Nigeria Content Online

If
the current momentum in the country’s national football teams,
particularly the Super Eagles, can be sustained, then Nigeria may soon
return to the good old days when its players were the toast of European
clubs in the transfer market.

This is the view of
Shina Philips, one of Nigeria’s foremost FIFA and Nigeria Football
Federation (NFF) licensed football agents. He explained that the
downturn in country’s football fortunes, which only abated recently
with the appointment of Samson Siasia as Eagles gaffer, has made many
European clubs lose faith in Nigerian players and hence look to other
countries like Ghana to get their new stock of African talent.

For instance, in
the April football rankings released by FIFA, Nigeria is in the 38th
position while Ghana is 23 steps ahead leading the continent in 15th
place.

“Everywhere in the
world, clubs crave for good players because football is big business.
If you noticed, after the USA ’94 World Cup, there was a boom for
Nigerian players because we had a good national side. Once your
national team begins to produce results, it tells the entire world that
you have more in the kitty, it tells them that if the national team
could be as good as this, then the mine will definitely have more gold
therein” he said.

It would be
remembered that in the 90’s, Nigerian players were courted by big sides
like Dutch giants, Ajax, Italian clubs like AC Milan and Juventus and
also top German sides just to mention a few.

However it’s a
different case now, where second tier leagues in Greece, Belgium and
Turkey are now the major destinations of our top stars, though one or
two players ply their trade in the English Premier League.

“I remember one of
my friends; a Dutchman who is the manager of Bonfere Jo, he always told
me that; Shina, if you can get me another player like Okocha or
somebody that plays well like Kanu, then we have a deal” Philips added.

More worry

And on a sad note,
even though Nigeria has the highest number of FIFA licensed agents on
the African continent (119), many aspiring young footballers from the
country still keep falling prey to fake football agents.

Thousands of them
litter the streets of Europe, Asia and even the Middle East, all in
search of the proverbial “greener pasture”.

Unfortunately most
end up not fulfilling their dreams and thereby truncating these talents
by wasting away and living on menial jobs for survival. Some others
actually end up signing off their life away in slavery with some of
these ‘greedy’ clubs abroad.

Philips blamed this
sad trend of players selling themselves to slavery more on desperation
on the part of the players rather than illiteracy.

“There is no effect
without a cause, this disturbing trend you are seeing now is as a
result of the desperation of the players” he said.

“We are in a time
where Nigerian players are not selling in the international market like
they used to do formerly; it is a difficult time for the market
especially for the Nigerian players” he further explained.

Also contrary to a
previous media report, where Mr Philips was wrongly quoted as saying
Nigerian players are illiterate, the Italy-based agent said that it
will be wrong to make such assertions about Nigerian players.

“It will be wrong
to say Nigerian players are illiterate, they are not. Why because
anyone that goes through the primary education, secondary school and if
they are not able to further thereafter, doesn’t make them illiterate”
he said.

“It is safer to say
that the players are not informed in certain areas but it would be
erroneous and unfair to say that these players are illiterate” He
however advised players that it is safe for them to always have a legal
adviser and to have their agents watch whatever they want to sign.

Right direction

Fortunately, the
NFF is not oblivious of the role players’ agent can play in the
development of football in the country, hence the decision to partner
with Matchmakers Consult International in organising a players’ agent
workshop. Already the organizers of the maiden two-day workshop billed
for May 13 and 14 have confirmed the availability of its resource
persons for programme.

Marco Leal, who is
coming from world football-governing body, FIFA’s headquarters in
Zurich, Switzerland, is among the resource persons for the much
anticipated programme, which the NFF and the organizers believe would
make licensed match and players’ agents, better managers of their wards
and utilise the opportunities they have.

Also confirmed for
the event is Branco Martins from the European Football Agents
Association, Musa Amadu who is acting general secretary of the NFF and
Ian Birkmyre of the UK Consulate.

Super Eagles’ head
coach, Samson Siasia; NFF’s principal legal officer, Barrister Okey Obi
and president-general of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Rafiu
Oladipo are also involved.

Others expected to
contribute during the workshop include the secretary of the Association
of Professional Footballers of Nigeria, Austin Popo; NFF’s Nasiru
Jibril; financial and investment advisers; television presenter,
Charles Anazodo and the executive director of the Ondo State Football
Agency. Mike Idoko.

The workshop takes place at the Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, Lekki on May, 12 and 13, 2011.