Eto’o: From rejection to recognition

”In the arena of human life the honours and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action.” --Aristotle

With his eagerly awaited mega-money move from Inter Milan to Russian club Anzhi Makachkala, Samuel Eto’o Fils joins the pantheon  of players  that can be  mirrored  in Harvey Mackay’s definitive book: We Got Fired!.. And That It’s The Best Thing That Ever Happened To US.

The £17.5 million deal  with Anzhi  would reportedly crown  Eto’o as the highest paid footballer in the world  as it eclipsed  Cristiano Ronaldo’s estimated £12 million annual salary at Real Madrid

In this book, Mackay shared experiences  of icons and celebrities notably  Muhammad Ali( former  Heavyweight Champion of the World); Larry King ( host of  now rested Larry King Live on CNN); Billie Jean King(  winner of 39 Women’s tennis Grand-Slam Titles);Donald Trump ( estate mogul)  amongst others- these are men and women who  in Mackay’s words ‘turned  modern bummer  into a major blessing.’

 We don’t have to look further than Eto’o as one player that epitomised   such accolade as espoused by Mackay after he was shown the exit at Barcelona in 2009. The Cameroonian was one of the stars of the 2009 all-conquering Barcelona and he even scored the opening goal when the Spanish side beat Manchester United 2-0 to win the UEFA Champions League trophy in Rome.  On top of this, Eto’o was Barcelona’s top striker that season scoring 30 goals which in no small part helped the club secure the La Liga trophy. But all of these paled into insignificance when Eto’o was forced out of the Camp Nou on the orders of coach Pep Guardiola.

"I am convinced that the best thing for Barca is for Eto'o to leave. Could I be mistaken? Maybe so,”

 Guardiola advanced his points."But I am here to make these decisions.

“I feel it is the best for the team, for the club, but I don't dare say for Samuel. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's my responsibility. It's my decision. There are no behavioural reasons, you shouldn't look for them. I am not here to change anyone's character, but I can decide on which players I want to count on for the season,” he added.

Eto’o was unceremoniously off-loaded to Inter Milan to the chagrin of many who felt he was given the short end of the stick all because he was a Blackman. Would Pep have done same to Messi or Xavi if found guilty of causing ripples in the dressing room?  What manner of coach is Pep to sacrifice a player of Eto’o status over petty issues? Is this not classic case of spitting one’s nose?

“Pep is a great Coach. We had some disputes, as happens in every side, but when I left Barcelona I had no remorse for what I did, on the field or off it,” Eto’o said afterwards."Pep is human like me. He made ​​a decision for the good of Barca, I do not share [his view], that's life.”

Despite  Guardiola’s misgivings , I  equally  then reasoned that  Eto’o might have fell  on his canvas at Barca  but  he would  rebound  all because of his never-say-die spirit that has stood the test of  time since the day he  dreamt of making football a career.

Of all the legendary African I’ve been privileged to interview at close quarters, no one has caught my fancy as much as Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o Fils. He is a player that practically fought his way to the top. Overtime, I cannot but admire his resilience after that my first encounter with the then teenage on October 3, 1998 in company of Cameroonian sport journalist, Frank Sone-Bayern who served as an interpreter while I conducted an interview with him.

 He was still  fresh  from the France’98 World Cup where  he  was on record as the youngest  player at the tournament  though he  did not kick a ball  as the indomitable Lions crashed out in the  First  Round .

Yet, Eto’o was audacious as we spoke that fateful day, telling me that his ambition as a player was nothing but to be the best in the world.

“I dreamt of becoming a doctor or lawyer but my passion for the game of football took the better part of me,” said the then small Eto’o who was discovered at the famous Kadji Sports Academy in Cameroon. “Since footballers are now respected members of the society, I have no regret for taking it (soccer) as a career. My ambition is to be the best I can be.”

To say that Eto’o has best the record is perhaps stating the obvious. In 2010 according to Wikipedia (the online free encyclopedia), Eto’o became the first player to win two European Continental Trebles following his back-to-back achievements with Barcelona and Internazionale. He was also  second player to have ever scored in two separate UEFA Champions League finals  ( he scored  against Arsenal in 2006) and the fourth player, after Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa, and Gerard Piqué, to have won the UEFA Champions League two years in a row with different teams. He is the most decorated African player of all time having won the African Player of the Year award a record four times in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2010.Last season, Eto’o scored a remarkable 37 goals in all competitions for Inter Milan last season where he won the World Club Cup.

