Nigeria Content Online

As expected, there
has been so much brouhaha over the shameful defeat Nigeria suffered
recently, when Niger – a nation with a population of about 8.5 million
people, taught us some “home” lessons, on how and how – not to play,
manage and organise football. And, yes, for the second consecutive time,
Nigeria, represented by our home – based professional footballers, has
been eliminated from the CHAN 2011 fiesta. Twice beaten, twice
eliminated, so what next?

The Chairman of the
Nigerian Premier league, Gius Oyuiki Obaseki, who declared not too long
ago, that Nigeria has the best football league in Africa, said after the
Kano disgrace that “the problem with the team was that they have not
blended, they don’t know what to do with the ball. But I believe that
with time, they will improve. The only option left for us is to go back
to the drawing board, by correcting the wrongs “.

Well, too bad there
is no time for them to improve Chairman Gius, they have been knocked out
– cold. As regards the “only” option you referred to, the “only”
drawing board available and which Nigerians are interested in right now,
has been taken over by the lagging Lars Laggerback, albeit temporarily.
I have said this with all due respects to our High Chief.

Please permit me to
repeat my reaction to Shuaibu Amodu’s comment on the home – based
players, a few months ago. I did say then and wish to repeat that the
problem with the Nigerian football league is not all about our football
players. A malnourished child cannot be held responsible for his / her
condition. The parents must be held responsible. And, anyway, the
parents – especially the father, can only give what he has. No one gives
what they do not possess.

This is the sad
situation with football in Nigeria. Our local coaches can only give what
they have to the football players. That is why I agree, almost
absolutely, that most of our home-based football players do not know
what to do with the ball, most of the time, on the pitch. The ball is
one of the most obedient objects on this planet. It responds – without
any form of resistance, to the signal it receives.

Kick it well – it
responds, knock it, chip it, drive it, nod it, throw it, roll it, do
whatever pleases you with the ball and I can assure you of its absolute
obedience. With all due respects to our coaches, especially my revered
seniors / elders, I wish to reiterate the statement made a few months
ago in this column, that most of our coaches do not or have not mastered
or understood the basic scientific methodology of teaching our football
players, the primary techniques of releasing the ball, receiving the
ball and retaining the ball.

Is it possible to
teach adult football players these techniques and teach them
scientifically? To some extent, yes, but with a lot of difficulties.
Attempt making a bent and dry fish straight and you will discover what I
am trying to say. This is so, because many of the players in our local
leagues did not have the opportunity of being effectively or properly
trained or taught the rudiments of playing the ball in their formative
years. Here lies the tragedy of this generation of Nigeria’s home-based
footballers.

Must the coaches
take all the blame? No!!! What do we expect from a Country without one
single state-of-the art institution, capable of producing well-groomed
coaches? Please forget about that place idiotically referred to as the
National Institute of Sports. It is an insult to this great nation. That
so-called institute should be used for something more meaningful.

Where does the next generation of coaches, trainers, match officials,
managers, administrators, agents, sports scientists and footballers
come from?