Ardent followers of Nigerian football, especially in the last 12 months will agree that all is not well with Nigerian Football, except the conquest of the Emmanuel Amuneke led under 17 in the last cadet world cup.
In-fact, the decision by Emmanuel Amuneke to quit as head coach of the Golden Eaglets for ‘better challenge’ despite NFF’s backing to continue as the team’s Gaffer and the subsequent announcement by football authorities at the Glass House that camp allowances for age-grade National teams has been stopped or suspended caused some disquiet among soccer followers and painted an unpalatable signal.
There have also been reports that coaches handling most of our National teams are owed several months of salary, yet under pressure not to openly express their frustrations but deliver positive results.
Reports from Rwanda during the just concluded CHAN where the home based Super Eagles had a dismal outing, indicated that the welfare of the players wasn’t given the needed attention by the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF.
Take it or leave it, the football federation is suffering from paucity of fund, no thanks to maladministration and seeming ineptitude of NFF marketing department to raise fund via sponsorship.
The obvious ineffectiveness of NFF Technical Department led by Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, is one silent problem not many notice, but inimical to football development in Nigeria.
The most apparent of the confusion beclouding the Amaju Melvin Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation, NFF Board is the tactless outburst of Sunday Oliseh, the man the NFF Boss called ‘Pep Guardiola of Africa’. Apart from his shocking refusal to reside in his country of birth to help in unearthing talents, develop our football and coach the Super Eagles, the Delta State born one-time ‘Eagles captain through his public utterances have shown that he is either not on the same page with his employers (The NFF) or he is not answerable to them.
Oliseh reportedly told the NFF that writing technical report of his team’s dismal performance at CHAN, where they slide from a winning start, to loosing and crashing out ingloriously was not part of his contract. An unbelievable comment from someone who worked with FIFA technical committee and featured as TV pundit for major tournaments.
Reports also reveal that the embattled coach aside ridiculously accusing some persons working to develop Nigerian football of witchcraft, equally refused Kaduna as choice for Super Eagles must-win AFCON 2017 qualifier against ‘The Pharaohs of Egypt’.
The import of this piece is that the NFF is really a Glass House in quagmire and heads may roll in the NFF Board leadership any moment from now, if the football house fails to urgently address its unfolding mirage of problems.
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