ogbonti:
The most successful Coach in Nigerian history, Clemence Westerhoff was hired in August 1989, and his very first game for Nigeria hapened like 6 days later, it was a World Cup qualifier game against the Indomptable Lions of Cameroun at Stade Omnisport in Yaounde. That was an emotional match for Nigeria as SAM OKWARAJI died in the previous game against the Palanca Negras of ANGOLA in Lagos 2 weeks prior. We lost the game via a header by Francois Omam Biyick. Nigeria needed just a DRAW in Cameroun to appear at ITALIA'90 WORLD CUP - so everyone was angry at the NFA, and naturally most Nigerians who thought Westerhoff is a magician - wanted Westerhoff fired and the NFA dissolved, bla bla bla.. but the then Chief of General Staff, Vice Admiral Augustus Aikhomu made a statement that "while he is government, WESTERHOFF is going no where" WESTERHOFF was not fired.
He overhauled the team by offloading reliables like Ndubuisi Okosieme, Austin Igbinabaro, Mike Odu, Mike Obiku, Defence Minister Yisa Sofoluwe, Sunday Eboigbe, Bright Omokaro, Henry Nwosu, Humphrey Edobor,Ademola Adeshina, Waidi Akanni, and a host of others. (Do not forget these were the players that won silver at AFCON MAROC 1988) He took a new team to Algiers 1990 AFCON, we suffered the biggest humiliation in African football history, I remember how Algerian Desert Warriors team of Rabah Madjer, Menad Djamel and the small 18 year old Raheem overran Nigeria 5-1 in the opening game...Amokachi was just 17 and he was running around like a headless chicken in that game.... but we know he will grow someday, I remember Friday Elaihor, Herbert Anijekwu, Isaac Semitoje, Ayo Ogunlana, Toyin Ayinla, Uche Okechukwu, Moses Kpakor, Late Thompson Oliha, Emma Okocha (the real Jay Jay Okocha), Wasiu Ipaye, Rasheed Yekini and a host of others. Only Yekini was from the 1988 squad, the rest were kinda new - We made it to the finals, but LOST to the same Algeria via a single goal by Cherif Oudjani -WESTERHOFF was not FIRED. In 1992 at AFCON SENEGAL, we lost semi finals to Ghana, and won 3rd place game against Cameroun, WESTERHOFF WAS NOT FIRED- then came 1994. more than half of those boys in 1990 and some new discoveries now became the most potent attack in AFRICA and indeed the world. we now scored at will, won almost any game we played, killed teams 4-1, 7-1, 6-0 across AFRICA.
WE QUALIFIED first time for the world cup, won AFCON in 1994, won AFRO-ASIAN CUP in 1995, Won Olympics gold - until ABACHA halted the team in 1996 because of his rift with Nelson Mandela
what is the reason for this lengthy analysis? I want to state that most FOOTBALL SUCCESS STORY DOES NOT COME OVERNIGHT - you have to build on failure to become a future champion. If SEEDORF can get a team like Benin Republic who will be patient with him for 4 years, using his influence and contacts over EUROPE to groom the team, MARK this page, the Benin Republic that I saw in this AFCON will beat this same Cameroun that sacked Seedorf, on their way to win the AFCON!!!!
ROHR should not be fired, let us learn from the WESTERHOFF story!!!!! You are a living legend, NL kids should come and learn 1 Like |
