the guise of being fearless.

    Osaze’s future is in his hands and it is sad that a boy who gave everything playing for Nigeria is rotting away in Europe because of his conduct.

    With unforgiving coaches in the Eagles, Osaze must stoop to conquer. This includes going to QPR to shock the football world. Redknapp holds the key for an exciting season for Osaze. Come on boy, take the chance.

  • Snippets from probe panel

    Snippets from probe panel

    Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi has changed the face of our football significantly, with the uncanny manner in which he has resolved some knotty issues.

    He demystified FIFA, which had in the past being threatening Nigeria for government interference. A visit to Zurich and fruitful jaw-jaw sessions with Joseph Blatter and his lieutenants served as the platform for Abdullahi to understand and interpret FIFA’s tenets to avoid violations. We are no longer being threatened. There is stability. I wonder where all the court cases have gone.

    Abdullahi’s unbiased intervention in the crises-ridden Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is chiefly responsible for Nigeria’s symbolic victory at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. All the noise made by Super Eagles players and the coaches amount to hot air because Nigeria has fielded stronger teams than the wiry squad we took to South Africa in January. Those wobbling and fumbling Eagles failed because the NFF was a divided house unlike what happened in South Africa.

    Those who hold contrary opinion to the fact that Abdullahi’s crafty handling of the NFF wahala contributed to the new dawn in the Eagles must tell this writer why the team couldn’t beat Kenya in Calabar? That was the team’s first game as African champions, yet the Eagles almost lost because the football fraternity was divided.

    But the issue today bothers on the far-reaching decisions being peddled in the media by the probe panel constituted to find out the circumstances surrounding the bonus show-of-shame in Namibia, where the Eagles and officials refused to board the aircraft to South Africa en route Sao Paulo, Brazil for the 2013 Confederations Cup.

    We are being told that the players would have to choose between signing the code of conduct to remain in the team or quit, if they decide otherwise. What a brilliant decision by the panel. We are blessed with talents, but we should cultivate the habit of grooming young boys in the nurseries or academies, as we have chosen to call them here. Is there any club in Europe without a code of conduct?

    Recall in 1996 how Super Eagles players were anxious to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, which the late head of State Gen. Sani Abacha stopped Nigeria from attending due to political differences.

    I recall how the players were ready to storm South Africa from their bases in Europe to circumvent the late Abacha’s directives. So, who says that the players don’t need Nigeria to blossom?

    Playing for Nigeria is nobody’s birthright. Any player lucky to be selected should consider it as a privilege and must be prepared to abide by the directives. This code of conduct exists in all the clubs where our players earn a living. No one has refused to sign it. Why then would anyone refuse to sign ours? How many players in the present Eagles started playing in Europe without passing through our national teams?

    The decision to peg the match bonus at $5,000 is welcome. Is it not a shame that our players want to be paid $10,000 for beating a team whose winning bonus is $85 each? If we pay $10,000 to beat minnows, how much shall we pay to pip big soccer nations, such as Brazil, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Holland etc? Shouldn’t there be a difference between what is paid as bonuses for qualifiers and the main tournament? Is this not what operates in their European clubs? Or would anyone of them say that what he earns as bonus for the domestic games is equivalent to what he gets for European competitions, such as UEFA Champions League, Europa Cup etc? Why must they now hold us hostage over bonuses?

    It is heartwarming to read that eggheads of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have been warned not to increase the bonuses from what has been stipulated. I just hope that subsequent sports ministers don’t play politics with the bonus issue by arbitrarily increasing it to score cheap praise.

    The talk by many that NFF takes along a horde of people is bunkum. NFF men dare not spend cash not budgeted for; otherwise, they will visit the EFCC cell. You need to see the retinue of hangers-on who accompany our leaders on trips within the country not to talk about overseas? Most times these other people are part of the Federal Government delegations. And it is not unique to Nigeria. What this translates to is that cash is provided for this group while outside the country.

