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Elections into the
board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) comes up at Abuja in six
days. It is another opportunity to get back on the right track and
develop the game into a viable industry. So many names have been
dropped into the hat and famous former footballers have joined the
contest saying they have the ingredients needed to move football
forward in Nigeria.

And for the first time, there will be a live televised manifesto night on Friday.

This mix portends
exciting times ahead for would-be occupants of the ‘Glass House’ as the
secretariat of the football federation is known.

There is the saying
that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Nonetheless, boulders will be hauled on Friday night and hopefully, the
end result will be a board composed of individuals who will leave
sentiments behind and run football in Nigeria the best way possible.
That is all that is needed – sincerity in leadership.

Here are some words from the presidential candidates about their vision for Nigerian football.

Bukola Olopade

“We should be among
the top 10 countries in the world consistently. We have everything to
be there. What we are lacking is a good administration and that is why
I want to be the next President of the NFF. With proper planning and
vision, football will bounce back from its poor state. We have so many
players abroad, yet we are having a problem of raising a quality team.
The state of facilities in the country is a big issue while we are also
not developing the game as we should.

“The records are
there to show. We (Ogun State) hosted the National Sports Festival and
emerged third, while we have also hosted a number of quality football
matches, including a World Cup qualifier. The facilities we have now
are second to none in Nigeria because we have four quality stadiums.
The Ijebu-Ode camp is now being used by the national athletes.”

Christian Chukwu

“Most of us that
graduated to the Green Eagles were discovered in the then Academicals
teams. It’s a pity that the Academicals programme is no longer in
existence, but such would be resuscitated if our football must grow.

“We have kept quiet
for too long while our football has been ruined so I urge Nigerians to
come behind people like me to stop the rot at the Federation.”

Austin Okocha

“I am still working
hard to get onto the board so Nigerians should not think my silence
means I have given up. I believe it is time we take over the running of
football in the country so we can take Nigerian football to the level
it is meant to be.”

Shehu Dikko

“I want you to know
that I have a well articulated programme for transformation of Nigerian
football. I have the best programme and I am going to release it to
football stakeholders and even my opponents. I want them to read and
have a clearer picture of the way forward for Nigerian football. Even
if in the end I am not the president of NFF, the document should be of
benefit to whoever will become the next president for the good of
Nigerian football.”

“I want to be the
president of NFF because in that position, I will be able to implement
my programmes without hindrance. Moreover, I have been working silently
but the time has come for me to enter the mainstream and contribute my
quota to the redemption of our football.”

Fan Ndubuoke

“You know it is
high time that Nigeria should be doing away with the old ideas of
putting people who they think are easy candidates at the helm of
football affairs in this country. I am saying it without any fears that
I will contest and deliver if I got voted to be the president of the
NFF. People like me have a track record in this country and what the
game needs presently is people with the track record and can give the
promise that they will do it. I can do it and I will do it for this
country”.

Sanni Toro

“We are all
witnesses to what Blatter is doing at FIFA because he knows the problem
of football at the global scale. It is not out of place if I say I that
I can fix the problem here and address it squarely, our stunted growth;
if I am given the opportunity.”

Segun Odegbami

“I’ve never been
this prepared for an election. In the past eight months I have done an
examination on what needs to be done to win an election. If we plan to
move the game forward, we must look at the most important human
resource in football development that we have neglected all through
these periods, which are the footballers. We have to look at that very
important resource and incorporate them into our administration; once
we do that we will get it right.”

Efforts seem to be
paying off for the footballers that put up good performances during the
recently concluded Lagos State Principals Cup as GT Bank, the sponsors
of the tournament, have gone a step further to help realise the dreams
of the young male and female footballers. A one-week camping exercise
was organised for the 25 players that were chosen throughout the
campaign.

The event which had
the final matches played at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos has
already produced four players for the new U-17 team under John Odigie,
and two players for the Lagos team. GT Bank set up a one-week camping
exercise for 25 promising youngsters at the serene surroundings of the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, under a
foreign coach, David Penney and four Nigerian coaches- Yisa Sofoluwe,
Waidi Akanni, Ann Agumanu-Chiejine and Bankole Olowookere.

Penney, said: “A
week has not been enough to give a valid assessment of the program.”
However, one thing that the Briton is hoping to leave with the
youngsters is the knowledge of how to re-fuel their bodies with the
right elements.

“I believe they
will have learned what to eat and what to drink and likewise those
things that will not help their growth. Their behaviour on an off the
pitch is an important part of their education.”

