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After 24 years of
football reporting, I genuinely thought I’d earned passage into the
exclusive club of hardened, experienced and weather-beaten hacks that
couldn’t be surprised or shocked by any story exposing the game’s
underbelly.

But the revelation
that Eucharia Uche, coach of the Falcons, the reigning African women’s
champions, has been without a wage from her employers, the Nigerian
Football Federation (NFF), for 21 months, has unexpectedly left me in
utter shock. It is a disgustingly new low, even for us.

It is a
catastrophic sign of the depth of decay in our football, and indeed our
national psyche, inured to the ill-treatment meted out to our people,
on a daily basis, that barely a whimper has resulted from the expose of
Oluwashina Okeleji, the BBC reporter who uncovered the scandal.

Sani Lulu, the
previous NFF chairman – currently under criminal indictment – and his
board, who never denied themselves, for a moment, the perquisites (or
is it the egunje?) of office, had no problems giving $1.5m to a white
European coach, Lars Lagerback, for a World Cup debacle that left
Nigerians humiliated and bitter.

But the Lulu-led
NFF, which hired Uche, a former Nigeria international, just couldn’t be
bothered to pay her? Or Uche’s former assistants, Ann Chiejine and
Idris Gidado, recently sacked without an explanation?

What happened to the money that was, certainly, budgeted for the payment of her salary and that of her assistants?

The silence of the
current NFF board, also complicit in this mess, as they have not paid
Uche a kobo of her wages since they assumed office last August – seven
months ago – is deafening.

A few weeks ago, a
frustrated head coach of one of the youth national teams, in a brutally
frank conversation with me, had no qualms about firing salvos at his
employers.

“Apart from the
Super Eagles, which the NFF sees as their cash cow, they don’t give a
daaaamn (emphasis his) about any of the other national teams!” “Is
football in Nigeria just about the Super Eagles? These guys just don’t
understand that all the national teams deserve to be properly treated
and respected,” he said, his words coming with a huge dollop of
bitterness.

But the biggest
question, for me anyway, is why Uche, known as ‘Abacha’, for her
ruthless enforcement of team discipline, keeps mute over the
unpardonable crime being committed against her.

Is it because she
is frightened of the callously cold hands of unemployment? Or is she
gripped by an inferiority complex, from a purported lack of polish and
finesse, rendering her impotent in the face of her unfeeling, uncaring
employers?

A key member of the
current NFF board, in a chat with me on the competence of Uche as
coach, made it clear he had little regard for her abilities, claiming a
lack of tactical nous made her a liability for June’s World Cup finals
in Germany.

“The only reason
Uche remains in charge is that Nigerians will not accept her removal
after winning the African Championship,” he said.

While I share some
of his reservations about Uche’s ability to manage the Falcons to a
credible position at Germany 2011, what is not in question is her right
to be treated with dignity and respect, as long as she is in the employ
of the NFF.

And what is also
not in doubt is the right of Nigerian coaches to receive fair and
decent treatment from the country of their birth, which they have
faithfully served.

Make no mistake, I
have issues with the technical incompetence of many (note I said many,
not all) Nigerian coaches. But does that mean the NFF should treat them
with contempt? Surely, a labourer in their willing employ, as the old
adage goes, deserves her pay?

What’s good for the
European coaches the NFF recruits – decent working conditions and the
prompt payment of wages – is also appropriate for their Nigerian
colleagues.

If Nigerians have no respect for their fellow citizens, how will the
rest of the world respect us? It is time to end this long harmattan of
self-hatred.

While Enyimba FC still have a slight advantage, after securing a goalless draw in the reverse fixture with their opponent, Union Sportive of Gabon a fortnight ago, Kano Pillars have an upheaval task against Moroccan side, Wydad Casablanca, when matches in CAF Champions League get underway today.

The Ladan Bosso-led Pillars team was defeated 2-0 in the first leg and needs at least a 3-0 victory today at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano to guarantee their passage into the next round of the lucrative tourney.

Kano Pillars and Super Eagles defender, Abdulwasiu Sowemimo, though admitting the tough task ahead, however remains optimistic that his team will upturn the table against the visiting Moroccan team.

“We will try our best to win the encounter and progress to the next round. We do not have any option or excuse not to beat them in Kano” the former Gateway FC defence ace told a sports website.