    I like the suggestion that the players should apologise to Nigerians for the show-of-shame in Namibia. I look forward to other decisions, which will be advisory, but I hope that NFF and, indeed, the National Sports Commission (NSC) will stick with the panel’s recommendations. We don’t want a repeat of what happened in Windhoek.

    Tears for Okagbare

    I wish I had access to Blessing Okagbare for 10 minutes. I will tell her to stick with the long jump. I will urge her to concentrate on running the 200 metres, if she insists on participating in the women sprint events.

    Okagbare is a slow starter, like Usian Bolt. But, unlike Bolt, who has the capacity to catch up over a short distance, Okagbare needs at least 150 metres to outrun the pack. Over a short distance as the 100 meters, Okagbare gives up easily, especially if the eventual winner has zipped past the 50 metres mark.

    What is clear to discerning minds is that Okagbare can never win the 100 metres race in major international meets, except the smaller competitions, even though she has the potentials to do so. Those who win the big races have their schedules guided by their countries’ governments, making the lure for smaller races unattractive. The advantage in this strategy is that when they appear in any small meet, if the need arises, their events are staged at their behest.

    This is the missing link in Okagbare’s case, making it imperative for her to earn a living by running all through the year.

    I know that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the National Sports Commission (NSC), as well as Minister Abdullahi have done their best for her, yet the Federal Government must make Okagbare a brand that the corporate world should tag to.

    I will suggest that a presidential night with Jonathan be organised, where the President will sell her as a Nigerian project, first to next year’s Commonwealth Games and then the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

    At the presidential night, the President will advise the blue chip companies to invest in her and indeed other athletes. The President will also announce what these supportive firms will benefit from such an exercise.

    This presidential night could also be used by the President to reinvent the sports lottery project. But it should be held yearly, with the designated committees give account of their stewardship. Where they are found wanting, a new body is set up and the defaulters are made to face the wrath of the law.

    Okagbare needs help beyond the little that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is giving. In America and Jamaica, Okagbare will be treated like the Super Eagles.

    I look forward to the day when Okagbare will win a big race. On that day, the world will be still for a few minutes, listening to our national anthem. Then the corporate giants will paint the picture of Okagbare in Nigeria’s colours on their products. Let them imagine watching her on television loosing up before taking her turn in the long jump, wearing warmers inscribed with their corporate logos.

    To stretch the argument further, let firms capture the setting where Okagbare emerges as the fastest woman in the world, wearing logos of their firms and talking to CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera etc on 30-minute shows. The marketing window on their products and/ or services is awesome. Not forgetting front page pictures in all the big newspapers.

    Such support will compel Okagbare to shun those small races that burn her out for the bigger ones. Need I say more?

  • Give it to Mikel

    Give it to Mikel

    I start with a clarification. The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) should not feel blackmailed by my submission here. Neither is this a campaign; it is a statement of fact – John Mikel Obi deserves to be crowned the best African player for the 2012/2013 football season.

    I would not have bothered to restate why Mikel should be Africa’s best on January 9, 2014. But I’m condemned to do so, given CAF’s penchant for shocking soccer enthusiasts anytime the Africa Footballer of the Year is announced.

    The urge to warn CAF has become expedient now that the draws and ceremony for the award would be done in Nigeria. I almost celebrated as if to say that a Nigerian will be crowned. But my instinct called me to order. I felt there was the need to highlight why Mikel must be the choice.

    I’m not an alarmist. But I know that in the event that Mikel doesn’t play regularly for Chelsea this season, I won’t be shocked if he doesn’t win the award. I must warn here that the award for the January 9, 2014 is for African players’ performance in the 2012/2013 season. So, let no one in CAF come up with the crap that coaches and players didn’t pick Mikel. I’m yet to see a better player for club and country in the season in focus. Three Man-of-the-Match awards and one Most Valuable Player award tell the story of Mikel’s immense contributions to Nigeria’s glorious outing in South Africa.

