Former Super Eagles star makes case for Aiyegbeni and Kaita

H ow would you assess the performances of Nigerian football in the outgone year?

There is no doubt that last year(2011) was the worst we have ever witnessed in recent history of Nigerian football.It was even worse than the previous year(2010). The statistics are there for everyone to check. In this part of the world - and even though it is wrong - most people usually measure the success of our football, with how well our various national teams fared at various competitions they featured in. And using that yardstick alone,it is glaring that we have never had it so bad.

I can’t remember the last time the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations. We were runners-up in the football event at the last Olympics held in Beijing,but our male and female teams couldn’t even qualify for the next edition slated for this year.The Eaglets also failed to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Championship held last year despite coming second in the previous edition we hosted in 2009. The Flying Eagles managed to win the African Youth Championship but failed to go beyond the quarter-finals at the World Youth Championships.

On the local scene, the Premier League didn’t fare any better.The league was without sponsors last year and it didn’t run to normal schedule.Developments at the grassroots were almost non-existent while the Administrators were busy in various law courts fighting themselves.Under such circumstances, there was no way our football could grow.

Who in your opinion is to blame for the terrible performances you have enumerated?

I’ll lay the blame on the doorsteps of the Administrators and that includes the NSC, the NFF the NPL and all other bodies that in one way or the other have something to do with the running of our football.These are the bodies entrusted with the development of the game at all levels.Over the years, they have kept doing things that are not helping our football to grow over and over again and at the end, they’ll come back to tell us the same old stories.It is all about lack of proper structures as these bodies have found it difficult to work together in synergy for the benefit of our football.

Narrowing it down to the NFF,they need to find ways of freeing themselves from the shackles of government bureaucracy that has bogged them down for years and find out how to attract quality sponsors that can fund the running of football in the country instead of relying solely on government and FIFA funds.If there’s going to be positive change for the better in our football,the NFF would need to buckle up and work hard for it.It wouldn’t come on a platter of gold.

Recently,the Senate/House Committee on Sports absolved the NFF from any fault over the poor performances of our national teams, blaming the coaches and players instead. How would you react to that?

Yes, the coaches and the players certainly are part of the problem and should share in the blame but the buck still comes back to the NFF’s table.The NFF are the ones that appointed the coaches, and the coaches in turn picked the players.If the NFF appoint the right coach without any sentiments, the coach would also pick the right players without sentiments and the team would do well.I am one of the few peoplewho have consistently maintained that Nigerian coaches are not ripe enough and cannot handle the pressures that come with managing the Super Eagles,I have been called names and labelled unpatriotic but we are all living witnesses of what has been happening.To an extent, our local coaches can still handle the under-age teams and we’ve seen them succeed at that level,but, the Super Eagles is a special case.

Are you in a way saying Stephen Keshi can’t handle the Super Eagles?

I have nothing against any local coach but personally, I would have preferred an expatriate to take charge of the Super Eagles.What I’m saying in essense is that even though we have a few local coaches that are good, but the conducive environment needed for them to succeed with the Eagles is not always there.Having said that, it doesn’t mean I’m wishing Keshi should fail but looking at past antecedents of the NFF regarding local coaches, I don’t think Keshi himself would be treated in any way different.
You are an ex-international and several of your colleagues have failed to do well as coaches with the national teams recently.Do you share the opinion in some quarters that ex-internationals have failed as coaches?

The criteria to be a coach is not about being an ex-international as there are several quality coaches who were not ex-players.So it won’t be right, without considering other factors, to conclude that ex-internationals have failed the nation as coaches. What matters is if the coach has got the qualifications good enough for the job.In today’s world, coaching is a professional job in which you can be trained and obtain necessary certificates which are in grades.If the NFF employs an ex-international who doesn’t have the necessary qualifications and pedigree as coach, then they must share the blame in the event of failure. We have seen NFF appoint coaches in this country based on tribal and political sentiments to balance what they call the federal character.In such cases,it is no longer about how qualified the person is and that is simply unprofessional.

