Super Eagles Technical Director’s Job:


BLASTS: ‘Nigeria don’t celebrate their own’

T he outgone year was a total disaster for Nigerian football according to Analysts. How are you looking forward to the new year…

Well, 2012 is not going to be a magical year for our football but I believe that  we can turn things around if we put  the right things in place.If we can restructure our football and build schools that will develop the game at the grassroots.

I was in Benin, Edo State, few weeks ago where I met former Super Eagles coach, Shaibu Amodu and Governor of the state, Adams Oshiomole. Oshiomole is someone who has tried to lay down that structure that could aid the development of sports, not only football at the grassroots level via the schools. I think that is one of the first states in Nigeria which is getting it right. Searching for talents, establishing schools and all that.

That is the way we need to go to correct all the mistakes we have made over the years.The real process must start from there. It is when  we do all these  things that we can say the signs for a better future are really here.A good future for our football and our children who will grow up tomorrow to play the game and do our nation proud.

The present board of the Nigeria Football Federation has come under criticisms by Nigerians.How would you rate them since they took over from the Sani Lulu led team?

Well,I don’t think it would be fair to criticize them at this stage because it is still early days.But by the middle of this year, we should be able to assess them and see what they are capable of,if they have what it takes to get Nigeria football to the next level.

Even if you say they have not done well, it wasn’t totally their fault because already there was a structure which was faulty before they came on board. A structure that has hindered the development of the game for years now,so they came in and are still struggling with it.It is now left to them to restructure it.

I just pray that they will get all the support needed for this difficult assignment from the ministry and soccer loving Nigerians because we need to get back on track once again and challenge for honours.

Some of your  former colleagues failed the nation last year, Samson Siasia couldn’t deliver the Nations Cup ticket. Eguavoen’s U-23 side faltered in Morocco and the general consensus is that most of them lack the pedigree and experience to take Nigerian football to the next level. Do you agree with this assertion?

I don’t think it is their fault.Everything still points to what I have said since the beginning of this interview. Not doing the right things to sustain the success we had in the 90’s.Check the Super Eagles for example, the quality of players coming into the team over the years has deteriorated but the little success  we had in some competitions  blinded our eyes to the reality on  ground.

The foundation for producing quality players is no longer there.Eguavoen went to the African U-23 Championship with a team that is not really there. So, it is the fault of the coaches. The right structure has not been put in place. Same thing with the Super Falcons coach,Uche Eucharia. Ask yourself, do we have a viable women’s league in Nigeria? The answer is no and if that is not there, where do you find the players that will replace the ageing ones or bring competition to the side?

It’s just unfortunate that when a football team is not doing well,it is the coach who will be the first to suffer for the mess simply because he is the head. People should also look at the soccer federations too, not the coaches alone.

What has the federation done to aid the development of the game? I believe if the present NFF board has the vigour and concept to right all the wrongs, then,we can celebrate again.

You seem not to support the idea of castigating the present NFF board but the argument in some quarters is that Nigerian Football is not always managed by the right people as is the case now with  Aminu Maigari and his team….

(Cuts in) The most important thing is them having the right ideas. If they have those, then they can bring on board people who are capable of helping them,I have been  preaching that for years.Nigeria is a country where you have myself, somebody like Emmanuel Amuneke, Emeka Ezeugo, Sunday Oliseh, you can go on and on with all these names and nobody is making use of our experience.

We have only ex-internationals in the Technical Committee of the NFF, we need people from different sectors. Some of us should be thrown into the grassroots sector,let us go there and search for talents. Some of us should be encouraged to take up jobs in the local league and see how we could help develop the domestic game.

It’s unfortunate that you have someone like Finidi George giving what he has to Spain. We must encourage our ex-internationals and help them to excel.It’s sad that I have been in this country all these years and nobody has ever thought it wise to give me something to do. When I was with Inter Milan, Roberto Mancini [ Manchester City boss] was still playing then, I also played with Laurent Blanc at Inter,now Blanc is the present coach of the French national team.Leonardo who coached Inter last season and is now  the Sporting Director at PSG, we played together at AC Milan.

That brings to mind the issue of the Technical Director’s position, you must be upset that the NFF is looking to give the job to an expatriate…

I don’t want to use an ugly word,all I can say is that it is very annoying that at this point in time, Nigerians still cannot celebrate our own.We have people who have been in this industry for years now.

Some of us played under some of the best coaches in the world in our active days.It’s just shameful that they cannot find any of us suitable for that post.

Michael Emenalo is occupying a top post at Chelsea but here, we don’t celebrate our own.Is Mike not a Nigerian? They trust him there and he is doing fine. Is Tijani Babangida not capable? Is Benedict Akwuegbu not capable? We can go on  mentioning names,let them try and do some thing about this.

Let’s come down to the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi  is  now saddled with responsibilty of rebuilding the team after the recent failures.Would you say he is on the right track going by what you have seen so far?

Keshi is a born leader who has an incredible spirit.There is no doubt about his ability to transform the team but my worry is whether the NFF will be able to give him all the necessary things he requires to do a good job.

We are no longer among the highest ranked countries in World football again but I believe Keshi can take us to where we used to be before.I believe with his concept, philosophy and his abilty to bring everbody together, I am certain we will soon have a formidable  team that can challenge for  honours in Africa  and the world again.

He also has capable assistants with him. Daniel Amokachi, Sylvanus Okpalla and Ike Shorunmu. They all have the experience and should provide good support for him. The two friendlies that his team has played under him should be a good eye opener and I know that by the time they play the Rwanda game, he will have a clearer picture of things.

The home based lads are currently in camp preparing for the 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda in February. What kind of team are you looking forward to seeing on February 27?

The good thing is that Keshi has opened his camp early enough and given the domestic players the opportunity to show him what they can do.I’m really happy with some of his pronouncements too.He has come out to tell us that it is not going to be an automatic shirt for any player in that game.

If you are capable and also doing well with your club,come to the national team and fight for your place.That is the kind of competitive spirit we want in the team.Not people strolling down here and thinking they can do whatever they like.

That he is also giving the home based lads the opportunity to stake claim for a place in the team is also encouraging.I would want to see a mixture of the experienced foreign based stars, upcoming stars and the home based players for this game.With determination, greater enthusiasm and discipline, we should be able to win that match.

Do you support the idea of the likes of Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Obafemi Martins coming back into the team?

I don’t like the problem Yakubu Aiyegbeni has with some Nigerian fans.At the last World Cup, he was not fully fit and he struggled and missed some chances and everybody was like, he should never play for Nigeria again.

But this season, he has bounced back and he is one of the African players who are really doing well with their clubs, scoring goals consistently in the English Premier League.

On the basis of that, he deserves a recall to the national team,he is an experienced goalscorer too. We should also cultivate the habit of grooming players who will take over from all these present stars, that is one of the resons why we are suffering today.

Some of us left the national team without anybody really taking over from us. When Okocha left the national team there was no  replacement. Same with Kanu, Finidi, Oliseh, Amokachi, Amuneke and Ikpeba.

A player like Yakubu should be encouraged as the upcoming strikers can learn from him.Then by the time he leaves the national team,we will not only  have a good replacement but someone better than him.

On a final note, do you see the Super Eagles making it to the 2013 Nations Cup as well as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?

We can,if we put the right structures in place.The journey has already started with Keshi trying to get the lads  together and with the right support from the federation, we will get there even though it is going to be tough.