“It will be really tough considering the fact that we lost 2-0 in the first leg but we have no choice but to redeem the situation.

“In 2009 we played beyond this stage of the competition and it is our target to contest for the title this time round. So Wydad will not stop us,”

He reckoned that Wydad may come with all sorts of tricks including playing defensive and employing delay tactics, which he said may be the Moroccans’ undoing.

“Let them come up with any form of tricks, we are ready to match them, as they will not escape defeat in Kano,” he said. Pillars prosecuted the first leg in Morocco with a depleted squad but are likely to have the services of the quartet of Bala Mohammed, Sherif Isa, Shagari Mohammed and Mannir Ubale for today’s game. The team will however still miss one of their key players, Joseph Thompson who will sit out of the crucial tie due to an injury sustained in the first leg.

People’s Elephant

For Enyimba, though the task looks a bit easier, the team’s coach Okey Emordi says the tie is a dicey one more so, that the Aba Elephants did not score an away goal.

“The game is very open, that is why we must be very careful that they don’t score in our home, because that may turn out to be an advantage for them” said the former CAF Coach of the Year.

“The players all know what is at stake and also we have to hit the ground running from the blast of the whistle” Enyimba players were resolute in the first leg in Gabon and looked good for a victory away from home.

Meanwhile, Union Sportive’s Coach, Luther Fokam, said his team was unfortunate to not earn the victory on their home ground while boasting that they will edge out the two-time champions by snatching an away win in Aba today.

Emordi sees Fokam’s aspirations as a wild goose chase, as he bluntly declared that the Gabonese side should jettison any ambition of going any further in the Champions League.

Emordi, who led the People’s Elephants to their second CAF Champions League title in 2004 believes his players are back in their stride after a torrid beginning to the season and added that they still posses the spirit that saw them crowned the African Champions back to back.

“We are committed and are hungry for success. Picking a draw away from home is a good one for the team and the second leg will be quite different. “Whatever ambition Union Sportive has of going beyond this round, is as good as futile” he concluded.

Last Sunday, Samson Siasia made his competitive debut as coach of the Super Eagles with a game against the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia at the National Stadium, Abuja. The game, a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, ended in a 4-0 victory for the Super Eagles, which they followed up with a convincing 3-0 drubbing of Kenya’s Harambee Stars two days later in an international friendly, also decided in Abuja.

In both games, the Super Eagles displayed time and again, flashes of good football to the delight of many Nigerians, most of whom were expectedly optimistic regarding the team’s future under Siasia, who coincidentally, was a pivotal member of the last Super Eagles side to have endeared itself to Nigerian football fans.

That was the Super Eagles side of the early half of the 1990s who, under the tutelage of Dutchman Clemens Westerhof, terrorised Africa and the world in general with a brand of football that was probably only inferior to that of the Brazilian side of that era. Westerhof’s team, although not filled to the brim with ‘world-class’ players in the sense of it, always gave a spirited performance during matches regardless of the level of opposition and in the process earned themselves a reputation, which transcended the length and breadth of the African continent.

Westerhof’s Super Eagles side also scored goals in torrents, while conceding goals in trickles. This past week, the Super Eagles, under Siasia, created scoring opportunities time and again against the Ethiopians and Kenyans, and even finding the back of the net seven times altogether. For a side that had in the past number of years found the art of goal scoring as difficult as the proverbial camel passing through the eye of a needle, the Super Eagles displayed a style of attacking football that was reminiscent of Westerhof’s all-conquering side, which raises the question: Are the Super Eagles truly back or is all these just a flash in the pan?

Past and present

“Now that was a side that knew how to score goals, and did so with reckless abandon,” said former Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju, who was a key member of Westerhof’s Eagles team. “We didn’t have all the big names but we scared every team that played against us.

“We were a team and didn’t depend so much on individuality. That is what is still lacking at the moment with this team but we must not forget that this is a team that is rebuilding.

“They have a new coach and the players haven’t gotten used to the way he would want them to play. There are also a lot of new players in the team so we all have to be patient and give them time to get to know each other. “But they have started well, and if they continue like this it won’t be long before the world begins to take notice of Nigerian football,” added the former Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Salamanca of Spain midfielder. It is also an opinion that is shared by Mainasara Illo, who was the chairman of the local organising committee of the 2009 FIFA Under 17 World Cup.

