WHEN jerry can-bearing urchins run after vehicles on Lagos streets, one thing seems certain – it is Christmas time. In December, you find roughnecks selling petrol in Lagos. They are the ones who buy the product at odd times, most times when we are sleeping. These yoyos run this racket with petrol attendants while the suffering masses wait hours at bus stops for vehicles to take them to work.
Worst-hit are owners of vehicles who have the misfortune of patronising these hawkers. They end up losing the car engines because the petrol that these hooligans sell is often adulterated, most times mixed with water or kerosene – or both.
Sadly, here we are having another panic buying season, largely because there is always a cabal waiting for rumours of either a looming scarcity or price hike to unleash their devilish acts. It is good to know that Nigerians can pass through festive periods without queuing up to buy petrol. Urchins must be pinching themselves, wondering how this administration pulled off the magic. It had always been a season of harvest with some women joining the jerry can-carrying trade. Will you blame them? Is it not a business to generate cash?
Did I hear you say, “Is this sport?” Yes! – to some extent, especially the tussle to get jerry cans filled with petrol. What about the sprinting by these yoyos when security operatives raid them? It is exciting watching the resultant stampede from such pursuits. Well, pardon my digression. It’s just that I feel the pain, like others. Who will fix Nigeria’s problems?
Nigeria is in crises but sport albeit soccer, always serves as the soothing balm for us, especially when the Super Eagles are winning their games. And with the prospect of Nigeria going for her sixth World Cup starring at our faces, the revelations from Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr’s review of his plans to make Nigerians smile this year are quite instructive. Rohr is positive that Nigeria won’t just qualify for the 2018 Mundial, but would shock the world with creditable performances. Rohr isn’t Joseph the dreamer in the Holy Book. Had our officials listened to Clemens Westerhof’s warning to relocate the Eagles from their noisy hotel, Nigeria would have beaten Italy in the 1994 World Cup second round game. Rohr’s revelations of a Nigeria upset in Russia finds expression in the way Bulgaria finished third place at the 1994 Mundial, despite being beaten 3-0 by Nigeria in one of the group matches.
Rohr hinged his optimism on the exploits of our players in Europe especially Victor Moses, who he tipped to win the 2017 Africa Footballer of the Year award, if he continues with his sterling performances with Chelsea FC of London. He didn’t just single out Moses for the award. He felt strongly that Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi along with Moses could rank among the top five Africans in next year’s awards.
The manager wants his players to be regular in their clubs. He reckons that John Mikel Obi is better off playing regularly in the Chinese League than watching games at the stands. Indeed, Rohr went a step further to get Musa Mohammed to leave Turkey for an unnamed German club because he needs him to play at the right wing back position for the Eagles, in spite of Moses’ remarkable outing for Chelsea in that position. This is the nexus of the Eagles where Moses is considered a better striker who needs to be utilised more in goal scoring than to defend the opposition from scoring goals.
Rohr has changed the fortunes of our game. But he doesn’t fail to acknowledge the contributions of his Nigerian assistant, specifically Imama Amapakabo, who sends him videos of domestic league players, who he thinks should be in the Eagles.
When the story broke that Rohr drafted Imama to the video section, the hue and cry was deafening. But Imama, like a true student, saw the positives in the posting. He is better off for it today. Would anyone be shocked Imama wins the NPFL league diadem again with Enugu Rangers? He also could lead Rangers to win the CAF Champions League trophy.
Rohr’s Nigerian assistants Salisu Yusuf and Alloy Agu are tested hands in the domestic league, with Yusuf winning the trophy twice. They are quiet lads who are dedicated to their jobs. You need to see the synergy between them and Rohr to appreciate why the Eagles will continue to fly high.
I hope NFF chiefs won’t look for other chief coaches of our national teams, with the transformation going on in the Eagles. Imama can handle the U-23 Olympic Games side, what with the training he is getting with his sojourn in the Eagles. I saw Rangers at the Super Four and liked the fact that Imama paraded a completely new squad of players for his second game against Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, which ended in a barren draw. If Imama wanted to win the trophy like other coaches, he could have retained his strongest side, especially as Rangers played on their home ground in Enugu. He understood the dynamics of creating competition in his side. Now he knows that a competitive squad not one of a few good players.
I’m also excited that Rohr wants as many as five local league players in the Eagles. This decision would stem the tide of frequent movement of our domestic league players to all manner of leagues. Domestic league venues will host more fans.
Indeed the absence of our national team players in the domestic league is chiefly responsible for the fans’ apathy at match venues. My appeal to Imama, Yusuf et al is for them to pick our best. If they do so, many of them would find good clubs in Europe. The ripple effect of such movement to Europe is that the domestic league players would be motivated to give their best to exploit the platform too.
I have been bowled over by the recruitment of young Nigerians, including the mulattoes, to strengthen the Eagles. Rohr has unwittingly reduced the average age of the Super Eagles’ players. This has been the biggest problem with the squad. Did I hear you say but they are young men? If you believe the ages on their documents, you can believe anything. I’m also glad that many of these Nigeria-born lads have started calling Rohr to indicate their interest to play for their fatherland. I had reservations about our coaches chasing them to play for us. Who doesn’t want to play for the winning team?
One such Nigerian ready to play for us is Fabian Senninger, whose father is a Nigerian and mother a German. His uncle played for Germany. But Fabian wants to defy his father’s instructions by playing for the Eagles.
Fabian told Channels Television, Lagos: “My father is saying I should play for Germany like my uncle, but I personally want to play for Nigeria. There are so many good players in Germany and it’s easy to win the World Cup with Germany. But I want to win the World Cup with Nigeria and get the first star.”
I hope Gabriel Agbonlahor, John Salako, Ugo Ehiogu, Nedum Onuoha et al have read Senninger’s view on choices for their career at the national team level.
The biggest legacy that Rohr will leave for us would be the plans to get the Eagles to play like the Germans. He has used his pedigree with the German FA to establish youth development programmes for us using the German model, which earned them the 2014 World Cup diadem.
Copying successful models, such as Germans’ is the first step into greatness for us. And it says a lot about who Rohr is – if NFF chiefs ensure that the programmes work. As it is with all good things coming from Europe, the primary targets are the young boys and girls at the grassroots.
Our football needs a workable template to grow. And it won’t come as a surprise if our local boys leave this country in droves to start professional careers at much younger ages.
The Germans won’t tolerate mediocrity. They won’t encourage cheating. Their records will be accurate. They will be on the pitch. They won’t allow exceptional talents that are abound in the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to rot away. They will take them out to Germany to polish their skills. For the younger ones, they will ensure that they take parents and their kids to Europe if that is what will make such talents to blossom. Of course, such kids will be given scholarships to go to schools. Indeed, a new dawn beckons for our talents across the country. I can’t wait.
The business side of this Nigeria and Germany youth development programmes is exciting. I won’t be surprised if Nigerian clubs start having bilateral relationships with clubs in the Bundesliga. I won’t be awed if the Germans target their developmental programmes at schools, colleges, polytechnics and universities.
The Germans know the potentials in the country. Coming through the NFF is just to establish a relationship for growth. I know that these initiatives will come with foreign sponsorships of different spheres of the bi-lateral deal. Nothing is free in the Western markets. They understand that sport is business. No prize for guessing right that Nigerians would soon start to watch the German Bundesliga religiously like they do with the English and Spanish Leagues.
Perhaps, the German “invasion” will open the eyes of the Federal government to the benefits of private sponsorship of sports, especially soccer. It will open a new vista for sports marketing here. Until our systems work seamlessly like in other climes, managing sports will remain comatose, ridden with crises.
