It would be uncharitable to tag the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as a colony of jesters though some of their decisions on the beautiful game in Nigeria seem to suggest so. I’ve tremendous respect for most of them. How best can you describe a perpetually broke body that allows its employee to submit a 39-man team list unchallenged? I shudder to call them comedians, especially when they told us that they wanted to build a hotel to prune the huge sums of cash spent on accommodation whenever they assemble for a game.
I deliberately refused to join issues with the federation when the NFF and NSC chieftains recently went on an inspection of the hotel’s site in Abuja, knowing that body doesn’t stop entertaining me with some of their weird decisions. Indeed, where would the NFF find the cash to build a five-star hotel in Abuja with a crowd of 39 foreign-based stars asked to fly straight to Kigali for the March 21 tie against Rwanda? What happens to the hotel when the players, coaches and backroom staff don’t have games to play? I thought that the NFF and indeed their supervisors would have gone to the government asking to use some of the seized buildings by the EFCC, especially those handed back to the Federal Government, instead of embarking on another white elephant project.
A body that is still indebted to the players, coaches and backroom staff has cast an indulgent eye on the huge expenses associated with camping 39 players for the game in Kigali for five days, except they are saying the Eagles Head Coach would prune the list to a manageable 23 players in the coming days? I laughed my heart off reading one online story which suggested that the team’s Head Coach Eric Chelle has plans to drop 15 players from the 39 he pencilled for both games against Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 and against Zimbabwe in Uyo, four days later. Medicine after death. Pity! In fact, I joked about it further when the names of those dropped were not mentioned nor did the dropped list come from the NFF through Dr. Ademola Olajire.
At the unveiling of Chelle as the Super Eagles Head Coach, we were told he was an ardent follower of Nigeria’s senior soccer team, fuelling speculations that he would not toe the path of previous foreign coaches who invited between 28 to 38 players to camp for a game where only 16 of them eventually get to prosecute the game on match day. Not so for Nigerian administrators where prudence isn’t in the country’s lexicon when it comes to spending the government money which is cheap. Instead of a bogus 39-man list, it would show how well Chelle has been following Nigerian stars’ performances in the European leagues, if he invited 23 of them and listed between four or five as standby. I’ve always written here that there appears to be a fixed list where coaches employed to handle the Super Eagles must defer if they want to do their jobs. The only difference is the eight new likely debutants and a few home-based players which is understandable. Otherwise, how does anyone explain the choice of Kelechi Iheanacho and those nursing or recuperating from injuries in the 39-man list? Or would members of the NFF’s technical committee tell us that they too approved the invitation of 39 players? Incredible.
Any coach who invites as many as 39 players for his first game is either confused or incompetent, I dare say. How can Chelle explain the choice of five goalkeepers (Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Enosis Paralimni, Cyprus); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars) for an assignment he knows that European clubs would reluctantly release to countries between three to five days to the first game?
Looking at the 39-man list dispassionately and based on how the goalkeepers have fared for their clubs, it won’t be out of place to pick those with international matches experience. Of course, Nwabali and Okoye tower above others. If indeed there is synergy between Chelle and the Nigerian coaches who have been chosen to work with him, he should easily concede the choice of the third goalkeeper to them. No doubt the CHAN Eagles first choice goalkeeper should get the nod except he is injured. I don’t think so.
Inviting 10 defenders (William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Gabriel Osho (AJ Auxerre, France); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Jordan Torunarigha (Gent FC, Belgium); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International) is quite a crowd?
I can understand the choice of the home-based player Ifeanyi Onyebuchi from Enugu Rangers International. I won’t be surprised if I’m told that Onyebuchi has left Enugu Rangers for one of the leagues these scouts use.
Well, Chelle knows best. He is the one wearing the shoes and knows where it itches. I wish him good luck.
Chelle chose 10 midfielders namely Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Anthony Dennis (Goztepe SK, Turkey); Chrisantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain) and Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes).
Again, I can understand why Papa Daniel Mustapha from Niger Tornadoes in Minna was picked – for exposure? That is fine but I hope he isn’t already out of the country or is on the verge of travelling out of the country and needs a Super Eagles invitation to increase his market value.
Whosoever allowed Iheanacho’s name to be included in this list doesn’t want him to develop beyond where his game has descended. The media has different channels to monitor happenings around the world, so those who listed Fisayo Dele-Bashiru who plays for Lazio FC, Italy should tell us where they saw him playing football in the last 12 days. Some Europa and Conference games were played on Thursday and Dele-Bashiru couldn’t feature for Lazio FC, in their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie at Czech club Viktoria Plzen which Lazio won 2-1 in away turf.
The joke in the 39-man squad was an invitation extended to Ahmed Musa, Super Eagles top scorer at the main World Cup. Chelle picked 14 strikers comprising (Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough FC, England); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (Valencia FC, Spain); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Paul Onuachu (Southampton FC, England); Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars) and Jerome Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain).
One only hopes that the choices here are Chelle’s. Otherwise, we are done for now that the die is cast or what do you feel about these scenarios, dear reader? You tell me.