    Equally disturbing is the fact that there are no set rules guiding how winners emerge. The factors for picking winners are ambiguous and continue to change, depending on the issues raised with every controversial choice.

    Bizarre results have brought forth winners that made CAF and its voters the laughing stock in the soccer world. The most laughable of such verdicts was the pronouncement of Senegal’s El-Hadj Diouf as the Africa Footballer of the year in 2001 as a Rennes FC of France player, at a time when Austin Okocha was the toast of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, which Nigeria and Ghana co-hosted.

    It is true that Patrick Mboma was voted the 2000 edition’s Africa Footballer of the Year, which he richly deserved, with his sterling outing for the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

    But CAF’s choice of El-Hadji Diouf as the best player in Africa in 2002, when the guy was starring for Liverpool FC of England, was a great disservice to the beautiful game. I dare say that Okocha was Africa’s best player in the world.

    Twice Okocha was voted the Footballer of the Year by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for Africans plying their trade in Europe, yet CAF crowned Diouf with lesser credentials, stating mundane criteria that stood truth on its head.

    For some other past winners, insinuations suggest Francophone conspiracy, as if soccer recognises language or creed. Indeed, the numerical advantage of voters from Francophone countries has been discounted as the major reason for some of the ridiculous choices. This is not to say that CAF has not produced winners that are in tandem with what people expect. They have, except that they have been far as far and wide apart as the dentition of a 100 years old person.

    It is for these reasons that one would be shocked, if Mikel doesn’t nick the 2013 edition. It could also be insinuated that most winners were goal scorers. This doesn’t rule out the fact that non-scoring midfielders cannot be selected.

    Isn’t Frenchman Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich, a midifielder like Mikel, listed among the top three players for the UEFA Footballer of the Year award alongside renowned goal-scorers such as Lionel Messi and Cristano Ronaldo? The African continent does not have such players with awesome goal-scoring records as Messi and Ronaldo, except for another Nigerian, Emmanuel Emenike, who interestingly has just returned to the pitch. He has played top class football since the Africa Cup of Nations. He wasn’t part of the Super Eagles contingent to the 2013 Confederations Cup held in Brazil. Emenike’s loss was Mikel’s gain as he seized the opportunity of the absence the team’s predatory strikers to remind everyone that he was a goal-scorer in his early days.

    Many pundits still discuss Mikel’s goal against the Uruguayans. He has been a regular with the Eagles since after the Africa Cup of Nations. The tale of francophone countries’ numerical advantage will fall flat because Mikel was an integral part of Chelsea’s squad that lifted the Europa Cup – Europe’s second best inter-club competition.

    Nigeria may not have lived up to its billing at the Confederations Cup, no thanks to injuries to key players of the squad, but Mikel distinguished himself, seizing the midfield against Tahiti, Uruguay and Spain, despite its galaxy of world stars and acclaimed midfield generals. Mikel was Nigeria’s best player at the competition.

    I hope that Mikel gets to play in the Super Cup game involving Chelsea and Bayern Munich. If he does, he would have played in all the big competitions in the world for the season under review. What else do the voters want that Mikel hasn’t achieved? But with CAF, you never can tell? Which African player has played in more competitions and lifted trophies than Mikel? I need to know.

    No doubt, there are a few African players who did well in the concluded season, such as Cisse, who plays for Newcastle and his Senegalese counterpart, Demba Ba, who stars for Chelsea FC in England. But the distinguishing line between the duo and Mikel is that the Nigerian is an African champion and European champion, winning the Africa Cup of Nations and the Europa Cup in the same season.

    Mikel towered over the incumbent Yaya Toure of Manchester City, at the AFCON quarter-finals game when Nigeria beat Cote d’ Ivoire 2-1. Indeed, the flashpoint of the Eagles’ soaring victory over the Elephants occurred when Mikel systematically removed the ball off the feet of Salmou Kalou, who had raised his right leg to stab it into a yawning net. What more can I say?