Catching the limelight

One player who has
used the occasion of the 2010 Principals Cup to catch the limelight is
Ibrahim Jamiu, a student of Gaskiya Senior College in Lagos. He has
been invited into the U-17 national camp on account of his exploits.

“It has been a
worthy experience and I thank Coach Odigie for allowing me to make the
trip. The training has been very nice; the surroundings have been a
welcome change from the Lagos scene. The coaching has been great and
what I have learnt in the days that I have been here will benefit me in
the national team. For a striker, I need to know more about positioning
to help me get the goals for my team and that is one of the things that
I have learnt here and I will be a better player when I get back to the
national camp,” Jamiu said.

Chinyere Nwoku,
Deputy Manager, Communications and External Affairs with GT Bank and
the officer in charge of the Principals Cup franchise, believes the
initiative can only get better.

“We wanted to do
much more than sponsor the tournament. This camp is like going the
extra mile for the talents that were exposed during the competition.”

Another beneficiary
of the get-together is Nene Pius. A slim and very shy 16-year old, she
is just happy that her skills are being recognised.

“You know that it
is a challenge to play football as a female but I have to thank my
parents who after some fight agreed to let me pursue my dream. Now I am
in this camp and I hope to make it into one of the national camps very
soon.”

Sofoluwe is of the view that the programme will revive the dwindling fortunes of the national team.

“We have lost all
the foundations of our game. The skills needed to get the ball under
immediate control, make runs off and on the ball – these are the
attributes that are missing in our players and they are letting us
down. If we can get it right from this point then the future can be
brighter again.”

Penney had good last words for the four local coaches and the
players. He said, “This week can only be the beginning of greater
things. We need to carry on with this kind of program and make sure
that Nigerian players have well developed football brains.”

Nigeria’s sole
representative in the CAF Champions League competition, Heartland FC of
Owerri, have a daunting task today as the team needs an outright
victory over their opponent, Isamaily Club of Egypt, to still harbour
any hope of moving into the semi finals of Africa’s biggest club
football competition.

The match, billed
for the Ismaila Stadium in Egypt, is important to both teams as a win
for either side will lift it up the table which currently sees
Heartland occupying the third spot with just a point from two matches,
while Ismaily are bottom placed with no points.

Match officials
from Sudan have been chosen to handle the match with centre referee
Abdel R. Khalid leading his other assistants; Ahmed Ali Waleed, Bakheit
Awad and Rassas Librato.

Chasing history

Heartland are
seeking to become the second Nigerian team after Enyimba to win the
prestigious CAF Trophy and are currently been handled by the duo of
Samson Siasia and Emeka Ezuego.

A narrow 1-0 loss
to Algerian side J. S. Kabylie in their last match has made today’s
game a must win for Siasia if he hopes to match and possibly surpass
the record of his predecessors.

The Naze
Millionaires, as the Nigerian team is sometimes referred to, were
beaten finalist in the last edition of the competition while still
under the tutelage of the duo Kelechi Emetiole and Ben Iroha, who were
both sacked just before the commencement of the Group phase of this
year’s competition.

Though the timing
of the sack of the team’s bench was highly criticised, some still
believe in the ability of the new technical team led by Siasia to do
well despite the odds against the team.

Ike’s support

One of such
optimist is ex-international Ike Shorunmu who believes Heartland can
still qualify for the semi-finals despite the team’s current precarious
postion.

“There is still
hope of qualifying for the semi-finals if they can win their next match
(today’s game). I believe this is possible because Heartland have
quality players and Coach Samson Siasia would have worked on the
weaknesses he has noticed in the team in their last two matches” he
posited.

The former Super
Eagles goal keeper trainer also counselled the team not to be carried
away or intimidated by some of the big names in the Egyptian team.

“Heartland should
not be intimidated by the fact that some of Ismaily players are in the
Egyptian national teams. What they possess is a better league, not
better players.

“Siasia can improve the quality of the team if given the right assistance.”

Heartland has done
well to retain the core of the team that reached last year’s final with
only Uche Agba and former national U-17 player Stanley Okoro the
notable absentees following their respective transfers overseas.

Captain’s belief

Meanwhile,
Heartland captain Ike ThankGod said the team has put behind them the
defeat against JS Kabylie of Algeria and are now focused on getting the
maximum points at stake in today’s game.

“We know the
importance of today’s game and we know we cannot afford another slip,
we going all out for victory and we believe it is quite possible” he
said.

