Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The True Problem With The National Team

I've read many times from different people that the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles suffer from a lack of 'quality' players. The team have been accused of having sub-standard players who never play their best in the Nigerian colours and I used to believe that.

I believed it so much, I advocated a total overhauling of the team- get in new guys, young blood with heart and mettle. People who are ready to lay it down for the green white green. That should work, right?



Fast forward today, and after watching our dismal outing in Egypt as well as prvious failures in the last U20 world Cup, I've come to the realistic conclusion that the problem with the team is the managers and administrators.

Yes, the National team coaches and their egos/sentiments have ruined us more times than I can remember. Was it Manu Garba in U20, dropping lethal Iheanacho, Simon Moses and Nwakali against Germany, for non-lethal guys? What of Keshi who kept on throwing in Yobo even when he was past his prime? Or Samson Siasia fielding the likes of Aminu Umar and directionless Musa against Egypt in a must-win game, while our best players in KD; Iheanacho, Iwobi and Simon Moses were on the bench? The same Siasia playing Ighalo- someone who can only function with a strike partner as a lone striker? What happened to Fernando Adi? A smart coach builds his team according to the strength(s) of his forward(s), you don't just throw a man into a line-up and hope he can pull a rabbit out his arse in 90 minutes

Some might say, don't blame the coach, but someone is responsible for Leicester topping the EPL with the SAME players they had when they were fighting relegation, and who is that? Did Egypt have better players than us as far as pedigree? Would the right coach have made a difference with the right team selection? By all means yes.

Those advocating for the foreign players, the Jordon Ibes, Delle Allis and Ross Barkley, what are the guarantees they still won't be overlooked by a local coach for some Festus Kingsley from NPFL or U23 when it matters? After all, Iwobi had to wait till 15 minutes to the end of the game to show his mettle despite his strong display in Kaduna. So, I can imagine your coaches would even bench CR7 if he could play for Nigeria. Why?

This is not to absolve the incompetent NFF of course, because they are majorly to blame for our instability. With their gross disregard and disrespect for local coaches and their constant failure to keep to contractual terms, NFF have continually chased away decent local coaches with disastrous results. Even those advocating to retain Siasia, do you think the same fate that met Oliseh and Keshi won't meet him? You think NFF will pay his salary? You think they won't override his decisions to slot in their favourites?

Unfortunately, until we rid the football body of those cancerous elements that have eaten deep into the system, we cannot expect any form of miracle on the pitch or from the same set of rotten coaches. The popular saying comes to play that even if you put make-up on a pig, a pig is still a pig.

As I type this, I have lost any form of hope of us qualifying for any tournament, even if we do, there are no long term solutions to our football woes, because even when it seems like we're making headway, something or someone always combusts. Even the foreign coaches will leave because of NFF and their shady ways.

We have all the talent we need, more talent than the likes of Netherlands, England, Algeria, CIV....we have a golden generation in our hands, boys who have it in them to break the records of Yekini, JJ Okocha, Kanu and Finidi George, but poor management and a corrupt administration will kill those talents every generation we get to.


Article Written By: Safarigirl

CC: Thegoodjoe, TheSupernerd, Icon4s, Daninya11, blueto, confun, bascovanveli, jarus

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