    Clap for Oboabona

    Godfrey Oboabona has taken the path of honour by publicly denouncing the statement credited to him, where he lampooned Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger.

    That is the way forward, young man. Now you have opened the doors that you unwittingly shut with those uncouth words that you used against Wenger.

    My advice to you is to ignore those Sunshine FC chieftains who want to dictate your next European club. No European club’s scout will come to Africa for a defender. They would rather shop for midfielders where they cannot find prolific strikers.

    The World Cup is next year; so Oboabona needs to accept any good offer from teams that are in the European competitions. He needs to whisper to the big boys in the Super Eagles to drop his name with European club coaches.

    Oboabona needs renowned European managers who are scouts for clubs to process his exit from the domestic game. This manager can introduce him to clubs where he can star for their reserve teams, who anyway play leagues like the senior teams.

    His exploits from such reserve games can open a new vista for him. His reserve club may not like his game. But one of their opponents may recruit Oboabona to even their senior team. You never can tell. This is better than wasting time playing in the domestic league that is riddled with unpaid salaries and allowances.

    Since Sunday, my phones have been ringing. The callers would like seeking to know what advice I would offer Oboabona after urging him last week in this column to debunk the abusive words he uttered against Wenger. I have listed some of them. I hope that Oboabona acts accordingly. He surely would not improve on his game playing in the domestic league. He needs to broaden his horizon. Europe should be his next bus stop. Oboabona should not go to Turkey or countries where the game is a novelty.

    Thank you very much Oboabona for heeding the advice. And good luck.

  • Good times for Eagles stars

    Good times for Eagles stars

    Why is soccer the king of sports in countries where it is like a religion?

    It is simple. The teeming fans’ passion, the players’ sublime skills, the enchanting ambience around the stadium before, during and after matches and the media blitz, which sends blue chip companies fighting for space for their products and services in the beautiful game. Soccer brings everything to a standstill wherever it is played.

    Such is the games’ immense followership that every new season brings forth expectations from the fans, who are eager to know how well their clubs will fare.

    Unimaginable figures fill the media as fees to lure big players to new clubs. Clubs that cannot splash the cash put their fans under pressure when new deals are struck in other teams. And with 2014 being a World Cup year, players are moving to clubs where they can get regular shirts. They want to play regularly to secure their national team’s shirts. No player worth his onions wants to sit at home from June, next year, watching his mates play on the big stage. The World Cup is the biggest platform for any player to rewrite his career.

    European managers will be in Brazil with their cheque books, seeking top performers ahead of the 2014/15 European season. So, who is the costliest player in the world after Christiano Ronaldo’s 80 million pounds sterling move from Manchester United to Real Madrid?

    Two players may break this record, given the way clubs are lurking around to strike, if one bid fails. In all the permutations before the European transfer windows shut down on August 3, Tottenham Hotspurs’ Gareth Bale is the most likely person to break the 80 million pounds sterling mark. Again, only, if Real Madrid of Spain live up to their tag as the Galaticos (big spenders on stars).

    A few pundits may place their bets on Liverpool’s Luis Suarez to beat the mark, in the event that Arsenal pulls out, now that the Reds are asking for 78 million pounds for the naughty but talented striker.

    It has been a festival of sorts for big players in Europe, with a sprinkling of South Americans and Africans being mentioned. So, where are Nigerian players in this transfer bazaar? Proudly, this writer can say that the trend this season has been our best, with Africa Cup of Nations’ best striker Emmanuel Emenike being the highest mover – if he accepts to join Fernebahce FC of Turkey.

