[size=13pt]No Super Eagles for two years[/size]

The Nigerian national team has been withdrawn from all football for the next two years by the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan.

This follows the Super Eagles’ first round elimination at the 2010 World Cup, where they failed to win a single match and managed just a solitary draw against Korea Republic.

Jonathan’s decision is based on the finding of a presidential taskforce set up to investigate the failures of the team.

The taskforce’s chairman, Rotimi Amechi, confirmed the move – which is yet to be officially conveyed to Fifa – saying it was to ensure “the embarrassing outcome of the World Cup in South Africa won’t repeat itself”.

“We had all sorts of maladministration. We found out that the problem with Nigerian football is structural. The nation has been punished enough. People have had heart attacks because of Nigerian football.”

Just where that leaves Lars Lagerback, the Swedish coach who was recently offered a new four-year deal, remains to be seen.

Ibime:

This one come be like Abacha part 2. . . .

So even Borokiri boy dey lose him sense when in enter Aso Rock?

Wetin concern Mr President with Super Eagles?

We told him to let EFCC loose on the corrupt mafia in NFF. . . . . nobody asked him to ban the team from all competitions. . . . this one na sign of megalomania o!

Ibime:

This one come be like Abacha part 2. . . .

So even Borokiri boy dey lose him sense when in enter Aso Rock?

Wetin concern Mr President with Super Eagles?

We told him to let EFCC loose on the corrupt mafia in NFF. . . . . nobody asked him to ban the team from all competitions. . . . this one na sign of megalomania o!

Onlytruth:

Look at it this way, any form of government interference in soccer is strictly prohibited by FIFA and usually attracts FIFA ban up to 2 years.
So Jona is only preempting FIFA ban.

There is no other way of cleansing and reorganizing the NFF without this outcome.

Good move.

FL Gators:

How possible can this be? Does the president not have limit to his power?

What is this? Is Super Eagles owned by the govt? Makes no sense to me

Dede1:

The so-called banning of super of eagles for two (2) years by the clueless figurehead called Goodluck Jonathan is beyond the pale of my comprehension. Reasons given for the alleged banning of the super chickens are at best very ridiculous.

Does it mean after two years of this alleged idiotic ban, the national team will not lose any embarrassing match? Italy, the defending world cup champion, has not ban the national team talk less of Nigeria, a country that has not establish regional supremacy in soccer.

This Goodluck Jonathan of a guy should take lengthy look on the mirror and he would realize Nigeria is piece of dirt. Instead of reorganizing soccer governing body in the jungle and set up solid plain to reconstitute a new national team with training matches across the globe, he foolishly ordered the ban of the team.

mikeansy:

Italy did not have its players stranded needing Government to come pick them up while stranded

Italy did not have stadiums arranged for friendly being cancelled on the eve of the match.

Italy did not have disputes in accomodation because they had disagreement with hotelliers

Italy did not hire coach 3 months to world, who only had 3 weeks with the players, paid him like he was going to win the world cup, gave him a Semi finals target, but he crashes out at the group stage earning only 1 point out of 9. Yet promising to give him 4 more years contract when the coach is clearly advising us to look inward for solutions to our problems.

The ban is not a purnishment on players, it is only a way to circumvent FIFA rules and reposition football. In Europe FA chairmen act based on the will of the fans, but Sani Lulu wants to answer to nobody yet depends on Government to fund football.

He can't have it both ways.

texazzpete:

I'd like to see your thoughts when FIFA bans Nigeria. And when they ban us, it won't just be the Super Eagles. it'd be the Under 17, 21 and 23 team affected too, the Super Falcons and Falconets, the CAF champions league and ALL international friendlies.

A whole generation of young players hoping to play for Nigeria will see their hopes crushed. beleaguered Nigerian clubs will not be able to test their might against continental opposition. Without exposure like that, the number of young players snapped up to big clubs in Europe will be greatly reduced. Untapped talent will wither.

Prospective Super Eagles players will not be able to train together; with no international friendlies, the only time these players can leave their clubs to do anything with Nigeria is at the end of the season. Non-participation in the Junior World cup and Olympic qualifiers will ensure than many talents will lie forgotten.

And all these are acceptable to you because of the NFF issue. An issue that could easily have been solved by having the EFCC and ICPC audit their books, arrest and prosecute the corrupt ones. There's no way Sani Lulu could have run the NFF from jail. That would have been a legal solution acceptable by FIFA. Instead we're on the verge of deep poo.

We'll see.

dayokanu:

Did he have any message for Yakubu?

EzeUche:

Onlytruth your support in this man is misguided. We Igbo need to throw our support behind someone else. Each day this man is making me angry. Send back to Bayelsa where he belongs.