In 12 years, Nigeria is barren in the World Cup. Alarm?

On Friday, May 6, 2011, Mike Enahoro went to the United States of America for a refresher course on football development. His report (http://olajidefashikun.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-nigeria-will-remain-second-tier.html) showed that the managers of the game in Nigeria belong to the days of Lord Lugard which was pre-analogue days. I have had to return to my blog to read that report again and that showed me the real reasons why the dreams of the Nigerians in the world cup would remain in the sleep zone. QED.

Did it occurred to anybody who bothers to listen that 12 years ago was the last time Nigeria won a world cup match at this level. We beat Denmark 2-0 in our last group match in the USA 1999 World Cup. A whole decade has gone by with two extra years and still can’t make it work. Yet,  it makes no meaning to those who are on the saddle.

This should ordinarily put the NFF on the spotlight. This women world cup showed clearly one fact: how out of touch they are with the modern game on and off the field. I insist that talent can only take us so far into the world cup from Africa but probably not beyond.

These players deserve better...

They are so used to losing, it affects their morale and the ability to play well at this level.

WHY EUCHARIA HAS TO GO:

Eucharia...does she deserve to remain?

Silvia Neid, Germany coach
We're in the quarter-finals so we're delighted, though it wasn't a particularly sparkling display. I wasn't pleased at all with our forward play. Our passing wasn't good and neither was our movement. We just kept playing the ball to the other team. It was more of a scrap than a good game of football, but that had a lot to do with the level of expectation upon us. Every team gives 110 per cent against us because we're the reigning world champions. We're still the favourites in this tournaments and that's the way we want it to stay.

Uche Eucharia, Nigeria coach
We proved today that our players have developed technically and in general. They're able to mix it at this level now and are even starting to close the gap on the top teams. With a little more impetus we could even surpass them. We were unfortunate not to take any points from today's game, but of course Germany are a good side. We played well. It was a tough match, but that was because both sides knew how much was at stake.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Compare and contrast the understanding of the post match issues between the two coaches. Now ask, do we want to remain on the same spot where e had been or we want to move forward. The problem is sincerely not Uche Eucharia. Its systemic. Organisation at the level of the FA is archuelian, outdated and crooked.

The sack of Uche Eucharia will not make a fundamental difference. The exact support structures for national teams are not in place. While the world is travelling in ultra supersonic machine that flies thousands of miles in seconds we are travelling to the same destination on the back of a snail. Bring the best of coaches in the world, we will not do better than this.

My grouse with Uche Eucharia is her limited ability to learn, apply and assert professionalism as a coach. Rather, she is religiously-blinded to think God makes her victories possible. Her fatalistic voodooism is disgracing. Check her position on the lesbian issue and post match thinking after each match is so routine, same textured and rhetorical. No fluidity, finesse or fecundity.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS PRESS ASSOCIATION:

Today is the International sports journalists day. It is a day that should call for some sober reflection in the quality of sports journalism in the country. It is one where we all need to review the very essence, practice, realities and social values of the profession.

It is so sad but true that today, sports journalism is one of the weakest desks in any media organisation. Our reporters don’t go for local content rather they are so used to going to the internet to pick materials from foreign nations in the name of globalization! What if those ones do not report their nation on the internet where would these ones have gotten the stories to write?

The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) President, Gianni Merlo, in his goodwill message said, the organisation “was founded 87 years ago because some enlightened colleagues saw the need to unite to defend the principles of the sports press that at the time, still did not have a true identity. It is our duty to continue the work that they started, especially now that our profession is undergoing a real revolution. The advent of the Internet will not mean more freedom unless we find the way to use this new communication tool correctly. We need to invest in culture to better exploit the opportunities the new technologies allow us.

We must fight against manipulation and defend our right of expression, because our freedom of thought and criticism can help sport to grow and, with it, the young people of the world to develop.

“Ours is a social commitment…Our commitment must be total and unitary.”

ASK:

1.      The principles of the sporting press is defeated in the face of both material and intellectual poverty in the land;

2.      We do not have true identity. We have a local affiliate SWAN that is a SWINE; It is used to fester private interests. It does not make comments on existing issues in the land par sports nor on threats to members’ professional practise, health and welfare;

3.      The work started by those who spearheaded SWAN in Nigeria have been bastardised, we need real revolution;

4.      Quality criticism and intellectual thoughts, like investigative sports journalism are aliens here; The youths of Nigeria are the worst for it;

5.      Ours is no more a social commitment…our commitment is divided and sparse;