    Reports from Turkey on Tuesday night suggested that Emenike’s club has agreed a fee of 13 million Euros, leaving the window open for Fernebahce to talk with the Eagles star. But there are moral issues on this deal, especially after Emenike has been accused falsely of being a match fixer. The court cleared Emenike, after a series of harassment on the Nigerian, everytime he stepped into Turkey. Will Emenike accept this offer, given what he went through? With such big cash on the table, you never can tell.

    Emenike should shun the offer and wait for bigger pies, in Europe, which would come with a superlative outing for Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Cynics may argue: what if the Super Eagles do not qualify for the World Cup? It is far-fetched, given the way the team is playing. But the choice is Emenike’s to make.

    As I sat through Thursday night to write this column, word came in from France that Vincent Eneyama is Lille FC’s first choice goalkeeper. Good to hear that. Enyeama opted for a loan deal to Israel to regain his form, having been benched at Lille in the previous season. This confirmation is good for Nigeria’s quest for a fourth World Cup appearance in Brazil.

    I really don’t know who Godfrey Obaobona’s manager is. Oboabona’s bile at Arsene Wenger was ill-informed. If he is not careful, his uncouth utterance may sound his career’s death knell.

    Wenger is an institution. He is an international scout. Many managers respect him and compare notes with him. I wonder what he would say of Oboabona if his views are sought on the Sunshine FC of Akure defender. I wrote here in the past that Oboabona ought to have gone to Arsenal for trials, irrespective of what he achieved at the Africa Cup of Nations in January. I reckoned that if he trained with Arsenal – even if he didn’t make it – it would have been his meal ticket for life to brag his way into any European club.

    Wenger loves African players. Those who didn’t meet his marks at Arsenal he recommended to other European clubs. That is the window I thought Oboabona would have exploited. But he listened to his dumb advisers and parroted their tunnel vision thoughts in the international media. I wish Oboabona luck, but he should know that if things go awry, he doesn’t need to blame anyone but himself. Who is Obaobona in the catalogue of players to join issues so disparagingly with Wenger? Obaobona still has a chance to deny the Wenger blast to save his career. He should.

    Indeed, it is heart-warming that Uwa Echiejile is being chased by at least three clubs. Equally pleasing is the fact that Besiktas is seeking to woo him through a former player, Eagles Assistant Coach Daniel Amokachi. Besiktas has signed another Nigerian, Michael Eneramo for the equivalent of N511 million, although after initial fears about his health.

    The most sought after defender in the Eagles is Ambrose Efe. Three years ago, Efe was ruled out of football due to a heart ailment. He underwent corrective surgery. It is pleasing that he opted to remain at Celtic FC in Scotland than being involved in the nomadic seasonal movement. Good decision, especially as his club is in the champions League.

    This week has been one of favour for Nigerian internationals, the last being the working permit granted to Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo to return to England and compete for shirts at Chelsea. I pray that Jose Mourinho looks in his direction quickly; otherwise, he should sit with the wily manager and ask for a loan move out of Chelsea to a club where he can play regularly.

    For this writer, it is celebration time. Victor Moses and John Mikel Obi will jostle for shirts at Chelsea under Mourninho. I had canvassed here the need for the duo to look elsewhere for greener pastures. But they have chosen to take their destiny in their hands and I hope that they can prove their mettle when the chips are down. Good luck folks, but remember to hop out if you feel your chances are slim when the transfer window opens again in January 2014.

    Pictures of Eagles midfielder Joel Obi training with Inter Milan in Italy lift one’s heart at a time when Mikel is regaining his form as an attacking midfielder. Joel Obi will fit perfectly as the defensive midfielder for Mikel to get a free role in the team. Indeed, Oduamadi’s move from AC Milan to Brescia is his wisest. There is nothing like playing regularly – for a soccer star. It is not just earning the big bucks. And with Oduamadi’s superb outing for the Eagles at the 2013 Confederations Cup held in Brazil, it will be survival of the fittest in the Eagles when the players assemble for any game. Don’t forget, the home-based lads anchored by Sunday Mba are lurking around to give the Europe lads a run for their shirts.

