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It has been four days since the Super Eagles defeated the Leone
Stars of Sierra Leone in Lagos. The game was officially the team’s first outing
under current helmsman Samson Siasia.

Though it was a friendly game ahead of the more important 2012
Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia, which comes up at the end of
next month, last Wednesday’s encounter at the Teslim Balogun Stadium afforded
Siasia an opportunity to get to meet the core of the national team’s top
players – as he sets about the task of re-establishing the Super Eagles as one
of world football’s top sides.

Not a simple task to go about considering the depth Nigerian
football has fallen to after years of neglect and mismanagement by the
country’s sports authorities. The team, which was once rated as high as number
five in the world ranked as low as 82 in November 1999.

The team has risen to international prominence in the 90s,
winning the a second Africa Cup of Nations title in 1994 and a second round
appearance at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. Since then, the team had been
on a steady decline and it has not won the Africa Cup of Nations title since
then. Also, securing qualification for the World Cup has become a herculean task
for the team; talk more of making it beyond the first round.

The task before Siasia who, after seeing his plans to take on
Guatemala hit the rocks, got a hastily arranged game against Sierra Leone to
serve as his first game in charge of the Super Eagles.

After 90 minutes of football, Siasia’s injury-plagued Super
Eagles side ran out with a slim 2-1 win over the visitors.

But the margin of victory should and ought to have been much
wider but for the profligacy of the Nigerian forward line marshalled by Peter
Utaka, Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike, who between them have less than a
handful of caps for the Eagles with the latter making his national team debut.

Inexperienced but
spirited

Emenike wasn’t the only debutant in the side. There was also the
Italy-based duo of Michael Odibe and Joel Obi, as well as the Nigerian-based
pair of Ekigho Ehiosun of Warri Wolves and Heartland’s Julius Ubido who both
came into the fray as substitutes.

On the substitutes’ bench, albeit undressed for the game was
another Italy-based midfielder Obiora Nwankwo who couldn’t shake off a thigh
injury thus missing a chance to make his Super Eagles debut on the night.

There was also on the bench the Nigerian-based duo of Osas Okoro
and goalkeeper Bassey Akpan who had both featured in the recent past for the
Super Eagles B side.

Such was the level of inexperience on the night as Siasia was
forced to hand debut caps to as many players as he could, no thanks to the
spate of injuries to some of the earlier invited players.

Even Heartland’s Chibuzor Okonkwo and Holland-based Femi Ajilore
who were in the starting line-up, had only been capped a handful of times while
Israel-based goalie Dele Aiyenugba, although a regular fixture in the Super
Eagles setup for close to seven years, has limited international experience.

And when Osaze Odemwingie, the most experienced member of the
Nigerian forward line finally got the ball into the back of the net midway
through the second half, it was wrongly ruled out for offside.

That notwithstanding, the Super Eagles outplayed their opponents
in every department of the game, particularly in the first half before a series
of substitutions resulted in the team losing its balance, concentration and
structure in the second half which resulted in the Leone Stars’ consolatory
goal.

A section of fans at the stadium failed to realise this fact and resorted to
booing the Eagles after the Leone Stars scored. Perhaps, it was just their own
peculiar way of showing their disenchantment at the FA’s scheduling of a Super
Eagles match in Lagos after seven years. They obviously forgot the purpose for
setting up friendly matches in the first instance. At the end of the day, the
Super Eagles earned a deserved victory, and Siasia got off to a promising
start.

A
fortnight ago, Ekigho Ehiosun was a relatively unknown player plying
his trade in the Nigerian Premier League with Warri Wolves.

But over the space
of two weeks, the 21 year-old has gone from being just another
unheralded player from the Nigerian domestic scene to arguably the
biggest name in the league.

First came his
marvellous hat-trick in last weekend’s league victory over Sharks, the
first to be recorded by a player in the ongoing season, then followed a
spate of injury-induced withdrawals by some of the country’s Europe
based players which saw Siasia turn his gaze in the direction of the
league’s leading scorer.