“This is a team in development and the coaches have done a good job,” said Illo. “I believe with time, this is going to be a very great team.” The games against Ethiopia and Kenya were characterized by early goals by the Super Eagles with Peter Utaka opening scoring under a minute in the former, and Ahmed Musa grabbing Nigeria’s first goal in the latter encounter against the Harambee Stars.

Another thing both games had in common was the inability of the Nigerian side to finish off the opposition in the first half only to emerge from the dressing room after the half time interval with renewed vigour culminating in a second half goal feast. “I guess credit has to go to the coach for telling them the right thing during the break, which was why they came out firing at all cylinders in the second half,” said Emeka Ezeugo, also a member of Westerhof’s Super Eagles side. “But they still have a long way to go before any comparisons can be made (with Westerhof’s Super Eagles team). He added: “The players are still trying to understanding one another and the midfield isn’t quite as domineering as it should be. But this is a new team, under a new coach and I believe with time, they will get to that level.”

Positive change

The duo of Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel and Inter Milan’s Joel Obi manned the Super Eagles’ midfield, at least from the start, in the games against Ethiopia and Kenya as Siasia opted for a 4-2-4 formation which transformed into a 4-4-1-1 formation whenever the side lost possession to the opposition. But unlike in the recent past, like at the 2010 World Cup under Lars Lagerback, as well as at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, where the Super Eagles defended deep in their half while depending on oftentimes ineffective counter-attacking moves, Siasia’s side pressed the opposition across the pitch beginning from the very moment they lost the ball. Siasia was pleased with the performance of his side in both games but knows there is still a lot of work to be done. “I am happy with the way they played but there is still a lot of work to be done,” Siasia said.

“We struggled in the midfield, especially in our first game against Ethiopia who outnumbered us in that department. He added: “But we made some corrections in the game against Kenya and by the time we get to play more games, they’ll get used to the way we want to play, which involves closing the opposition down and not giving them any room to operate.” It was a view corroborated by former Nigeria international Chukwuma Akuneto, who is currently a coach at English league side, FC United. “The Super Eagles did very well especially in the area of repossession of the ball,” he told NEXT from his base in England. “They played high and wide and knew that they didn’t have to wait for the opposition to lose the ball before attacking.

They forced them to lose the ball. “The attackers and midfielders piled a lot of pressure on their defenders and as result they lost the ball very close to their goal area as was the case against the Kenyans,” recalled Akuneto regarding Nigeria’s opening goal against the Harambee Stars where Inter Milan’s Obi intercepted the ball before Victor Anichebe laid the ball across the area for Ahmed Musa to open scoring. He added: “We were also forcing them to launch long balls into our area because of the high line of defence which made them feel threatened but credit must also go to the defenders for keeping their concentration all through the games.”

The future

The quartet of Joseph Yobo, Efe Ambrose, Taye Taiwo and home boy, Chibuzor Okonkwo manned the Nigerian defence line and provided good cover for goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba whose confidence would no doubt have been boosted with the clean sheets he kept in those games, especially in the absence of first-choice goalie Vincent Enyeama. For Yobo, it was another opportunity to play with another central defensive partner after pairing with Michael Odibe in the 2-1 friendly win over Sierra Leone, and the duo of Danny Shittu and Rabiu Afolabi during the 2010 World Cup, as well Dele Adeleye, who was his regular partner during the World Cup qualifiers. Although Ambrose churned out an acceptable display in the games against Ethiopia and Kenya, the situation might change in the coming months especially if England-based Nedum Onuoha opts to pledge his international future to Nigeria.

Recent reports suggest that Onuoha is seriously considering pledging his future to the Super Eagles, but having earlier failed to do that after being approached earlier by Siasia, he will need to take the initiative if he plans on featuring for Nigeria. “I went to him.

