June 24, 2010
Few days before the Super Eagles were due to engage the rest of the world, I had written a passionate article with a somewhat similar title to the one above which read : ‘Time To Get Behind The Super Eagles’—a piece that earned me several hate mails from some sections of the sporting public. As the Eagles flattered to deceive in South Africa, I revisited that article via Google once again, shaking my head at what would have been.
Few days before the Super Eagles were due to engage the rest of the world, I had written a passionate article with a somewhat similar title to the one above which read : ‘Time To Get Behind The Super Eagles’—a piece that earned me several hate mails from some sections of the sporting public. As the Eagles flattered to deceive in South Africa, I revisited that article via Google once again, shaking my head at what would have been.
It was an unpopular stand at the time and even the editor of nigeriaplus.com ( a popular online news journal), Mr Uche Ofoma, alluded to that much as we engaged in a conversation via facebook, even though he commended the quality of the prose. The Super Eagles were no where near outside bets to win the world cup, but I had not only asked all Nigerians to throw their weight behind their ‘darling’ team, but had gone on to pose, albeit rhetorically as I rounded up the piece, well at the risk of tarnishing my reputation: “ And who says we are not in the world cup to win it?”
As Yakubu Aiyegbeni shot the ball wide from half a yard when it would have been easier to score and the team fluffed chance after chance, that rhetorical parting shot of mine and the audacity of my postulations on the World Wide Web, stared me right in the face. I had not only put my reputation on the line, I had put my bet on a team whose preparation going into football’s biggest showpiece was anything but satisfactory. I haven’t written any piece since the commencement of the world cup, and I thought I owed my readers a face-saving piece, if what you are reading could well pass for one.
It’s a shame we bowed out in characteristic fashion at the world cup. It’s a shame we fluffed chance after chance of winning a game that was there for the taking against South Korea owing to poor marksmanship, even when the Argentines were doing us a huge favour in the other fixture. It’s a shame indiscipline cost us the game against Greece. But it is no shame we now have a semblance of a team that can hold its own in future international engagements and a gaffer in Lars Lagerback who appears to know his onions.
The Super Eagles is a team on the mend and on the build. For the first time in a long while, we can begin to see a team that files out with a structure and system of play in mind. Technique and tactics are about everything in the modern game and Lagerback, for all his dour demeanour, could be the man to add that missing ingredient to our game. He looks studious and analytical, explaining his every tactic after every game with reasons that on the surface, seem to make sense. Admittedly, what he may not have possessed going into the World Cup, is an in-depth knowledge of his players—their individual characteristics, temperament and idiosyncrasies—a factor that may have contributed to our tame first round exit.
Which is why, having begun to build the foundation for a better Super Eagles, the next round of talks between him and the Federation should focus on a re-negotiation of his contract with a view to streamlining his astronomical monthly wage bill in a manner that is both affordable and sustainable. To give him the boot at this time would not only be counter-productive, it would take our National game several steps backwards. The team badly needs stability and accountability and Lagerback looks just the perfect foil to bring that to the Eagles. He looks eager to continue. So, why not?
NFF OF SHAME
When the story of Nigeria’s participation at the 2010 world cup is told, the shenanigans and poor administration of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) before, during and after the tourney must be highlighted.
While the team had a financial war chest made so by the presidency to draw upon and issues of unpaid bonuses and allowances were a distant memory from their Hotel camp, thankfully this time, the administrative lapses from the Federation were too glaring to be missed or dismissed.
The choice of a substandard Hotel accommodation before the commencement of hostilities in South Africa, footing the bills of several hangers on who had no business in South Africa, on the biggest ‘owambe’ party since Nigeria’s South West, of all participating teams, firing a manager who should have been shown the exit door a lot earlier and hiring a replacement a few weeks to the tournament while trying to configure elections in the middle of a major championship further served to expose the dearth of quality leadership at the highest level of our Football.
If members of the NFF board have any honour left in them, they would not seek re-election, but humbly tender their resignations. Even among thieves, there is honour.
OSAZE ODEMWINGIE AND THE MAKING OF A SUPER-BRAT
One of the saddest pieces of news to have come out of the Eagles’ camp post South Africa, has been the evolution of Peter Osaze Odemwingie from a fine specimen of a sportsman and gentleman all rolled into one to a super brat and rebel.
The interviews he has granted to the press since his team’s ouster points to a young man who is at war with the demons within him; demons he may need to exorcise quickly or wave his current status as a Super Eagle a final bye. The son of a Nigerian father and a Russian mother has resorted to vitriolic attacks aimed at his manager and his team mates as he comes to terms with the fact that he is not a first team starter any more. He has questioned Lageback’s tactics and has taken swipes at Kanu and Yobo, the Captain and Vice captain respectively on issues that should have been sorted out within the walls of the locker room. Osaze, it should be noted, has a history of firing broadsides at his national team coaches.