Then came
Wednesday’s game against Sierra Leone which saw Ehiosun grabbing a
place on the substitutes’ bench as the only fit striker after Obinna
Nsofor also got ruled out of the game with an ankle injury.

Probably, that is
where the graduate of petrochemical engineering would have remained, at
least for the greater part of the game had Emmanuel Emenike not picked
up a knock during the game.

As a result of
that, Ehiosun was thrown into the fray on the orders of Siasia in the
40th minute. Four minutes later, he had evaded his marker and slotted
the ball into the net on his debut.

Dream start

“Up until this
moment I still can’t fully comprehend what has happened,” Ehiosun told
NEXT on Thursday night. “It feels like I’m dreaming but to God be the
glory.

“I made my debut
for the national team and I got to score. There is a wonderful feeling
to it all and everyone’s happy for me; my friends, my teammates and my
family, especially my mum. She is so happy for me.” But how was he able
to overcome the nerves that accompany such moments considering his
relative inexperience.

“Actually, when I
joined the team, coach Samson Siasia made everything easy for me. And
thank God for the league match I got to play before Wednesday’s match,”
he continued.

“Whenever he saw
me, even when talking to the older players, he would stop whatever it
is that he was doing and chant ‘my highest goalscorer, my highest
goalscorer’. They will then ask coach what he meant by his remarks at
which point he would tell them that ‘this is the highest goalscorer in
the league, the guy that scored a hat-trick last week.” “As a result,
they were all friendly to me and encouraged me. On match day, even the
guys on the bench like (John Obi) Mikel and (Vincent) Enyeama were
doing their best to encourage me which was quite helpful because so
many things were going on in my head at the same time.

“I was nervous but
the players were all friendly and would tell me that I could do it;
that they had seen what I was capable of and have faith in me. That I
should just take my time.

“Those words gave
me the courage to go out there and thank God, it went well for me
because after I scored Osaze (Odemwingie) came to me and told me that
it was a great goal.

“When you get such
words of encouragement from players that you look up to, you want to
keep doing your best to live up to their expectations.

Ehiosun is however
not prepared to rest on his modest accomplishment as he believes
there’s still room for improvement, even as he hopes to get another
Super Eagles call-up.

“There is still
room for improvement. I don’t believe I have arrived yet,” he
emphasised. “I got a chance to fulfil my dream because some of the
established players were not around. But I believe I will still get
another opportunity to play for my country, if not now, then it will be
in the not too distant future.” Regarding his immediate plans though,
Ehiosun intends to keep tormenting defenders in the Nigerian league and
has set his sights on Ahmed Musa’s 18 goals league record,

even though Musa,
who now plays in the Dutch league, has practically pleaded with him to
leave his record intact, at least for the foreseeable future.

“When we were going
for lunch before the match, he came up to me and jokingly pleaded with
me not to break his record; that was the only thing that accords him
recognition in Nigeria,” recalled Ehiosun.

“Of course, I told
him that I won’t break his record but if I keep scoring on a regular
basis, I might just equal it or even get to surpass it.” And if that
happens, it won’t be long before Ehiosun says goodbye to the Nigerian
league.

But Ehiosun, a fan
of his local Warri Wolves, isn’t in a rush to move to one of the more
established European leagues, not even if Manchester United, the other
club he supports, comes calling.

“It is my dream to
take my game to one of the top championships but I don’t need to
overshoot my dream, as I believe there is time for everything.

“So starting out in one of the Scandinavian countries won’t be a bad
idea, at least that way, I can gather experience and know if I’m ripe
for the big stage,” he added.

The
2010/2011 National Women’s League season started yesterday with week
two matches played at different locations in the country. However, it
began without a title sponsor. The season which was supposed to have
started last week was postponed until this week for logistics reason
while week one matches have been rescheduled for another day. Danlami
Alanana, head of the women’s unit in the Nigerian Football Federation
gave reasons why the league season had to start without any further
delays.

