25 February 2002
editorial
Mali 2002 Fall-out
Sports Minister Ishaya Mark Aku may be receiving accolades for sacking Super Eagles' Coach Amodu Shaibu and his assistants, but Emeka Ezeugwu who was in Mali says Aku is merely being escapist
In our usual reactionary measure, the coaching crew of the national team the Super Eagles was last Monday sent back to the labour market as a direct result of Nigeria's third position finish at Mali 2002 Nations Cup. Sports Minister Ishaya Mark Aku who performed the Ministerial fiat even before a post mortem of Nigeria's participation in the Nations Cup was taken, seemed to have become a hero to several disgusted football followers by this singular act. But the truth remains that Aku, and indeed several other administrators played major roles to Eagles' flop in Mali and should have had Amodu's fate befallen them too. His half-baked measure succeeded only in treating the effect of our failure. The cause is still intact and deep rooted. Thus, the new helmsman, Festus Adegboyega Onigbinde will, sooner than later, be weighed down by the same malady that drowned Amodu and his Lieutenants unless the measure becomes far-reaching. But, pray, is it not ironical that Onigbinde who resigned his membership of NFA board in 1996 in protest to Sports Minister, Jim Nwobodo's 'interference' in NFA could be appointed Coach of the national team by the same Ministerial interference and without the recommendation of NFA board? How time changes us?
The Coach's Sins
Amodu indeed failed the nation at Mali and it was only natural that Nigerians reacted with the outburst that has continued to trail the failure. Any Coach that toys with football - the only source of any happiness in the present-day decayed Nigeria - should expect nothing less. Ask Coach Tunde Disu of Nigeria '99 U-20 World Youth Championship and he will share his experience with you. Amodu, however, grasped the enormity of the situation when he tendered an apology and owned up fully the responsibility for Nigeria's fall. This is notwithstanding the fact that he fulfilled his mandate to take Nigeria to the semi-final of the Nations Cup.
His wrong footsteps started with the list of players he reeled out for the competition. The criticisms that greeted that list ought to have warned him that he was treading the path of failure. Yet, he was not helped much in the face of several scheduled friendly matches which Nigeria Football Association (NFA) bungled. Thus, programmed four-nation tournament, friendlies with Senegal, Jamaica, Egypt, Denmark, South Africa etc. became mere fallacies. Unlike Cameroun, Senegal or even Mali, the Nigerian Coach did not have enough opportunity to test the players he camped until the D-day. At Mali, it was obvious too that he was not in perfect command. Players were seen leaving their hotel rooms late in the night to God knows where. His tactics also defied comprehension by Nigerians who are used to Eagles' robust attacking build-up from the rear. But he was to defend that the tactics were meant to fool Nigeria's World Cup opponents who were in Mali to spy on Eagles. Rightly or wrongly, the team wobbled on and was winning matches. Against the team Doctor's advice in the semi-final, Amodu fielded goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu who only two days earlier sustained a concussion and was revived at a hospital. The doctor had warned that Shorunmu's eye-to-ball contact was not satisfactory. "But of course the Coaches had their own scoring method and must have relied on their scores," the doctor had told THISDAYSports in Mali.
Aku, Ekeji's share
The Sports Minister, Ishaya Mark Aku agreed frankly at NTA programme (Tuesday Live) last week that Eagles' camp 'was in absolute peace until external factors started exerting influence on the team.' Even at the prodding of the programme moderator, Livi Ajuonuma, the Minister refused to unmask the 'external factor'. What he did not want Nigerians to hear from him was that the Sports Ministry polluted the peace in Eagles' camp. His director, Patrick Ekeji was the hatchet man. At Aku's return to Mali (he was there earlier for Amos Adamu's election), he received a standing ovation from the players when he commended them for the peace in their camp. As usual, he promised to off-set all their outstanding allowances and bonuses (including the controversial flight ticket refunds) once Ekeji arrived with the almighty budget. The Coaches were also promised their December and January salaries once the money came. But disillusion, distrust and anger set in when Ekeji eventually arrived only to declare that several of the Minister's earlier promises could not be accommodated in the 'heavily slashed budget'. First, NFA's Technical Group, comprising Festus Onigbinde, Alabi Aissien, Paul Hamilton and Christo Davies who had hitherto been spying on Eagles' opponents at other centres, was disbanded and asked to head back home 'because the N100m budget was not adequate to cater for them'.
