The rejected
stone
FUTUBOL
Tai Emeka Obasi
e-mail:[email protected]
Whoever managed to turn his back on the
English Premiership, La Liga, the Calcio, etc, to visit our league venues in
Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Abaokuta, Benin, Onikan, would have understood that in
clubs like
Rangers, Nationale, Enyimba, Insurance,
Pillars, Gabros, came real formidable opposition to a hitherto modest side like
Dolphins of Port Harcourt to ride on.
Yes, with just two matches to the end of
2003/04 Globacom Premier League season, it will take a miracle for the Rivers
State-managed outfit to drop the shield after amazing 59 points, five clear of
closest rivals, the defending champions, Enyimba of Aba. They have a home game
and at this stage, one knows what that means in Nigerian football. The 2003 /
04 is as good as won.
If you’re a Dolphins fan, go to the
bar and have a feel. You’d never regret it.
I may not be a Dolphins fan in the right
sense of the word but, certainly, I’m a Musa Abdullahi fan. I’m
very happy for the man who has proved, with the average players at his disposal
in the modest club side, that it was truly the NFA and the Sports Ministry that
kicked us out of the concluded Olympics football (male).
The problem with our football house is that
they listen to and take advices from people they shouldn’t. They read a
lot of papers and get carried away by the views of those with selfish, ethnics
and parochial interests. They do not understand the vital ingredient of top
level football - consistency, which mothers continuity.
It took Joao Havelenge twenty-four years to
make football the present envy of world business. While on his way out, the
Brazilian fought with every blood in his veins to retain his secretary general
on the continuity seat. Today football is even growing stronger under Sepp
Blatter.
Coming home to Africa, Isa Hayatou has
enjoyed about sixteen years managing CAF and that is why today, CAF is
converging every two years to show case sixteen teams instead of the eight the
Camerounian inherited.
Today, Africa showcases five teams at the
world stage instead of the just two we presented in 1990.
Today, African referees get to the
different stages of World championships, even officiating in the World Cup
final. Today, African teams win Olympic gold medals. All thanks to continuity
in CAF Executive
Committee.
In Nigeria, we hardly wait for the paltry
three years to shout down one NFA board for a hastily - assembled set to
start from the scratch. By the time they seemingly start cutting their teeth,
we sweep them off again. And hence we keep on rotating mediocrity.
The gains of Rtd. Comr. Emeka Omeruah were
most criminally swept away for a non-starter, Rtd Col.
Abdulmumini Aminu. Aminu turned our
football upside down, no thanks to an over-bearing sports minister in name of
Chief Jim Nwobodo. And just when Aminu was getting it right for a deserved
second term, a certain
Kojo Williams, flaunting his late
father’s credentials, muscled his way in. That one didn’t last
three months to be Nigerianly swept aside for Rtd
Brigadier Oneya.
Today, it’s Ibrahim Galadima.
Of course, nobody expected the non-starter
to have covered positive grounds in his early days but the Kano-State born
ex-military man is no fool and certainly would be garnering feathers. Of
course, we’re only waiting for three years, if we’ll manage to hold
on, to sack him and his board.
A certain Col. Dogo Yabilsu would pause
Referee C. C. Chukwujekwu in his tracks towards the Ihiala man’s
ascendancy to best referee in Africa. The only word existing to define
Yabilsu’s action is jealousy. The same word that propels Nigerians to
call for someone’s sack.
Today, President Olusegun Obasanjo’s
tenure is only just assuming a human face for that simple reason that the
benefit of a second term has given the Ogun State High Chief the continuity to
carry his reforms to a distinct level. Even when the man continues to be
arrogant and vindictive to a highly condemnable degree, the economy is
gradually turning towards a stable level. We would have lost all and started
all over if he was removed after the first term.
It is never too late to begin. We may learn
today to give any NFA board the benefit of six-year single tenures with the
possibility of another six years.
