Tony Ubani
16 December 2008
APPARENTLY rattled by the poor results that have hit Nigerian football in recent times, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has summoned a crucial meeting with head coaches of all national teams for tomorrow.
A very dependable source in the football house informed that heads would roll as a measure to checkmate the slide which has sent out warning signals for Nigeria's desire of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
"We have a responsibility to stop this tap of poor results by looking critically at the issues surrounding selection and preparation of our teams for international matches and tournaments", said Ogunjobi, a former international defender who was also Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Ogunjobi was speaking against the backdrop of yet another poor result - the failure of the country's home- based national team to secure a place at next year's African Nations Championship in Cote d'Ivoire.
Nigeria was eliminated after the game in Calabar ended 0-0, as Ghana won the first leg 3-2 in Accra and would be the team in Abidjan next February.
Recently, Nigeria faltered in all the women's tournaments - crashing out at the group stage at the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, losing out at the quarter final stage at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and failing, for the first time, to win the African Women's Championship. The Flying Eagles also failed to qualify for the final of the WAFU U-20 Cup in Delta State.
"We have a lot of matters to address", said Ogunjobi, who is also a member of the NFF Executive Committee. He was visibly angry that Nigeria, a once power-house of African football would not hoist its flag in Abidjan when the inaugural CAF African Nations Cup for home-based players would kick off. It is a big shame which the federation cannot absolve itself.
Ogunjobi was not alone. NFF's Technical Consultant, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde who was drafted to help tinker the team with Okey Emordi was equally sad at the slide of Nigerian Football and said that serious steps must be taken to check it before it assumes an alarming proportion.
Image Maker of the NFF, Ademola Olajire who equally is saddened at the slide said that the members of the NFF Executive Committee who were present in Calabar held an emergency meeting where they expressed their displeasure at the performance of the Eagles and the downward movement of Nigerian teams in recent times.
Sports Vanguard gathered that the NFF would wield the big stick, especially against Super Falcons Coach Jossy Lad and Flying Eagles coach Ladan Bosso whose wards have brought heart-aches to Nigerians with their performance in recent international outings.
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