In his generation, Eto’o stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best players in the world and would have walked away with the FIFA Ballon d’Or with some luck. In 2005, he mounted the rostrum with Ronaldinho, Frank Lampard.

“It is the dream of any player to be the best in the world,” Eto’o said at the 2005 FIFA Gala Awards. “But just to be here with these two is great. I remember getting up at 3am, 4am to buy fish now I have all this through football.”

This brings us back to the kernel of this discourse. What would have happened to Eto’o if he failed to lift himself after he was unceremoniously thrown away by Guardiola at Barcelona?  What would have happened to his career if he was not ready to fight his way to the top of his trade?  What would have been the lot of Eto’o if was gripping over his rejection at Barcelona?

In Mackay’s epistle, Larry King speaks on how best to turn adversity to opportunity: “I’ve always had a survival streak. I come off the floor.  Knocked down-get up. I never accept that I’m out. It’s like boxing. I might  be knocked down in a round , but I’ve  never thought I’d  lose  the fight. I’ve always felt confident.

“Sometimes getting fired is a break. You can look at firing two ways. Firing can be a terrible tragedy. Or you can say: I don’t have to go there tomorrow, so I can make other moves. I can look at other avenues and can fight back...and have the time to fight back. Someone once told me that it isn’t the tragedy of life, it’s how you react to the tragedy.yoy know, the half-empty glass...”

Undoubtedly we can look at Eto’o from this prism and he too could afford to say that:  I got fired!.. And that it’s the best thing that ever happened to me .The rejected stone by Guardiola at Camp Nou has indeed becomes the capstone as the highest paid footballer in the world!

The worthy example of Patrick Ubah

Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) stated matter-of-factly: ‘I am in the habit of looking not so much to the nature of a gift as to the spirit in which it is offered.’

 It is on this premise that I’m hoisting  Mr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Company , for  hosting the  Flying Eagles  on arrival from Colombia last week  in spite of the  fact that they were  sent packing from the 2011 FIFA  Under-20 World Cup in the quarter finals by  their French  counterparts.

 Members of the team and official were each given Galaxy I-Pad plus the sum of N10 million to the team by Ubah and there is no doubting the fact that the gesture deserves applause.

Said Ubah: “It is worthy to note that there is a price for every effort, our efforts are not in vain but it ended making us proud.  We humbled many nations, we surprised many continents and today because of what we believe in, we believe we have to encourage you.

“We believe by encouraging you, you will do more and Nigeria will continue to grow above what we are in football. I appreciate the wonderful work you have done and together make our country proud.”

 His words resonated far and wide because this is a rare act in this clime. Losers are orphaned while winners are celebrated on end. Ubah has shown a high ideal by rewarding the efforts of the Flying Eagles and I think Corporate Nigeria can take a cue from this.

It is part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by multinationals to fund sport but this is not applicable here with many hiding behind the fact that such fund would be misappropriated.  Think many are tired of this customary condemnation hence we must salute those who are ready to oil the progress of Nigerian football as well as other sports.

I equally doff my heart for the likes of Globacom and Samsung for coming to the aid of Nigerian football recently. While Globacom doled out N1.8 billion as the official sponsor of all national teams, Samsung sealed a $1.5 million deal as the Official Electronics of the national teams.

Last year at the 2010 African Footballer of the Year Awards ceremony, Dr.  Mike Adenuga Jnr. Chairman of Globacom pledged improved sponsorship to the beautiful game around the continent and this recent sponsorship of the Super Eagles and other Nigeria’s national teams was a step in the right direction. 

Of course, many are of the opinion that the packages were too small but what sort of thinking is that?

If every blue-chip brings small part to the table, Nigerian and sports generally, would have been better off than what we have today. Personally, I can’t but echo the sentiments of that Spaniard,   Lucius Annaeus Seneca that ‘a gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.’

That unfortunate kidnap of Mikel Obi’s father

I actually refrained from pouring invectives on those who took the father of Super Eagles Chelsea star, John Mikel Obi into custody for almost two weeks asking as usual, a ransom to affect his release.

They drove the old man all the w way from Jos to Kano where they eventually met their waterloo when they were captured and later paraded.

  I won’t be saying anything new that there is so much insecurity within the society. We have read time and again in the Bible ‘that in the last days, men will be lovers of themselves... lovers of money’ but manner of kidnappers are these for allegedly demanding a staggering N600 billion?

Alice Munro (Lives of Girls and Women) stated as much: "I was amazed as people must be who are seized and kidnapped, and who realize that in the strange world of their captors they have a value absolutely unconnected with anything they know about themselves."

