by Orji Uzor Kalu

Is it not preposterous, therefore, for critics to call for the hiring of a foreign technical adviser less than one year to Brazil 2014? How can any rational person do such a thing? Must we play politics with every matter under the sun? Keshi’s performance as coach is no longer a matter for debate.

When I was a member of the National Sports Commission (NSC) under the chairmanship of the irrepressible Chief S. B. Williams, I was inspired to tell him one day, during a private audience I had with him, that Eagles would win the World Cup under his tenure. He looked at me curiously, lost in thought about the import of my utterance. After some minutes he responded, “Orji that is also my dream. I pray God keep us alive to wit-ness this monumental history.” Painfully, he died without witnessing to the actualization of this prophecy. As you can see, that prophecy is about to come true. The Super Eagles are making earnest preparations to display their skills in Brazil next year.

It seems everybody is now upbeat about the capability of the team to do us proud in Brazil. I remember what some cynics said and wrote about the present Super Eagles. The team was called all kinds of names, ranging from fatigued Eagles to clay-footed Eagles. Some even described their journey to Brazil as a pipedream that would never materialize. Curiously, some critics even called for the head of the team’s coach, Stephen Keshi. They rather preferred a foreign technical adviser.

In all of these, I had maintained a different posture, and so did some members of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the Federal Government. In fact, I have to give it to President Goodluck Jonathan – he has always believed in the team. He demonstrated this belief in the ability of the team by the financial and moral support h has availed the team since the campaign to appear in Brazil 2014 began.    Now let me ask: Is there anybody still in doubt about Super Eagles’ capability to conquer the world? Before their last stellar performance against Ethiopia, pessimists harboured some fears. They based their skepticism on the immediate past records of the team, forgetting that life is dynamic. Things happen very fast; at times, beyond our own estimation.

Those conversant with my passion for sports can attest to the fact that I have always given regular historical facts to support my belief in the ability of the Super Eagles to excel. Before their last outing against Ethiopia in Calabar, I made it expressly clear to whoever wanted to know that the Super Eagles would be in Brazil 2014. I knew the individual skills of the players and the coaching crew ever before I made such a monumental statement.

What I saw in the present Super Eagles right from the scratch was amazing. I knew deep inside me that the team was destined to rule the world. Indeed, soccer in Nigeria has advanced to such a level that conquering the world is no longer a tall order. The reason Nigeria’s soccer is where it is today could be blamed on lack of continuity. Have we forgotten so soon the maiden outing of the Super Eagles in 1994 World Cup where they took the world by storm, trashing mighty Bulgaria and Greece. I still remember the first goal for Nigeria in that tournament scored by fleet-footed Rashid Yekini against Bulgaria. The world stood still for Nigeria when that goal came. It was our finest hou in football. If not for lack of experience, Eagles would have reached the finals in tha tournament. They were stopped by mighty Italy when Roberto Baggio equalized for his team and went ahead to win in extra time. For two days, after that encounter, I could not eat well, because I had made a big boast among friends that the Eagles were going to win the trophy for the first time in it first outing. Up till date, I still cherish th memories of that tournament.

The impressive outing of the Super Eagles in 1994 was made possible by the believe-you-can-do-it spirit injected into the boys by Dutch-born technical adviser, Clemence Westerhoff, assisted by Bonfrere Jo – who later coached the team after the exit of the former. Don’t mind what people say about the two coaches. Their contributions to the development of our football would forever be relished.

What I loved about Westerhof was his love for Nigeria. He deeply loved Nigeria and felt at home throughout his stay here. His exit, at the time he did, was the worst thing that happened to our soccer. He bowed to pressure from the hawks in the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) who wanted him out for no genuine reason other than irreconcilable differences bothering on self aggrandisement. And this has remained the albatross of Nigeria’s soccer. Regrettably, all the coaches (including home-made ones) that came after Westerhof, except Keshi, could not deliver the goods. They fumbled and wobbled for the same reason – unhealthy politics in NFA.

The man who had the skills and commitment to do well was Samson Siasia. A young, talented and ebullient footballer, Siasia could not do much except for the occasional flashes of success he recorded. H left in frustration. I knew that Siasia would not be able to manage the Eagles success-fully. That was why I did not approve of his choice as coach when he was hired by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). I had preferred him working under Keshi. In fact, I had been calling for the hiring of Keshi even when he was the national coach of Togo. I personally wrote the President and contacted a few members of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to urge him to settle for Keshi as coach. One of the reasons I had always supported the choice of Keshi is because of mastery of the psyche of the team and the overwhelming support he enjoys among the Super Eagles’ players. No wonder they call him the ‘big boss’. I was happy that in the end commonsense prevailed.   Keshi is a quiet, but focused undertaker. He knows how to deal with his perceived enemies in football. Go and ask the Ethiopians. I believe they are yet to comprehend what hit them in their two-legged  outing against the Super Eagles – losing both home and away. Keshi’s comportment during matches is quite remarkable. He is always calm and calculated, dishing out orders in a most humble, quietly persuasive manner. He is not brash or arrogant, just like Alex Ferguson of Manchester United fame.   Is it not preposterous, therefore, for critics to call for the hiring of a foreign technical adviser less than one year to Brazil 2014? How can any rational person do such a thing? Must we play politics with every matter under the sun? Keshi’s performance as coach is no longer a matter for debate. He has performed beyond the mandate given to him. He took Nigeria to 2012 Nations Cup in South Africa, lifting the trophy in the process. Now he has qualified the Super Eagle for Brazil 2014. Let me ask the tireless and inconsiderate critics of Keshi: where were all the foreign technical advisers hired by other African nations when Keshi bulldozed his way to lift the Nation’s Cup and qualify Nigeria for World Cup? Let us forget this foreign coach stuff and make do with what we have.