We are beginning to witness a new Osaze here though; a far cry from the role model and Glo Ambassador; who personified everything you looked for in a Nigerian professional footballer. His unprofessional outbursts further serve to underline one salient point: Most of our Footballers have such super-sized egos that only a FOREIGN coach can cut to size. You get the feeling that some of these players once picked the starting 11 for games under local coaches and can now not bear with the fact that that privilege has been stripped off them.
One more reason why Lagerback should stay on.
It was an unpopular stand at the time and even the editor of nigeriaplus.com ( a popular online news journal), Mr Uche Ofoma, alluded to that much as we engaged in a conversation via facebook, even though he commended the quality of the prose. The Super Eagles were no where near outside bets to win the world cup, but I had not only asked all Nigerians to throw their weight behind their ‘darling’ team, but had gone on to pose, albeit rhetorically as I rounded up the piece, well at the risk of tarnishing my reputation: “ And who says we are not in the world cup to win it?”
As Yakubu Aiyegbeni shot the ball wide from half a yard when it would have been easier to score and the team fluffed chance after chance, that rhetorical parting shot of mine and the audacity of my postulations on the World Wide Web, stared me right in the face. I had not only put my reputation on the line, I had put my bet on a team whose preparation going into football’s biggest showpiece was anything but satisfactory. I haven’t written any piece since the commencement of the world cup, and I thought I owed my readers a face-saving piece, if what you are reading could well pass for one.
It’s a shame we bowed out in characteristic fashion at the world cup. It’s a shame we fluffed chance after chance of winning a game that was there for the taking against South Korea owing to poor marksmanship, even when the Argentines were doing us a huge favour in the other fixture. It’s a shame indiscipline cost us the game against Greece. But it is no shame we now have a semblance of a team that can hold its own in future international engagements and a gaffer in Lars Lagerback who appears to know his onions.
The Super Eagles is a team on the mend and on the build. For the first time in a long while, we can begin to see a team that files out with a structure and system of play in mind. Technique and tactics are about everything in the modern game and Lagerback, for all his dour demeanour, could be the man to add that missing ingredient to our game. He looks studious and analytical, explaining his every tactic after every game with reasons that on the surface, seem to make sense. Admittedly, what he may not have possessed going into the World Cup, is an in-depth knowledge of his players—their individual characteristics, temperament and idiosyncrasies—a factor that may have contributed to our tame first round exit.
Which is why, having begun to build the foundation for a better Super Eagles, the next round of talks between him and the Federation should focus on a re-negotiation of his contract with a view to streamlining his astronomical monthly wage bill in a manner that is both affordable and sustainable. To give him the boot at this time would not only be counter-productive, it would take our National game several steps backwards. The team badly needs stability and accountability and Lagerback looks just the perfect foil to bring that to the Eagles. He looks eager to continue. So, why not?
NFF OF SHAME
When the story of Nigeria’s participation at the 2010 world cup is told, the shenanigans and poor administration of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) before, during and after the tourney must be highlighted.
While the team had a financial war chest made so by the presidency to draw upon and issues of unpaid bonuses and allowances were a distant memory from their Hotel camp, thankfully this time, the administrative lapses from the Federation were too glaring to be missed or dismissed.
The choice of a substandard Hotel accommodation before the commencement of hostilities in South Africa, footing the bills of several hangers on who had no business in South Africa, on the biggest ‘owambe’ party since Nigeria’s South West, of all participating teams, firing a manager who should have been shown the exit door a lot earlier and hiring a replacement a few weeks to the tournament while trying to configure elections in the middle of a major championship further served to expose the dearth of quality leadership at the highest level of our Football.
If members of the NFF board have any honour left in them, they would not seek re-election, but humbly tender their resignations. Even among thieves, there is honour.
OSAZE ODEMWINGIE AND THE MAKING OF A SUPER-BRAT
One of the saddest pieces of news to have come out of the Eagles’ camp post South Africa, has been the evolution of Peter Osaze Odemwingie from a fine specimen of a sportsman and gentleman all rolled into one to a super brat and rebel.
The interviews he has granted to the press since his team’s ouster points to a young man who is at war with the demons within him; demons he may need to exorcise quickly or wave his current status as a Super Eagle a final bye. The son of a Nigerian father and a Russian mother has resorted to vitriolic attacks aimed at his manager and his team mates as he comes to terms with the fact that he is not a first team starter any more. He has questioned Lageback’s tactics and has taken swipes at Kanu and Yobo, the Captain and Vice captain respectively on issues that should have been sorted out within the walls of the locker room. Osaze, it should be noted, has a history of firing broadsides at his national team coaches.
We are beginning to witness a new Osaze here though; a far cry from the role model and Glo Ambassador; who personified everything you looked for in a Nigerian professional footballer. His unprofessional outbursts further serve to underline one salient point: Most of our Footballers have such super-sized egos that only a FOREIGN coach can cut to size. You get the feeling that some of these players once picked the starting 11 for games under local coaches and can now not bear with the fact that that privilege has been stripped off them.
One more reason why Lagerback should stay on.
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