What these miscreants were asking for was actually quantified as almost the annual wage of Mikel at Chelsea. Can you imagine that? Absolute greed corrupts absolutely.

We thank God that the old man is alive to tell the story and anything other than that would have a dire consequence for Nigeria and Nigerian football.

Between John Obuh and Samson Siasia!

 “Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.”-Vince Lombardi

Following Flying Eagles’ ouster from the 2011 FIFA Under-20 World Cup on Sunday after the 3-2 loss to Les Bleuets of France, my imagination just went wild and rhetorically asked: what is the difference between a lucky coach and an unlucky one?

 Not that I’m gifted with clairvoyance, but I stated here on the eve of the team’s departure to Colombia that the only thing that could stand between the Flying Eagles and the trophy was nothing but luck! With such thorough and methodological preparation that saw the team playing so many matches, one would be forgiven to think so and I was least surprised by Coach John Obuh’s post-match comments after the loss to France: “We wanted to win, but it didn’t work out. My players gave their best, but their efforts didn’t pay off. The match could have gone either way, but we were unlucky. France was luckier and they capitalised on our mistakes.”

Just maybe things might have turned out differently if the Flying Eagles had kept their eyes on the ball when they got lucky after substitute Maduabuchi Ejike scored a last-gasp equaliser to send the match into extra-time.

Legendary English coach, Brian Clough, the man who led Nottingham Forest to win the European Cup twice and set an unbeaten run of 42 league matches between November 26, 1977 and December 9, 1978 (which was only surpassed by Arsenal that set a 49-match unbeaten record in 2004), actually stated in his biography that ‘anybody can win a cup with a bit of luck.’

But what is that small thing called luck other than hard work. Foremost motivational speaker, Brian Tracy once noted that ‘I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.’

 Asked what was the secret of his success at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson in Moving Up enthused: “People keep asking me what has made me successful. It’s hard work. Yes, plain old hard work. The ability to work hard all your life is, firstly not easy, and secondly, an inspiration to those who work under or with you. No one should write off naturally talented people, but they also need the application of hard work to be successful, whereas hardworking people can survive without natural talent.”

Gary Player, the doyen of golf gave a clear correlation between hard work and luck as the panache for success with his definite quote: ‘The more I practice, the luckier I get.’

Player, according to Wikipedia, was credited with nine Major championships and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame for winning 165 tournaments on six continents over six decades!

 This was what Ferguson said about Player: “Most golfers would be just glad to get out of the bunker but he is talking about holing from the sand. I think that closes all the debates about hard work and hope.”

 Surely, there is no disputing the fact that hard work pays yet, there is no substitute to luck according to Larry King, who hosted the famous Larry King Live on CNN between 1985 and 2010: "Those who have succeeded at anything and don't mention luck are kidding themselves."

 We can go on and on with the relationship between luck and hard work as the basis to succeed but how many people would be happy with a hardworking coach without a trophy in the cabinet?

While we salute the likes of Obuh and current Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia for their good work ethics, we are stuck with the stark reality that they are yet to win big on the world stage!

Obuh nearly won the FIFA Under-17 World Cup when Nigeria hosted the event in 2009 only to be stopped at the final hurdle by Switzerland.

“I was disappointed that we lost to Switzerland. Having reached that close, it made it even more painful. The boys lost focus in the most important game of the tournament. A lot of them were looking to impress European clubs and did not play as a team as a result,” Obuh agonised.

Though he has proved that he was equipped with the Midas Touch by leading Sharks of Port Harcourt to win the 2010 WAFU Cup as well as leading the Flying Eagles to win the last African Youth Championship in South Africa as a prelude to the World Cup in Colombia, he would forever rue the possibility of what could have been against Les Bleuets last Sunday.

 What if he had pulled off star striker, Musa Ahmed for Ejike earlier? What if he had gone to the tournament with a taller goalkeeper as some critics suggested? What if he had not met the gusty French in the semi-finals? What if he had gone to the tournament with players like Stanley Okoro and Mohammed Aliyu? Questions, questions and more questions.

The same is applicable to Siasia. Apart from winning the African Youth Championship in Benin in 2005, his best efforts so far on the world stage is coming second behind Argentina at the 2005 Under-20 FIFA World Cup in Holland as well as the 2008 Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing.