“There are a lot of
programmes on the agenda. One example is the FIFA Women World Cup which
our footballers will be participating in. We do not want a situation
where we would not be able to complete our programmes because we did
not start early.”

Difficulties on the horizon

Speaking about the
league, which has been hugely anticipated, coaches have said that any
time it is decided they are ready and up to the task to perform their
duty. Daniel Evumena, coach for Delta Queens said that a lack of
sponsor for the league will not deter them from doing what they know
how to do best. “It is normal that you feel bad about the lack of
sponsorship but since nobody has forced us to play or coach then we do
what we have to do with the funds we have without waiting for any one.
If sponsorship comes in the mean time, all well and good but if not
then we make do with what we have.

“And if the funds
we have now gets exhausted then we pack up and move somewhere else.
That is the truth, it may be bitter but it is the truth.”

Another coach Sunday Lawrence, who manages State House Babes FC, is also happy start the League even though it is coming late.

“I have been
coaching the club since 2007, then we were in the amateur league but
last season we were able to enter the Women Professional League and I
want to use this season to consolidate and become a force to be
reckoned with in the league.”

Bunmi Kayode, a player with Delta Queens expressed relief at the new league season finally kicking off.

“I am glad the
league has finally started. We are always prepared for any opportunity.
We have been waiting expectantly for this and we are really happy to
play.”

A disappointing start

Despite the great
expectations about the start of the league season, there has been an
overall sense of disappointment at the way things are being run.

“The thing about sponsorship is that it is too much load for one person to carry alone”, Evumena said.

“That is why it is
difficult because individuals are the ones funding it.” He went on to
explain that in their own case where they are funded by the government
it is still not easy.

“Those of us
(clubs) that are government owned for example may not get money to
travel if we do not move on time to make our request known. That is why
a lot of away games may still not be played.

“In fact the
problem of logistics is a big one for us coaches because it has in a
lot of ways affected us in doing our job effectively.”

Evumena also said it is the duty of the Football Federation to look for sponsors for the league.

“A more lucrative league would bring in more people into it. For now however, the league has to go on, sponsor or no sponsor.”

Alanana encouraged those concerned in the league not to be discouraged because there are lingering hopes of getting a sponsor.

“The coaches and
club owners should be rest assured and do the jobs they have been hired
to do – that is take care of the technical side of things.

“Now that they have
representatives in the NFF (Nigeria Football Federation), they should
leave the job of administration to them who have their best interest at
heart.”

He also said plans are underway to get corporate sponsorship despite the odds.

“You know this
thing cannot be achieved in one day and what we have been doing is to
send proposals to corporate bodies to intervene but we are yet to get
any response from them.”

Controversy tainted elections

The election of
Dilichukwu Onyedinma, as the new Chairman of the National Women League,
has also failed inspired confidence in some quarters. The beginning of
her tenure was dogged by controversy. It all started right after she
beat both Aisha Falode and FIFA women Committee member, Ayo Omidiran to
the top post. It has been alleged that the document used to screen her
indicated that she was a representative of the South East but after
winning, it was confirmed that she had become the FCT’s representative.

Former Super
Falcons assistant coach, Joy Etim said, “What we want is somebody that
would help us to move the game forward.” She added that the way in
which Onyedinma was elected, above other well known personalities in
women football, smells of foul play.

“This new woman is
relatively unknown to many of the coaches. If she does not know the
coaches and they don’t know her, how would she know the people she is
supposed to work with?” Etim asked.

Evumena however
believes that no matter how the new chairman got there, the important
thing is her ability to deliver the goods.

“I was very much
part of the struggle for a proper representation of the women in the
league and I am glad it paid off. I know Dilichukwu Onyedinma very
well; she has been with us for quite a while.”

He also said representation goes beyond getting sponsorship.