    Ahmed Musa is back, scoring goals. Did I hear you hiss? Musa is an asset to the Eagles. He has this uncanny trait of scoring goals for the Eagles in key matches. He may be wasteful with chances, yet the team needs his speed upfront to destroy teams with slow runners. Now that Emenike is back and we are expecting Shola Ameobi to join them, some of Musa’s crosses would be converted into goals. The most important thing is that our players are fit and ready for the 2013/14 season. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Victor Anichebe and a legion of Nigerian players in the Diaspora would want to use the platform of the 2014 World Cup to fight for shirts in the team. Good times, indeed.

  • A word on Okagbare

    A word on Okagbare

    Let’s move away from the sport whose actors are treated like gods, yet they cause us more pains when we bank on them to shine. Let’s consider athletes who bring us glory through their exploits in sports that we often derisively tag lesser sport. Let’s acknowledge these athletes who toil to make others perceive Nigeria from the prism of endless stream of producing world champions and not a polity of jesters.

    For us as a nation, soccer is it. Other sports can hit the roof with their exploits, we cannot be perturbed. But when soccer runs into a stormy patch, heads roll. There is panic in the land. Top government officials push and shove to get picked for trips. The Presidency is anxious. Task forces are inaugurated to avert disasters. Not so for the lesser sports.

    In the last ten days, one woman has put Nigeria’s imprint in the world of athletics. She has left the pack of world-beaters in the sprints panting behind her. They have watched in awe as she strides towards the finish-line with grace and aplomb. Their coaches have started studying the way she outpaces the pack, with one objective- stop this Nigerian from winning the top prize in big competitions, such as the Olympic Games and, possibly, World Athletics Championships.

    Blessing Okagbare is a potential world beater, the foreign media are screaming. Their thoughts are real, especially now when drug cheats are being fished out like lice in the dirty hair.

    Athletics pundits are convinced that it would be a travesty if Okagbare doesn’t win one of the big competitions, given her potentials. But can she achieve her best with the kind of people who run our sports? I don’t think so, not with the way she discredited them when she participated in the country’s trials last month.

    Okagbare didn’t shock anyone when she revealed that she had been abandoned. Many argued that she was an ingrate, based on what she had been given. But you ask: did she not work for those gifts? Is this not a new year? Shouldn’t we fund her the way her peers are funded? Is she not our best prospect for glory in athletics? Are the Super Eagles rated the best in the world like she is in athletics? Is it not about time that Okagbare became a project that is bigger than the Eagles?

    Okagbare, we are told, won the Long Jump event in the Monaco leg of the Diamond League penultimate weekend. She called Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to say: “I’m approaching our target and, God willing, we’ll get there. I dedicate this to you, sir.” Surprised? Don’t be, because the governor bankrolls all her activities. What does Nigeria do for her? You may say that the governor represents Nigeria. Hmmmm. Can we say this of the Super Eagles?

    At the opening of the Diamond League event in Monaco penultimate Saturday evening, the women’s Long Jump turned out to be a competition of the highest quality as Russia’s European indoors champion, Darya Klishina, produced a second-round leap of 6.98m, just seven centimetres off her personal best, only to see Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare outdo her with successive seven-metre jumps.

    Okagbare warmed up with 6.86m for a first-round lead, produced a wind-assisted 7.04m (2.1m/s) in round two and followed up with a third-round PB of 7.00m (0.0m/s).

    Okagbare is very hot and the world knows so because they are at her feet. What are we doing to help her beyond giving her our tracksuits and kits? Shouldn’t we sit down with Okagbare to chart her programme from now till after the 2016 Olympic Games? Is this not how others do theirs? Or are our sports administrators waiting for Minister Bolaji Abdullahi to think for them again?