Second, the Coaches' salaries were deferred till 'NFA receives its first quarter allocation from the national budget.'
Then, less than three days to Eagles' semi-final match, Ekeji told Captain Sunday Oliseh that the Ministry could not pay the agreed $2,500 flight tickets anymore 'because the federal government can no longer continue to bear the cost of your luxuries'. Even Ekeji's predecessor, Amos Adamu condemned his choice of words and crude approach to the matter at that point in a tournament. While all these measures were being taken to cut costs, the Minister was in Mali with a retinue of aids, his wife and her two sisters, maids, cooks and several hangers-on who had no business whatsoever being there. With NFA Chairman, Dominic Oneya and his two Secretary Generals (both out-going Okpomo and in-coming Ogunjobi) in Mali, Aku, through Ekeji chose to disburse the fund rather than handing it over to NFA that made the budget and got it approved by the President. Ekeji said the money was a loan to NFA which would be recouped from the association's coffers once its quarterly allocation was received. Yet the money wouldn't be released to the association to disburse.
The Minister said he was holding on to the money so as to account for it to the President. His Camerounian counterpart was in Mali but he did not condescend to become players' Paymaster. One wonders also how many times Aku had ever disbursed Takwandoe or Chess Associations' funds to their players at competitions. Or were their monies not released to the associations through the Sports Ministry?
Oneya's part
NFA Chairman, Dominic Oneya was merely a ceremonial head at Mali. The location and poor security measures in Eagles' hotel worsened matters. Aside the lose security in Hotel d' Lamitie, there were at least two night clubs brimming with call-girls located at stone-throw distance to the camp. The 12-storey building was secured and paid for by the local organising committee but Cameroun, Senegal, Ghana and Mali saw the rowdiness there, rejected and made their own separate accommodation arrangements elsewhere. Oneya could not relocate Eagles to a different camp because he was waiting for Aku and the budget approved for the competition. Unfortunately, Ekeji sat on it when it eventually came.
In the wrangling that erupted in Eagles' camp over ticket refunds, the Chairman remained tongue-tied and could neither console the players nor chide Ekeji or vice versa. When Ekeji turned down his requisition for $500 dollars to buy bottled water for the team, he simply dispatched NFA accountant back to Lagos with SOS to PAMODZI - the association's Marketer for fund. His only regret was that he could not raise adequate fund as planned before the competition to keep interfering Ministry away. The N20m the Football House raised, was used for the team's camping up till it arrived Mali with no Ministry official asking questions on how it was disbursed.
The Players
The same old men that prompted the bashing of Nigerian press by both the Sports Ministry and NFA officials for branding them 'tired legs'. Former Sports Development director, Dr. Amos Adamu was left speaking from both sides of the mouth when he lampooned the press for daring to say that the players, who are now villains, were worn out two years ago. Adamu had asked rhetorically how the players could have reached the finals of Ghana/Nigeria 2000 Nations Cup if they were indeed 'tired legs'. Their indicispline and agitation for more money in Mali was merely in consonance with what they knew about our officials and how the money approved for them was being diverted. They knew how much was approved for the competition and justifiably demanded what was agreed upon between them and NFA. To go back on the agreement tantamounts to betrayal and breeds suspicions. Only honesty and transparency on the part of the officials could stem this.
Motivation
It is also worthy of mention here the motivation of Malian President, Alpha Oumar Konare to Les Aigles of Mali. Aside his financial rewards to the team, he watched all Les Aigles matches. When the team lost to Cameroun in the semi-final, President Konare left his house and raced down to the stadium where he addressed the team in the dressing room.
Right there at the stadium, he told the players to wipe away their tears because they had performed a feat no Malian thought they could. He paid glowing tribute to their fighting spirit and was their greatest motivator.
Conclusion
Could a phone call from President Obasanjo to the Nigerian team not have changed so many things in Mali? Isn't it high time our own President began to take a little interest in what makes majority of Nigerians happy -- sports (football)?
Amodu was only sacrificed to cover up the bungling contributions of our sports administrators to Nigeria's fall in Mali. With the same structure in place, Onigbinde will achieve little.
Today, Aku has the axe, tomorrow it could be someone else. For in Nigeria, what goes around, comes around. (ACONS)
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