“We don’t know what is happening to the magic wand Coach Siasia promised Nigerians,” a passionate fan stated in a recent sms. “Nigeria has been sliding in the monthly FIFA Rankings ever since he came on board. Amodu is not a great coach, but he has always been lucky. It is up to Siasia to move Nigerian football to the Eldorado or else his coaching career will be over.”

Still wondering why every successful coach still has to ride his luck? Which one is your preference, a hard working coach without luck or vice versa?

Flying Eagles, thank you!

Except for those who believe under-aged competition is an end itself, the Flying Eagles deserve plaudits for reaching the quarter final stages of the 2011 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Colombia.

Going into the tournament, I said here that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has done everything possible to prepare the Flying Eagles. Consequently, the onus was on Obuh and his wards to do themselves justice.

Surely, the Flying Eagles did not match the record of their 1989 and 2005 predecessors that nearly won the tournament, but lost in the Final Match to Portugal and Argentina respectively, they however, gave Nigerians something to cheer. They won their qualifying section with aplomb by thrashing Guatemala 5-1, Croatia 4-2 and Saudi Arabia 2-0 and were one of the only three teams (the others being Spain and Colombia) that won all their First Round Matches.

Ironically, the trio jointly crashed out at the quarterfinal stages of the competition as Brazil saw off Spain 7-6 on penalties after a goalless draw at the end of extra-time, while Mexico comprehensively beat Colombia 3-1 and Nigeria lost 2-3 to France in a dramatic fashion. Think the Flying Eagles met and lost to a better French team and were undone with the agility of star substitute, Alexandre Lacazette, who broke the Flying Eagles’ heart twice.

 Despite the loss, there are still some positive vibes, with Obuh saying the future of Nigerian football is bright indeed: “This is a team we should build for the senior national team, but again, the players must sustain themselves. Some of them came through from the U-17 level while some dropped on the way because of lack of seriousness. The serious ones will make the senior team.”

Age-grade competitions are just a means to an end and not an end itself and we can only hope that Obuh’s prediction that some of the lads would make the top grade would see the light of the day.

 Of course, many are still of the opinion that some of these players are already past their prime and have nothing to offer the game any longer, but such criticism is neither here nor there.

Expectedly, former Nigerian international, Adokie Amiesimaka was at his petulant best again: “My take on this is that we would be undoing ourselves. These players are too old and it would be absurd to draft in players in their thirties to play for the Super Eagles. The players are too old. They are in their 30’s and should be thinking of retirement, not playing for the senior team. Those players we think are U-20 may even be too old for the super Eagles.”

Good talk as I even lamented here just last week that Nigerian football would suffer on the long run should the generality of the society turn eyes away from age cheats, but the question is: where were the jurists when Obuh named his squad for this tournament? Think the wise thing to do was to blow the whistle on age cheats before the competition as the coach would have been left with no choice but to drop such players.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, novelist and dramatist stated that ‘the person of analytic or critical intellect finds something ridiculous in everything.’

Before I forget, kudos to  Samm ‘Masterblaster’  Audu, the Flying Eagles’ media officer  for his incisive despatches  from  Colombia  and it goes without saying that the  NFF was spot on with appointments of  credible hands  to serve with the national teams.

One down, one to go!

Some equate footballers with prostitutes: one moment they are there, the next, they are gone!

This could be true after all when on Tuesday, one of the most protracted  transfer saga in recent times ended with Cesc Fabregas finally sealing his departure from Arsenal to Barcelona.

Fabregas dominated the space throughout the European summer’s transfer window and at some point, the British PM, David Cameron even pleaded that the lad should stay on at the Emirates. But the Spanish giants would not have any of that and they pursued their target to a logical conclusion by offering a £40m fee to have their man.

Obviously, the most disappointed man was Coach Arsene Wenger, who stated matter-of-factly, on the eve of Fabregas departure: “We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. However, we understand Cesc's desire to move to his hometown club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona. We thank Cesc for his contributions at Arsenal and wish him future success.”

With that deal done and dusted, all eyes would be on Inter Milan’s Dutch maestro Wesley Sneijder.

He has been courted by Manchester United, but the transfer was stalled after negotiations broke down along the line over what the player was going to earn at Old Trafford.

During the week, Inter Milan’s President, Massimo Moratti said, Sneijder is ‘untouchable’ and that the player ‘was going nowhere’, but such grandstanding doesn’t last too long in this wheeling and dealing football business.

It might just be a matter of time before Sneijder would swap Inter Milan’s blue colours for Manchester United’s red colours. I can’t wait....