While reflecting on
the team’s last game, ThankGod admitted that the defeat came as a
result of a loss in concentration by the defenders and the failure of
the team’s forwards to take the few chances that came their way.

“We could have
picked up a draw or even won that game, our performance was not
entirely bad but we failed to take our chances when we had the
opportunities.

“Right now we are
focusing on our next match against Ismaily. I‘m confident we are going
to win against Ismaily home and away. That will give seven points and
from there we‘ll see what comes up.” the Super Eagles fringe player
boasted.

Other match

In the day’s other
fixture, current group leaders, J.S Kabylie of Algeria will be up
against the second placed team, Al Ahly of Egypt.

A win for J.S.K
will give it an unassailable lead of nine points and could mean well
for Heartland if they seize the moment in Egypt to increase their tally
to four points which makes them equal or above Ahly depending on the
margin of victory.

Meanwhile, Egypt
and Algeria have agreed to put behind them the bitter feud which became
rife on the eve of the last World Cup in South Africa when both teams
where seeking Africa’s last ticket to the Mundial.

Both teams have warned their supporters’ against fomenting trouble in what portends to be an exciting match later today.

Can there be a
better test for Liverpool’s new coach than Arsenal? The first match in
the era of Roy Hodgson will see him go up against Arsene Wenger’s young
charges, whom the Reds have not beaten at Anfield for the past three
seasons.

After the
topsy-turvy reign of Rafael Benitez that scored a Champions League and
a League Cup, Hodgson’s task is clear – get back into the Champions
League and if he can, win the Premier League title that has eluded
Liverpool for 20 years.

With new shirt
sponsors, a new coach and new players, Liverpool seem to be picking up
and then there is the buyout being proposed by Chinese billionaires –
the good times might just be back with the Kop.

Arsenal are also
six years and counting when they last won a major trophy and patience
is running thin for the Gunners fans who want to see their beloved team
compete and win titles.

So here we are in a
packed Anfield stadium that is rocking to the rhythm of ‘I will never
walk alone’ and the players with butterflies in their stomach – this
game is too close to call.

Probably, the first
team to score will carry the day. There is the prospect of an
entertaining football match considering the calibre of players on both
sides but it also could be very cagey and bruising.

Gerrard and Torres are vital

Liverpool captain,
Steven Gerrard is enjoying his football again after the World Cup
debacle and Fernando Torres has pledged his future to the club but
needs games to get match sharpness. 20-35 goals from the Spaniard will
make a difference at the end of the season. Jamie Carragher is also
looking forward with excitement: ‘We have got to look forward with
great excitement. Last season never went well but we have got to forget
about it and put it behind us’.

Carragher is set to
start his 15th season in the first team and the signing of Christian
Poulsen from Juventus should solve the Lucas Leiva challenge.

Arsenal still need players

Thomas Vermaelen is
hoping Wenger will make some more signings and the Belgian said as much
on Arsenal’s website: “We lost a few centre backs and only Laurent and
Johan came back, but it is the boss’ decision what he is going to do,
if he wants to buy another one or not.

“But what I have
learned from last season is that you need enough players because we had
a lot of injuries last year and you need enough players to play all the
games.”

Denilson and Abou
Diaby face fitness tests ahead of the opener against Liverpool. Wenger
said: “Alex Song has a calf problem and will be short. Denilson had to
pass a test on an abdominal problem and Diaby has a calf problem but he
is back in full training. Liverpool tormentor, Andrey Arshavin is
alright to start. He has scored five goals in two visits to Anfield.
World Cup winner, Cesc Fabregas has been convinced to stay and that is
such a huge lift for the Gunners and their fans. If they do not win any
silverware this season, then no amount of pleas will make him stay
beyond this season. The signing of Marouane Chamakh will unburden Robin
van Persie up front to play his best football if he stays injury free
but there are still doubts concerning Manuel Almunia in goal.

Wenger also said he has to consider fitness in choosing players for today’s match.

“I still have to
make a decision about whether I will include Van Persie and Fabregas in
the squad.” The Gunners took all three points last season and played
out a memorable 4-4 the campaign before.

But if what Gerrard
said on new signing, Joe Cole is to be used to gauge the new season
then the Kop should be optimistic of victory today and in the season.

“Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do
as well, if not better. He used to shock us in training by doing footy
tricks with a golf ball that most players can’t even do with a
football.” What Liverpool really need is a shock to last year’s system.