That way, our NFA chairmen, and the boards,
may last half as long as Havelenge or Hayatou. Believe me, our football would
be the better for it.
Clemens Westerhof had nothing besides the
continuity of five years as the only tool he used to deliver while in charge of
the Super Eagles. Keeping the'Dutchgerian' side by side with football coaches,
the big Dutch was just as average as the next Onikan fan.
We should learn that this game is all about
continuity. That’s why players last longer than ten years in their
national teams. There’s no word like experience.
We may not have won a major tournament of
late but the Super Eagles we have today are a great side. That we have a solid
team on ground today is just because the NFA has UNWITTINGLY (emphasis mine)
allowed
Christian Chukwu to hold the stable for two
turbulent years. Whoever we employ today will distort that continuity. It may
make our team better but the bet is always that it would certainly make it
worse unless we are willing to dole out another five-year term for the
Argentine(?).
Nigerians must equally realize that nobody
wins all the time. Brazil’s five world cup titles is certainly paltry if
a reflection of their football prowess is any thing to go by. But Brazil would
lose in 1950,
1978, 1982, 1986 to remind them it is a
World Cup where the god of soccer overseas every nation.
Even when we do not win a particular
tournament, it should be a yardstick to prepare better for the next. And when
we win, it should be the catalyst to prepare for a repeat. Unfortunately, in our shores, we hardly learn
from defeat or build on success.
Let’s stop rushing as if we will all
die tomorrow.
Let’s go for long term plans to
develop our tomorrow. For instance, after Vincent Enyeama, who do we have in
mind to man the post for the Super Eagles? Is there any young goalkeeper the
NFA is monitoring and guiding his career? Just take a look at Cameroun and
Idris Kameni.
The same Cameroun kept coach Manfred
Schaufer in charge despite losing to a local-coached Nigeria.
Today, Schaufer has kept them on song for
the 2006 World Cup qualification. When can Nigeria learn from defeats?
This weekend in Harare, the Super Eagles
will battle the Warriors of Zimbabwe in World / Nations Cup qualifiers. Win or
lose, that appears to be Chukwu’s last match in charge.
My stance on Chukwu has been made clear on
these pages. I urge the Chairman to win this one in order to leave on a high.
I will welcome a foreign coach provided
he’d take the
Super Eagles higher than where they are
now. But feelers we are getting seem the man is not in any way higher in
credentials than Chukwu besides the colour of his skin. The NFA seem to have
jumped into another blunder as always when they listen to their adopted sons in
the press. The same set who told them to dump Jo Bonfrere for Shaibu Amodu and
later Amodu (after the miracle of 2002 world cup qualification) for
Adegboye Onigbinde. Today, Chukwu is still
picking the pieces of those series of madness.
Funny enough the same set is speaking for
Bitrus Bewarang on the manner of his drop from the technical crew, yet they are
calling for the sack of Chukwu. Hypocrites!
BEFORE I FORGET.
Finally, Nigeria ran the race of their
lives to grab two bronze medals in Athens. Thanks to the 4 x100 relay quartet
anchored by Deji Aliu and their 4 x 400 brothers anchored by Enefiok Udobong.
Take it from me, if we prepare well for
Beijing, starting from today, we’ll grab gold in both events in four
years’ time. Believe me when I say that.
I rejoiced when those eight guys did the
country proud and nodded in satisfaction when I saw the Nigerian flag during
the presentation. But believe me again when I equally say that my heart bled on
realization that my national anthem never played even once. I heard those of
Cameroun, Zimbabwe, Dominican Rep, Bahamas, South Africa, etc.
Believe it or not, we have the capability
of the ten gold the Minister and Pat Ekeji promised us but take it again,
we’re lucky to have grabbed a medal at all taking by the preparations.
That’s the difference between capability and ability.
Beijing starts
today. But since Obasanjo won’t be in power then to welcome the gold
winners in Aso Rock, will he take Beijing seriously? It’s a food for
thought.