Of Super Eagles’ stars and Russian roulette

 "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."-Nelson Mandela

MILAN'S MAN: TAYE  TAIWO

The European transfer market expectedly has been busy with players swapping shirts and the clubs on spending sprees to fortify their forts ahead of the 2011/ 2012 football calendar.

Ins and outs have been so intriguing that British Prime Minister, David Cameron even weighed in the transfer saga of Cesc Fabregas, calling on the lad to stay at trophy-less Arsenal rather than making the big money move to all-conquering Barcelona.

At the Street League football - an organization that helps disadvantaged children by organizing leagues and education programmes - event on 10 Downing Street on Tuesday, Cameroon  displayed the passion that makes Britons refer to football as the ‘beautiful game’ as he reportedly said: “We’re now going to see Cesc Fabregas – one Spanish tourist who I hope isn’t returning to Spain.”

Interest in a particular player cannot be bigger than that, but we are still watching whether a Nigerian player would command such a huge attention as did the like of Alexis Sanchez who moved from Udinese to Barcelona for £27million, as well as Sergio Aguero for a staggering £38million from Atletico Madrid to Manchester City.

With the exception of the transfers of Taye Taiwo from Olympique Marseille to AC Milan and goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama from Hapoel Tel Aviv to Lille in the French league, interest in Nigerian players on the European transfer market is nothing to write home about.

Time was when the transfer buzz was not complete without a high profile move for our likeable Super Eagles’ stars but that has become an exception than a rule today. It is, therefore a huge shame that the mainstream European leagues are no longer their oysters rather than problematic Russia!

Today, Russia is bad news to coloured players and African players are not exempted. Yet it has suddenly become the destination of choice for Super Eagles players. It makes one wonder: Is this not a classical case of committing Russian roulette given the fact that more and more players are ready to quit the European enclave due to widespread racism.

Russia was controversially awarded the 2018 World Cup by FIFA recently but that has not stemmed the tide of racism against black players and it beats the imagination that Nigerian players are still heading towards the Russian mire.

This was the same country in which Peter Osaze Odemwingie was insulted after he moved from Lokomotiv Moscow to West Bromwich Albion in England when local fans reportedly unfurled a banner showing a banana directed at the Nigerian striker. 

Though Russian officials claimed the racist banner was just a general discontent at the striker and wasn't a reference to his skin colour, we don’t have to wait too long before they displayed their appalling act yet again.

Weeks back, Roberto Carlos suffered similar fate when the Brazilian legend that now plays for Anzhi Makhachkala, was taunted by supporters with a banana thrown from the crowd during a league match against Krylya Sovetov.

He said: “I'm outraged by the sickening behaviour of this fan, who, in fact, insulted not only me but all the players. I hope the Russian federation, UEFA and FIFA will give an adequate evaluation to this disgusting incident.”

Most recently, Ghanaian midfielder, Haminu Dramani (who has also suffered racist remarks at Lokomotiv Moscow), made a clarion call by warning African players not to step on the Russian soil due to the scourge of racism.

“I am leaving for Ghana and I will not return to Russia because I want opportunities in other countries in the top leagues of Europe,” an exasperated Dramani reportedly said. “I have had some good friends here and but things have not been smooth. Regardless of that I am thankful for the opportunity to serve Lokomotiv Moscow and the other clubs I played for in Russia.”

So why is a player of Obinna Nsofor’s status moving to Lokomotiv Moscow at this time? Could it be the desperation to play after his career suffered so much at West Ham where he went on loan from Inter Milan? Could it because of money or what?

Agreed Obinna needs to play regular football to justify his inclusion for national assignments, but moving over to problematic Russia is never going to be an ideal choice. A player can only enjoy his game in a peaceful environment and what is the guarantee that Lokomotiv fans would put on their best behaviour henceforth after repeated warnings by FIFA?

The last time Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins left Wolfsburg for Rubin Kazan in Russia, I lamented here that no matter how much he was going to earn, it’s just a disservice to his career.

Within the twinkle of an eye, Obagol was back to England on a 6-month loan with Birmingham City where he would score the goal of his life - the winner in the 1-0 defeat of Arsenal in the Carling Cup - which secured Blues’ first trophy in 48 years!

One would recall the interest generated around the world by Martins’ solitary stellar performance for Birmingham and it is doubtful if he would have gotten the same attention if he had done same with Rubin Kazan. Yet, Martins has since gone back to Rubin Kazan following the relegation of Birmingham City at the end of last season to first tend his injury before returning to action.

