Nigeria, at least in the African continent, is a football powerhouse. With her population of over 200 million, the country has built for herself, over the decades, a rich history in football. The Super Eagles, the national football team, has won the African Cup of Nations three times and has qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times, including reaching the Round of 16 three times.
However, in recent years, the performance of the Nigerian football team has been lackluster to say the least. The team has failed to qualify for the last two African Cup of Nations, and in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, they were knocked out in the group stage.
In the considered opinion of this newspaper , it is time to revive Nigerian football to its days of fame and glory.
Sadly, our current super eagles coach , Jose Peseiro has proven that he lacks the capacity and competence to take the nation’s football to the desired next level .
Since his appointment in May last year, the Super Eagles have managed three victories over Sierra Leone , Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers .
More alarming, though, is that the Super Eagles have lost six other matches to Mexico, Ecuador, Algeria, Costa Rica, and Portugal.The most embarrassing of all was the loss to Guinea in Abuja in the AFCON qualifiers. We simply cannot continue like this .
As the National team was floundering , Nigeria’s U-23 Eagles was defeated 2-0 by Guinea in the final qualifier for this year’s U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
This result means the Eagles will not play at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.For many Nigerians this is unacceptable.
The team has also failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo after failing to go past the group stage of the U-23 AFCON.
In our opinion , we need to take drastic steps to revive Nigerian football and place it where it rightly belongs in the comity of greats in the continent.
It is pertinent to note that President Muhammadu Buhari in August last year unveiled the Nigeria Football 10-Year Masterplan (2022-2032). If properly implemented, it is expected that the document will address the fundamental anomalies that perennially upend football development in the country and benefit a broad strata of the society.
Firstly, investment in grassroots football is essential. The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) should focus on developing football at the grassroots level.
The NFF should establish football academies in different parts of the country to scout for young talents. The academies should have proper facilities, coaches, and trainers.
Young players should be trained with the latest techniques, and the emphasis should be on skill development. The NFF should also invest in local leagues to give young players the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Secondly, the NFF should attract and retain top talents. Many talented Nigerian footballers are playing in top leagues in Europe, Asia, and America. Victor Osinhmen of Napoli is, arguably, one of the hottest talent in European football right now . We also have talented Nigerian players in Europe who are about to switch their allegiance to other countries.
The NFF should create a conducive environment that will encourage these players to play for the national team. The NFF should provide the players with better facilities, bonuses, and incentives to motivate them to play for Nigeria.
Thirdly, the NFF should focus on good governance. Corruption and mismanagement have plagued Nigerian football for years. The NFF should put in place transparent and accountable governance structures. The federation should ensure that funds are properly utilised, and there is no embezzlement of funds. The NFF should also enforce rules and regulations that promote fair play and good sportsmanship.
We strongly suggest NFF sacks Paseiro and the under -23 coach , Salisu Yusuf . In our view, both men cannot take Nigerian football anywhere.
To be sure,most of the African teams at the Qatar World Cup were led by local coaches. This is how it ought to be .
We have talented former internationals who can lead the teams to glory . Take the case of World Cup champions , Argentina who were led to World Cup glory by a team of former internationals. Nigeria can replicate the same feat.
In view of the foregoing, we strongly insist it is time for Nigerian football to rise again and take its rightful place among the footballing elite.
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