I drew the first blood, so it’s left for him to come back to me and tell me that he wants to play,” Siasia informed NEXT in Abuja. He added: “I’m not saying that I don’t want him, but the decision rests with him. If he wants to play, he has my number. So he can reach out to me and tell me he wants to play for Nigeria.” Having Onuoha in the Super Eagles, coupled with the likes of Italy based Obiora Nwankwo, Lukman Haruna, Nosa Igiebor and Nnamdi Oduamadi, who all shone like a million stars for the Nigerian U23s in their 5-0 win over Equatorial Guinea, could go a long way in transforming the Super Eagles into world-beaters in a few years time. But much more still needs to be done if Siasia’s team will in years to come, be comparable to Westerhof’s all-conquering side.

“In football, to create a team that is all-conquering you have to first start by building team and fan confidence,” wrote former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh on his blog site following the win over Ethiopia. “First step is getting several positive results; second, improve the manner of getting those results; then comes titles or set goals and achievements.

“It took the last successful Eagles time to build and lots of trials and errors to get to the top and this new breed should be given that too and with the victory against Ethiopia, we might be on the right track,” added the former Ajax and Juventus ace who played for nine years for the Super Eagles, from 1993 to 2002.

Westerhof arrived in Nigeria in 1989 and five years later, led Nigeria to a first ever World Cup appearance. A few months earlier, in 1994, he led Nigeria to the Cup of Nations title in Tunisia. Siasia has only been on the job for three months, but it is unlikely that he will have the luxury of time Westerhof had back then

The Super Falcons will today take on the Namibian women’s national team, the Brave Gladiators in a 2012 Olympics qualifier at the Abuja National Stadium.

Though victory is the major target, the Falcons will also be seeking to continue the goals harvest currently enjoyed by the country’s other national teams.

Last weekend was a good one for Nigerian football fans as the national teams found their scoring boots again; the U-23 Olympic team defeated their opponents 5-0 and the Super Eagles notched a heartwarming 4-0 and 3-0 victories over Ethiopia and Kenya respectively.

Going for goals

Perpetua Nkwocha, reigning Africa’s Woman Player of the Year is expected to lead the Falcons attack today as the team’s coach, Eucharia Uche, stated that she wasn’t be taking any chances. “We cannot underestimate the team (Namibia), we will approach the game with all seriousness because we want to win and win convincingly,” she said.

“We are ready for the Namibians. They cannot stop us from continuing the good run for Nigeria football. My girls are upbeat and in very high spirit and we will not let the nation down.”

Seven foreign-based players were invited by the coach for today’s match. They are; Effioanwan Ekpo, Emuje Ogbiagbevha, Rita Chikwelu, Onome Ebi, Ulumma Jerome, Helen Ukaonu and Faith Ikidi.

The largesse recently received from the President for their performance at the last African Championships is also expected to motivate the girls and particularly with a ticket to the Olympics up for grabs. The six-time African champions are thus expected to go full throttle against the Gladiators at the Abuja National Stadium pitch today.

The Falcons will also be using the qualifiers to prepare for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup that is scheduled for Germany in June.

In 2008 the Super Falcons hammered the Brave Gladiators 10-1 on aggregate in an African Nations Cup qualifier but that might be a tough score to repeat as the Namibians have improved and have promised to offer a stiffer contest today for the Falcons.

No pushovers

The Namibian coach, Jacqui Shipanga says aside any other thing; she believes the Super Falcons respect her team as it was obvious in their planning to field their best players in today’s first-leg qualifying match.

Shipanga said the fact that Nigeria assembled their strongest possible squad was a testament of her team’s recent rapid progress. Shipanga also added that her players were more than capable of holding their own against the Falcons.

“We are not called the Brave Gladiators for nothing,” said Shipanga. “If we can’t beat them, then we can learn from them.”

Also Queen Manga, captain of the Brave Gladiators said the positive morale in the team will push them to greater heights against their more experienced opponents today.

She told local Namibian reporters before departing for Nigeria that her teammates were in high spirits ahead of the first leg qualifier and the team is looking forward to showing the rest of the continent just how much they have progressed over the last few years.

According to Manga, the Brave Gladiators are feeling confident after comfortably seeing off neighbours Botswana 1-0 in a friendly last Saturday plus their narrow 1-2 loss against the highly rated Banyana Banyana in South Africa a fortnight ago. Manga said the team could even cause an upset against the Super Falcons.

Namibia are ranked 17th in African women’s football while Nigeria has occupied the top spot on the continent for years.