Nigerian players are believed to be extremely dedicated to their clubsides.How do you think the NFF can get these same players to be committed to national team duties?

Getting players to be very committed to the national cause has to do with having an input in the lives of those players especially in the formative stages of their careers.Look at majority of these players,they struggle on their own to attain a measure of stardom playing abroad and that’s mostly when national team selectors get to know about them.And in the event that they even accept to play for the country,if they get injured or they don’t live up to expectations at a given time,they are abandoned.We have got to appreciate these players not only through the bonus they get when they feature for the national teams but we must show that we truly care for them through thick and thin.For instance, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Sanni Kaita are still being victimised because of some bad moments they had during the last World Cup. During my playing days in the national team, I experienced such victimization several times from certain FA officials,so I know what I’m talking about. My exclusion from the Super Eagles squad to the France ‘98 World Cup remains baffling. Aside being in a very good form, I was the only Nigerian striker that played in the European Cup final that year and yet, I was shut out of the Eagles. However, we need to learn to forgive ourselves and move on,

Also, national team coaches must be careful not to demonstrate unnecessary favouritism to a set of players.If players’ invitations are done purely on merit, then such players would be ready to give their best because they also have their individual images to protect.

I can take that to mean you are in support of Yakubu returning to the Super Eagles?

I’m not advocating for Yakubu’s automatic return to the national team. What I am saying is that if Yakubu keeps playing well as he’s been doing recently, then Keshi should give him a chance again in the Eagles. Age is not really on his side anymore and he is no longer a player needed for the long term.That notwithstanding, Yakubu is vastly experienced and presently, he can bring that to bear on the team while the younger and upcoming strikers can also learn from him.

There is no doubt that Nigerian football is at its lowest ebb. What do you think should be done to revive the situation?

The way out of the woods for our football to experience revival is to fix the local league. A strong and vibrant league is the bedrock of true development in our football.It is time our Administrators stop paying lip service to the quest to have a truly professional local league - one that can stand without government money. The league is central to the development of Nigerian football, in that it absorbs players from the grassroots and amateur clubsides who would later blossom to play in the national team. By now, our leagues should be attracting players from several African countries which would further help strengthen it. If we develop our league to the right standard, it would reduce the constant exodus of our players to several obscure leagues in Europe and other parts of the world. Normally, young players from the grassroots and the likes should seek to play in the league while those who have distinguished themselves over a period of time on the domestic scene, would no doubt secure lucrative moves abroad.Right now,everything is in shambles and needs to be corrected for our football to rise again.

Then you are in support of Stephen Keshi who is giving local league players opportunities to play their way into the Super Eagles?

Yes. Keshi has started well, searching for players in the local league instead of relying wholesale on foreign based players to play in the Eagles.It is a good development as Keshi has shown he’s ready to go the extra mile to rebuild the team. During our playing days, we were all products of the local league and that was the pool from which players are drawn to play in the national team.It is therefore a welcome development that Keshi has chosen not to neglect players from the domestic league.

You must be looking forward to a fruitful year for Nigerian football in 2012.

I can only hope so but candidly, there is nothing on ground presently to indicate that there would be serious efforts by our Administrators to make the necessary changes which can bring about the desired results.Regardless, we can only wait to see what happens as the year gets on.

What is your take on friendly matches being lined-up for the Super Eagles?

I think that is one area the NFF have done well in recent times and they deserve commendations.If they keep improving on that I believe it would start to yield the right dividends for our national team.Quality friendly games remain the best avenue that will help the Eagles blend as a team, regain confidence and be ready for key competitive matches.

Nigeria would be taking on Rwanda in the first leg of the 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifiers in Kigali.What are your expectations?

There is no need to tell the NFF or Keshi to prepare well for the game. I want to believe we have learnt our lessons by our ouster from this year’s tournament.We must prepare well and take nothing for granted. Other African teams have lost the fear factor they previously had for Nigeria and it is high time the Eagles start enforcing it again.

Thanks for talking to us.

You are welcome.

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