“We in the league
want somebody who understands us. It is good to get sponsorship but
more than that, somebody who has been in the system before would be
able to understand the issues we are dealing with and she would know
how she ought to address them. She has shared in the same problems we
have because she has administered a club.”

Onyedinma is the
secretary of Abuja-based FCT Queens, and has been in the system even
since the 1990s when she started out with the now defunct Okene Babes.

Lawrence, on his part, advised all interested parties to adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude.

“I am acquainted with her but I do not know her well enough to say what she can or cannot do.”

Kayode shares the same sentiment, “I do not know our new
representative but I expect that she should deliver. She should know
that all eyes will be on her, waiting expectantly for what she has to
offer and what will be delivered. She is coming at a time when the
league needs help and she must do all that she can to see to it she at
least makes headway with all the problems plaguing the league.”

Abuja
football fans, on Thursday, condemned the booing of the Super Eagles by
the Lagos crowd during Wednesday’s friendly encounter with the Leone
Stars of Sierra Leone.

Those who spoke
with the News Agency of Nigeria said that jeering at the Nigerian
footballers was inimical to football development. They said that the
attitude could demoralise the players and their handlers. Patrick
Erimona, coach of the Immigration Football Club, and Victoria Nlemigbo,
a football administrator in Abuja, both agreed that the attitude of the
fans was embarrassing. “I think that attitude was what made the Super
Eagles to leave Lagos for Abuja,” said Erimona. “Booing players,
stoning them with pure water after a match, sometimes they will want to
beat them and so on; I don’t think that is good for our football. It is
not encouraging, what we need is to encourage the coaches and players
to do better and not booing them.”

Nlemigbo said:
“During the first half, it was all Eagles they were supporting, then
during the second half, when the game swung in favour of the visiting
team, you were hearing the jeering against us and I don’t think that is
healthy for our own football development. They might say they were
enjoying themselves, but they also helped in demoralising the boys.”

Encouraging result

Michael Atolabi, an
Abuja All-Stars Football Club player, said that the match was a good
one for the Eagles, especially that a home-based player scored the
second goal for Nigeria. He urged the handlers of Nigeria’s national
teams to give more home-based players the opportunity to play for the
team.

Chukwu Alex, also a football player in Abuja, said that the Super
Eagles did their best considering the fact that they were playing
together as a team for the first time. He added that the team would get
better when they play more matches together. The Super Eagles won the
match 2-1 to extend their dominance over the Leone Stars who are ranked
121 as against Nigeria’s 40 on the FIFA world ranking table.

Formula
One teams used their cars to send Robert Kubica a ‘get well soon’
message on Thursday as the Renault driver was moved out of intensive
care four days after his rally crash in Italy.

The teams started
the second pre-season test at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain with
the Polish message “Szybkiego powrotu do zdrowia Robert (Get Well Soon
Robert)” on the sides of their cars. The website of the Formula One
Teams Association (www.teamsassociation.org) also carried the message.

A team spokeswoman
said the Pole, who suffered serious arm, leg and hand injuries when his
car crashed on a minor rally near Genoa on Sunday, was expected to have
further surgery on Friday. The 26-year-old underwent a seven hour
operation involving two teams of surgeons on Sunday to save his right
hand and stabilise his condition.

Kubica, one of Formula One’s brightest prospects and tipped as a
champion of the future, has been ruled out for at least the first two
months of the season and possibly all of it given the extent of the
injury to his right hand. Germany’s Nick Heidfeld, without a drive
since he left Sauber last year, has emerged as the frontrunner to
replace him and will test for Renault in Jerez along with their
official reserve, Brazilian Bruno Senna.

The
“noisy neighbours” have been generally a bit quieter in recent weeks
and should Manchester United beat Manchester City at Old Trafford on
Saturday (12.45GMT), their title claims will be just about silenced.

