Continue.
I got a tweet penultimate week, telling me the Nigerian Football Federation was on fire. I remember my initial thoughts were what new conflagration had flared up in the NFF now? Little did I know that the Glass House was literally going up in flames! I must confess, like a drug addict hooked on his next fix, I have become addicted to this ongoing Nigerian Football Farce (also NFF for short). Both for the entertainment levels as well as observing the length people are ready to go to fulfil their ultimately selfish and self-serving ends. Decency, decorum and the pursuit of due process have all been jettisoned, the vagabonds are threatening to take over.
From Aminu Maigari’s purported resignation (later denied), to his reported arrest by the Department of State Security before he could preside over the Congress of the NFF on Thursday, shows there are forces determined to pervert/subvert the legitimate electoral process. I have a lot of sympathy for Maigari. I know him well and appreciate, no matter the prevailing circumstances, his services to and achievements in Nigerian football. In my opinion, Maigari has been treated extremely shabbily.
The fire in the Glass House allegedly started from the finance department; there have been accusations from various parties of arson and saboteurs. Obviously, more vagabonds at work.
Nobody knows exactly what’s going on but I’m enthralled by this convoluted tale of intrigue, undiluted chicanery and high-level knavery. It has me exercised to the extent that I can’t contemplate writing about other sporting issues. Which I really should be doing as similar scenarios are playing out in other sports as well, especially basketball.
Nigeria’s global exposure at the London Olympics in 2012, with the exploits of the gallant D’Tigers, has been consigned to the history books. The failure of D’Tigers to qualify for the FIBA World Cup in Spain next month, is as appalling in its own way as the ongoing NFF fiasco.
Even other areas of football, such as the GLO Premier League have escaped my attention. The GPL is getting to the business end of the season with all the requisite drama. There’s a three-way battle for the title, between Kano Pillars, Nasarawa United and Enyimba, while Rangers International, one of the most famous and decorated clubs in the land, are flirting assiduously with relegation.
The stage is set for a very thrilling finale, while club officials have often resorted to their tried and tested default mode of blaming referees for everything and anything.
I have also overlooked the wonderful exploits of the Super Falconets in reaching the final of the just concluded FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. They lost narrowly to a highly technical and well organised German side. Perhaps fewer prayer sessions and more tactical preparation could have seen the Falconets overcome the redoubtable Germans.
While not denigrating the Falconets’ exploits in Canada in any way, I watch Nigeria compete in ANY age-grade tournament with a healthy dose of scepticism. I just never get enthused about our participation in these competitions. There is an undue emphasis in Africa to win what are basically developmental tournaments whose primary objective is to unearth the stars of the future. We in Nigeria, in particular, have adopted a win-at-all-cost mentality. This involves the simple and lazy expedient of fielding overage players, which totally negates the whole purpose of the competition. I must stress, I have absolutely no evidence that this was the case with the Falconets in Canada. But we do have a penchant for being economical with the truth where the ages of our players are concerned. I always find myself playing the Doubting Pundit and asking: are these youngsters really the stipulated age? It’s a great shame because it casts a shadow on all our achievements at this level.
I still can’t get over my often used example of Toni Kroos – Silver Boot and Bronze Ball winner at the FIFA Under-17 World CUp in 2007. He’s now a full fledged World Cup champion, playing for Real Madrid seven years later in 2014. That is what youth development is all about. Nobody in Germany cared whether they won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. What mattered to them most was the discovery and nurturing of up and coming talent.
Compare Kroos to our own Chrisantus Macaulay – 2007 Under-17 World Cup winner, Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner – and you will appreciate the context of my reticence.
I hope and pray for the Falconets’ sake they are in the right age bracket, so they can go on to achieve the stardom their incipient talents so richly deserve.
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