Nigeria along with other four African countries - Algeria, Cote d' Ãévoire, Cameroon and host South Africa - crashed out of the 2010 World Cup in the group stage. Nigeria, in a relatively easy group that included Argentina, Greece and South Korea, could only manage a point; thereby placing last. In this interview with Group Sports Editor, Peter Edema , former British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) correspondent and now Editor of African Football, Osasu Obayiuwana, he said the performances of the African countries were horrible.

How will you rate the performances of African teams in the 2010 World Cup?

To me the performances of African teams in the 2010 World Cup were nothing but embarrassment. Ghana just did Africa a good service by saving it from humiliation with its quarterfinal qualification. I can tell you that only Ghana of the six African teams that were in the World Cup came with credibility. Ghana had a good performance because its federation is stable, the coach has been with them for about two years; which means the coach has more time than other African coaches. And I am not surprised he has a lot of confidence in the young players that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt. This is because he has been able to infuse them into the senior team. When he took the players to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola many thought he was mad. But he has been able to marry the young players with some experienced players. And I am not surprised he has a lot of confidence in the young players and the team's performance in the World Cup has vindicated the coach. I hope whether the coach gets to the semifinal of the World Cup or not, Ghana should keep him for the next World Cup in Brazil. I will say that I am not surprised at all.

Why are you not surprised at the performances of the African teams?

Before the World Cup, I saw it coming. I mean the poor performance. In my column I've written it. It follows the same pattern of preparation. For example, how do you explain Nigeria sacking Coach Shaibu Amodu with less than four months to the World Cup; knowing fully well that the new coach would not have more than 25 days to prepare the team for the World Cup? Nigeria has a coach for the qualifiers and another coach for the World Cup. This is ridiculous and stupid on the part of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Nigeria has qualified for the World Cup four times and the only time you had the same coach that qualified the team and managed it at the World Cup was in 1994 in USA.

In 1998, Troussier qualified the team; but Bora Militinovic coached the team in France. In 2002, Amodu took over the team from Johannes Bonfrere when the team was at the verge of not qualifying and he qualified the team only for him to be sacked, and replaced with Adegboye Onigbinde managing the team in Korea/Japan. Nigeria did not qualify for the 2006 edition in Germany but 2010 edition followed the same pattern. Again Amodu qualified the team, but he was sacked and replaced with Lars Lagerback managing the team at the World Cup. I'm not a fan of Amodu but I think he has been treated unfairly by NFF. I've been reporting football for the past 23 years and I know when a team is professionally prepared for the World Cup and when it is going on holiday. I think the Super Eagles was on holiday in South Africa.

Why did you the team was in South Africa for holiday?

Sacking a coach with less than four months to the World Cup and knowing fully well that the new coach has barely 25 days to prepare the team for the World Cup shows that those in the NFF are clowns, sorry for using such language.

But Amodu's sack was beyond NFF, it was from the Presidency?

Cuts in..... The federation, I mean NFF is expected to do the right thing. It is the responsibility of the federation to ensure that no matter the pressure, the right thing is done. If you have credibility, you must ensure that the right is done. And if there was too much pressure, then you resign. After all NFF President, Sani Lulu Abdullahi, said he would sink and swim with Amodu, so why sack him?

Refusing to sack Amodu would pitch him against the Presidency that wanted him sacked?

It is not issue of fighting the Presidency, it is an issue of taking the right decisions. If you are in a position and you have integrity, you would do the right thing.

Too many bad calls by the referees is taking a toll on the tournament and it is reawakening the clamour for line technology of playback or use of additional referees.

The too many bad calls being witnessed at the 2010 World Cup mean that it is time for FIFA to adopt line technology so as to assist the referees. Football is the most followed sports. The passion is great. Bad calls not only affect the passion and followers. All I know is that technology would greatly assist the referees in getting good results. It would assist in getting good goals and bad ones would be rejected.

Goal line technology may not detect infringements that can lead to goals.

There are two things. There could be extra referees, who would see infringements or fouls that the centre referee cannot see. Goal line technology would only prove that a legitimate goal has been scored or not. FIFA's refusal to adopt this technology, to me, is ill advised. I am sure that it will be used in the nearest future because of pressure from stakeholders.

How would you describe Nigeria's performance in South Africa?

Nigeria's performance at the 2010 World Cup was awful, horrible; but expected. Nigeria's football is only paying the price of incompetence and lack of visionary leaders. I mean lack of vision by those who run the game. The tragedy is that unless there are concerted efforts to bring on board visionary leaders, honest leaders, people that are ready to develop the game and without such the future of Nigeria's football is very bleak. After every World Cup, Nigeria leaders always go back to the drawing board. And we keep on discussing the same issues all the time. In 1998, it was said that we would go back to the drawing board; the same in 2006 and likewise 2002. I think the drawing board is tired of seeing only Nigerians.