United lost their
first league game of the season last week to bottom club, Wolverhampton
Wanderers; but with Arsenal drawing, and Chelsea losing, their position
at the top of the Premier League was barely affected. City produced a
3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion but they remain in third place on 49
points, one behind Arsenal and five behind United having played a game
more than the top two. Since Ferguson made his “noisy neighbours”
comment in September 2009, in the wake of United’s last-gasp 4-3 league
win, City have continued to invest heavily in their playing squad but
are still somewhat on the outside looking up.

Most successful

City’s wait for a
first title since 1968 looks certain to go on for at least another year
while United are closing in on a record 19th – the tally Ferguson has
long targeted to “knock Liverpool off their perch” as the country’s
most successful club in its domestic league. United still have to play
Chelsea home and away, and visit Arsenal; so the title is far from in
the bag, but three points on Saturday brings it a little closer. “It’s
a terrific game for us now,” Ferguson told MUTV. “It’s a massive game
that we’ve got to look forward to. Unfortunately we have got
international matches in midweek which in my view is crazy, but we have
to get on with it. We have got plenty of players who will not be
involved in internationals and will play. The ones that travel we have
to give consideration to the fact that they have been travelling before
they play at lunchtime on Saturday.”

Wayne Rooney,
starting to look more like the player who tore up the league a year
ago, came through unscathed from his 45 minutes’ duty in England’s 2-1
win in Denmark, but Ferguson will wait nervously by the phone for any
other negative reports. City, of course, face similar demands on their
multinational squad, though Carlos Tevez should be fresh having been
left out of Argentina’s game against Portugal in Geneva because of
“attitude problems.”

Other matches

After their
remarkable 2-1 win over United last week, Wolves could hardly have had
a tougher follow-up game than an away to Arsenal. Having blown a 4-0
first-half lead to draw 4-4 at Newcastle United last week Arsene
Wenger’s team are unlikely to be anything like as generous a second
time.

Chelsea are not in
action until Monday when they visit Fulham, giving Tottenham the chance
to climb three points ahead of them into fourth place if they can win
at Sunderland.

Sixth-placed Liverpool, on a run of four wins and four clean sheets,
have a good chance of making it five of both at home to Wigan Athletic.
Should they do so, the team who were 12th and three points above the
relegation zone when Kenny Dalglish took over just a month ago, could
move within three points of Chelsea.

The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, began the
interrogation of former Nigeria Premier League boss, Oyuiki Obaseki,
and five others alleged to have been involved in a sponsorship scam
totalling over three billion naira.

Femi Babafemi,
spokesperson for the agency, confirmed that the officials were in the
organisation’s office in Abuja to defend themselves of the allegation
levelled against them, and added that the accused officials have been
granted temporary reprieve via an administrative bail. “They were in
our office today on our invitation to come over to answer to
allegations levelled against them,” he said. “The investigations will
definitely continue but for now they have been given administrative
bail. They will be required to return for questioning once they are
needed.”

The other five
officials in the agency’s net are: the disputed chairman of the Nigeria
Premier League, Davidson Owumi; the league’s former executive
secretary, Al-Hassan Yakmut; the vice-chairman, Shehu Gusau; board
member, Joe Amene; and Total Promotions’ Chief Executive, Niyi Alonge.
It is alleged that the television rights for the league was sold for N3
billion between 2006 and 2010 to a South African company, but only
about N436 million was received by the league.

Hope for justice

Hyke Igbokwe, a
Lagos-based lawyer, who petitioned the anti-graft organization on the
above matter, said he is confident that the agency will do a thorough
job. “I know the EFCC as an investigative organisation that has done so
well in fighting out corruption and financial crimes in the country
even though we know that they are sometimes impeded by some societal
Nigerian factor,” he said. “This particular case affects the soul of
Nigerian football and I don’t expect anything less from the EFFC than a
thorough job to bring all the culprits to book. Just like they did to
people like Cecilia Ibru and brought them to book, they should also go
the whole hog.”

While the investigations continue, the league clubs are the worst
hit as they continue to grapple with lack of funds, a situation that
has seen most clubs owing their players several months’ wages.