    The enthralling part of Okagbare’s current form is that she looks poised to win the gold medal in women long jump at the 2016 Olympic Games, 20 years after another Nigerian Chioma Ajunwa, did it in Atlanta ’96. But will she? Again, I doubt it. Why? Okagbare is being left to burn the tracks unguided. She is beating everyone but losing steam for the big dance. Who will stop her from participating in these events when she needs the cash from such competitions to make ends meet?

    This has been Okagbare’s dilemma. This is where Okagbare’s manager and coaches must show that they are true professionals. But does she have such people around her? Read my lips.

    Okagabre’s post-race conference in Monaco tells the story of a talent running her affairs and it is dangerous at a time that other countries are plotting her fall in bigger competitions. She said: “I would say nine times out of 10. It’s a PB for me. My fourth and fifth jumps were better, but I fouled them. My seven metres jump was far from perfect and we’re working on a lot of different things.”

    Shouldn’t we help her now? Twice she has hit the running board in the long jump event for the 7.00 metres mark. Yet she appears to be more comfortable with the 100 metres.

    One only hopes that Okagbare’s feats in Monaco won’t be likened to that of the proverbial deer who danced itself lame before the real dance. Are our coaches studying the tapes of the Jamaicans, Americans, Britons, Germans and others to see if they are saving their best for the last? Have our coaches worked out a plan that would ensure that she doesn’t give everything away for other coaches to exploit? Have the coaches worked on her movement out of the starting bloc?

    These questions may look pedestrian but when the race is over, we may be told that if we had addressed some of these posers, Okagbare would have been the fastest woman in the world. Want to take a bet?

    It hurts to think that Nigeria, which made her Olympics debut in 1936, can only thumb her chest on Okagbare’s medal potentials. It explains our penchant for Fire Brigade approach to important issues. Okagbare needs a regime of experts to handle every detail of her training programmes, like big stars, such as Usain Bolt, have. She is our best and must be guided to excel while wearing the country’s colours in big competitions and not running her races for cash. This writer isn’t averse to her running for cash. No. She could compete in such races, provided they add value to her.

    It will be of more benefit to Okagbare more if she enters big competitions as Olympic Champion or/and Commonwealth Games champion than the also-ran status she presently enjoys.

    Asked by a BBC reporter which between long jump and the 100 metres is her favourite event in a post-race conference last year, she paused but quickly said that she was comfortable running the 100 metres. Yet it was in the long jump event at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 that Okagbare won the bronze medal. It was in her debut appearance.

    Many would want to ask who Okagbare is? She told her story to the BBC last year before the London 2012 Olympic Games. There were plenty of interesting twists, including the fact that she spent over nine months in her mother’s womb.

    Many had given up on her birth and expected the worst but the family trusted God for a miracle. When, eventually her mother gave birth on October 9, 1988 in Sapele, Delta State, her father aptly named her Blessing.

    Blessing, daughter of Margaret and Francis Okagbare, has lived up to the meaning of her name so much so that she has grown to become one of Nigeria’s gold medal prospects at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

    She told the BBC: “I asked my daddy why I was called Blessing and he said that I spent over nine months in my mother’s womb. When I was delivered, he named me Blessing. Since that time, I have brought joy, hope and aspiration to the Okagbare family. I have seven step brothers and seven step sisters. My family is behind me and keeps track of what I am doing. I would have loved to have them in London during the Olympics. But in Nigeria, such luxuries don’t form part of government’s obligation to athletes. I agree with the sense that they could distract me, but I will remain focused.”

    With seven step brothers, Okagbare’s first contact with sports was football. She played with boys and later soccer clubs. But it is in soccer that she is writing the name of Nigeria in gold and making her parents proud.

    Athletics is an individual sport and it cost less to run than football. While footballers earn so much as match bonuses, an athlete merely needs less than half of the aggregate bonuses paid to soccer players.

    So, isn’t it time we reconsidered our passive interest in athletics? Food for thought for those in charge of our sports! And for Okagbare, let’s not forget that an early bird, they say, catches the worm.