“We are not going there to lose,” said Manga, who is poised for her 34th cap today. Last time we were not well prepared. I feel that Sunday (today) will go very well for us. We are developing into a super team!”

While exuding confidence in their team’s ability to give a tough fight to the Falcons, Shipanga also stated that one of her team’s focuses is to reduce the 10-1 record the Falcons set in their last encounter.

Shipanga however admitted that a win against Nigeria would be difficult by any stretch of the imagination, considering the gulf in class between her youthful squad and the wealth of experience the Super Falcons currently boast of.

“The youngest player in our team is the 16-year old player from Eldorado High School, Albertina ‘Chicken’ Davis. She only started playing last year at the Zone VI (Youth) games. Now Albertina will have to play against Perpetua (Nkwocha), who is 35 years old and has participated in numerous World Cups. There is a 20-year gap between the players.

“The last time we played them we lost 10-1. I want us to improve on this performance if we can,” Shipanga said before leaving Windhoek for Lagos.

Theoretically, the Falcons and the Gladiators are only two stages away from qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

While the return leg for today’s match is billed for Windhoek in two weeks time, the winning team over the two legs will play the winner of the match between Ghana and Liberia.

Izetta Sombo Wesley from Liberia has been named as match commissioner for today’s game while the centre referee is Fadouma Dia, to be assisted by assistant referees Adia Isseu Cisse and Die Alse Sylla while the fourth official Amina Fall completes the list officials who are all from Senegal.

For Anslem Onyeji, the pastor in charge of House of Prayer, a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) football is more than a sport, which attracts people of diverse personality. It is a vehicle for winning souls for God. The first thing that gets your attention as you enter his office on Tinubu Road in Lupeju, is a pair of yellow football boots nestling in one corner.

“A lot of visitors are surprised to see them when they come in here,” he said as this reporter’s eyes fell on the shoes.”I love football and I try to keep in shape every week playing the game,” he added. Indeed, his love for football is such that his sermons are often interspersed with images from football.

“I never knew I was going to be a servant of God. I always thought that I would earn a living from playing football or sports generally,” he said about his experiences growing up. In the mid-1980s he started out by playing street football like every other child his age.”We use to play inter-street football tournaments back in the days and even when my street wasn’t not playing, other streets come over to beg me to play for them because I was very good,” he said. He recalled a particular tournament where his team played against the bulk of players selected to represent Nigeria at an U-13 tournament in the United States.”After that match their coach came over to me that I should join his side, I had thought that would be my breakthrough but the tournament they were meant to attend in Dallas, United state was cancelled due to logistic problems”

Beyond football
Aside football, Onyeji has also had stints in Karate and Taekwondo while at the Universities of Calabar and Benin. During his National Youth Service (NYSC) year in Ekehuan barracks in Benin City, Onyeji who previously started out has the assistant physical education instructor ended up as the coach of the Barrack’s team to the Armed Forces Games. As the coach of the secondary school, he led the team to the finals of the Principals’ Cup before been given the tough task of coaching the army team.

Football and evangelism
Onyeji says football and indeed, sports generally should be used to serve God given the passion it evokes among people despite their age, size and nationality: “I have always loved football and sports as a whole and I believe they can be used for evangelism. On Sundays you find a lot of youth who should be in church serving God playing football on the streets. If they saw that the church encouraged the playing of football, a lot of them would be encouraged to move closer to God “This is why, he says, he encourages members of his church to play football. At the moment, the church’s football team are preparing for a football tournament involving a number of churches of Pentecostal extraction.

At the Baptist Academy ground on Obanikoro in Lagos, Onyeji and members of his flock can be sweating it out during training sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.”Before any session we pray and share the word from the Bible with the players. We take the competition seriously and once we start training it is serious business,” said the pastor who has a close relationship with his parishioners particularly the youth who flock around him. Unlike most priests who abhor sports, Onyeji does not see anything wrong it.

He exhorts parents whose children have passion for one sport or the other, to encourage them.”While the importance of education cannot be overemphasised, involvement in sports goes a long way in making children rounded personalities, that is apart from the obvious social and financial advantages it confers on them as grown ups who excel in their chosen fields.”It is important that parents encourage their children to get involved in sports while ensuring that they not treat their education with levity.”