We would have been talking about our  second World Cup by now if we had made proper use of the chances we had in the past, particularly in the period between 1994 and 1998. Did we not build world-class teams between 1985 and 1998? Yes, we did. Was it not in 1985 that Nigeria lifted the Kodak Under-17 World Cup in Japan? Where was the team that performed that fit Nowhere to be found! In 1989, Nigeria’s Under-23 team coached by the bearded Tunde Disu dazed the world in Saudi Arabia where they performed a miracle in Daman, coming from 0-4 down to equalize and win their en-counter against Russia. The ilk of Monday Odiaka and J.J. Okocha were in that team. Where is the team today? Gone with the winds!

Then come the memorable outing of the Super Eagles in 1994. The team came very close to turning the table against big teams in the world. They reached the Round of 16 before they were bundled out by Italy, coached then by Arigo Satchi. I still remember Stephen Keshi who captained the team playing alongside indefatigable No. 7 shirt Finidi George, midfield maestr Sunday Oliseh and Emma J.J. Okocha, defence-commanders Ben Iroha and Uche Okechukwu. It was a slip by the defence, manned by Uche and Ben, which cost us the World Cup in 1994. That is now in the hubris of history.  Nigeria in 1996 produced a super team that won the Under-23 World Cup, beating Germany and Brazil in the process. It was one of Nigeria’s best teams. J.J. Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh, Tijjani Babangida, and Emmanuel Amuneke were in that team. What happened to the team after that outing? It fizzled outThe situation looks different this time round, considering the enormous resources government and other stakeholders have invested in football development. Again, the following football enjoys in this country is unprecedented. Never before now had football aroused as much consciousness as it has done in recent times, attracting huge sponsorship from corporate organisations. So, why can’t we capitalize on this rare opportunity and develop our football?

This is why the performance of the Flying Eagles in the Under-23 FIFA World in United Arab Emirate should be sustained. They did not only lift the trophy the fourth time, but won individual prizes as well. What are the plans of the government for the world-beaters after all these? As usual, many expect the team to go the way of its predecessors. However, whoever thinks this way is building castle in the air. The Flying Eagles have come to rewrite the chequered history of football in Nigeria. And they will continue to do so for some time to come.

The truth has to be told: the current Super Eagles would be too old to play competitive football in the next decade. This means there is an urgent need to begin the process of producing replacements for them. If my opinion is sought, I would advice that the succession-team be named Super Eagles Team B, with plans to regularly expose them to international matches to build their confidence and upgrade their skills.

This is what western nations do. It is the same practice at the club level. Why can’t we do the same here? I would urge the President to constitute another powerful committee to see to the actualization of this objective. The commit-tee should be saddled with the responsibility of nurturing the team to adulthood, raising the necessary finance, and ensuring that each member of the team is adequately catered to in order to avoid drifting to other countries in search of greener pastures. In fact, there should an annual national budget for sports development, with particular attention to football. It is by engaging in a process such as this that we can develop top-class athletes who can face their rivals from other climes with confidence an dexterity.

Back to Baba Eagles! They have a date with history as they prepare to take the centre stage in Brazil next year. The most onerous task facing the coaching crew and, indeed, all of us, is how to sustain the tempo of the success of the Super Eagles. If we cast our minds back, we would easily remember how past teams were disarrayed immediately after stunning the world. I have enumerated instances where this happened in the foregoing paragraphs. We should not allow it to repeat.

The coaching crew must be given freehand to operate, while efforts should be redoubled to check undue red tape, which has impeded the development of the game. This is the right time to expose the coach-ing crew to further intensive training abroad to retool them for the daunting challenges ahead. Salaries of the crew should also be tinkered to make it more attractive and regular. There is no reason to owe the crew and the players for whatever reason. Rather, a seamless process of meeting the obligations to the team should be explored.

Again, the pattern of play, including the overall technical competences of the coaching crew and the players, should be reexamined to detect areas of weakness, with a view to strengthening them before the tournament. I am very particular about the midfield and attack.

These are the two areas where a match can easily be won or lost. Super Eagles’ strikers had been found to be wanting when their services were most needed. The midfield could no marshal itself properly during the match against Ethiopia. That was what allowed the Ethiopians little space to display flashes of brilliance during their matches with the Super Eagles.

I am worried about what will happen to our midfield when the Eagles meet team like Brazil, Spain, Germany, France, Argentina and, even, Mexico. My fears have nothing to do with the Eagles’ overall ability. Not at all! I am only thinking aloud, you know. As a critical and die-hard soccer lover I know that the tide usually changes when the big boys appear on the pitch. This is why we should make adequate preparations for this big moment. We should not wait until the 11th hour before setting machinery in motion to plan in concrete terms how to vanquish the world.

The Federal Government should, in fact, declare an emergency in the soccer sector to last until the Super Eagles win the World Cup in Brazil. There should be no fire brigade approach this time round. Instead everybody, including corporate bodies, should queue behind the government in the operation to conquer the world. It may not be a bad idea for the government to mobilize all Nigerians to chip in their widow’s might to make the operation a reality. I know that many Nigerians would like to be carried along in this operation. To give them a sense of belonging, the government should set up an endowment fund to which individuals and corporate organisations can make their contributions. These accounts would yield billions at the end of the day. The length this money will going in assisting the team prepare adequately for the tournament is inestimable.

May I use this opportunity to congratulate the Super and Flying Eagles on their sterling performances in recent times, while wishing them well in future assignments.

 

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.