Not far away is the transfer of Brown Ideye from Sochaux to Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine to join Yusuf Ayila and Haruna Lukman. Why should virile Nigerian players be heading for Eastern Europe if not for the fact that they are no longer good for the big leagues?

The argument has always been that some of the Super Eagles have passed their best years but for the hype from the local media. I remember a late evening discussion with former Nigerian international, Dr. Felix Owolabi at the foyer of Shiroro Hotel in Minna in 2009, where he argued that the media should partly be held responsible for the decadence in Nigerian football.

His argument was that our foreign-based players are over-celebrated by the media even ‘when many of them are starring for modest clubs in Europe.’

Of course, Owolabi may be right, but what do we do than celebrate our ‘second best’ in Europe? Think it’s about time our players themselves differentiate between a career-threatening and a career-constructive transfer. Black players heading towards the tempest region such as Russia and Ukraine should blame themselves for any untoward incident.

Pele’s way, the right way!

PROUDLY GHANA: FC NANIA

At a time his Nigerian counterparts are begging for a role in the administration of the beautiful game, Abedi  Pele Ayew, Ghana’s legendary player and three-time African Footballer of the Year winner, offered way of living life in retirement with panache.

Last weekend, his pet club, Nania Football Club remarkably won Ghana’s FA Cup at the expense of the country’s illustrious team, Kumasi Asante Kotoko

For any keen observer of the game, this is not a mean feat, given the fact that Pele practically built this club from the scratch upon his retirement from the game in the late 1997. Rather than whinge over the maladministration of the game in his native Ghana (which has been the exclusive preserve of many Nigeria’s retired footballers today), Pele simply put his money where his mouth is by establishing a football club which today has earned the admiration of all.

Just recently, we were celebrating with Abedi Pele after his children Jordan and Andre began playing together for the first time for his old club, Olympique Marseille. But to all intents and purposes, the feat achieved by Nania, a club in the second-tier of Ghanaian domestic league calls for bigger celebration.

Pele has always been a man with a mission. I have been lucky enough to interview him on several occasions and I recall his admission in November 1996 that he would definitely not run away from the game that gave him so much fame and fortune upon his retirement.

“Most of us always say ‘we’re going to be far from coaching’ but who knows?” Pele told me on his return from Libreville after a 1998 World Cup qualifier against Gabon which nearly consumed a whole generation of Black Stars as the military aircraft that ferried them nearly crashed. “Now, I’m planning for the future and getting my business on ground but it may still happen that even after I put my hands on business, I can be involved in the game.”

He  equally said something similar in an interview he granted African Soccer Magazine in July 1997: “At my time of life, footballers often say they are fed up  with all the tension and the pressure and want to have nothing  more to do with  the game. But at the end of the day, we always come back to do it because football has been part and parcel of our lives.

“I could say I won’t be around in footballing circles in the future, but who knows? Something might still be lacking, I could feel that I haven’t completed my mission and that mission must be completed one way or another.”

With the foregoing, we can safely say that Pele was indeed a man who saw tomorrow in 1997 and for navigating the course of Nania FC to be crowned as 2011 GFA Cup winners, deserves commendation. Apart from winning the trophy on offer, Nania FC reportedly received a cheque for 20,000 Ghanaian Cedis (about S$13,000) and will also represent Ghana in next year’s Orange CAF Confederation Cup. What honour is greater than this?

Each time we are greeted with such good tidings as Pele’s success with Nania FC in Ghana, the next question that readily comes to mind is: Why have Nigerian retired players not taken a cue from their counterparts around the world?

It is no longer fashionable to ask what the country or specifically in this case, what can Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) do for former international players rather what are they to do for the uplift of the game? It is not enough to want to coach the national team upon retirement as a player, it is about time retired Super Eagles players bend backwards and give something meaningful to the game.

Legendary author Jack Canfield in his definitive book, ‘The Success Principle: How To Get From Where You Are To Be Where You Are Going’  noted  that success in fact leaves clues and  that there is nothing new on the surface of the earth.

Abedi Pele’s success with Nania FC is a model that can be replicated here, but who will bell the cat?

Flying Eagles Fly Higher!

Nigerian football watching public can be jaundiced in their opinions sometimes if not every time!

For how can we rationalise the total condemnation of Alhaji Aminu Maigari-led board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following Super Falcons’ flop at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany?

But for any discerning follower of the game, the Super Falcons squad to Germany was the best prepared team since they have been representing the continent at the World Cup since 1991. That they failed to lift their game beyond mediocre level is another thing entirely and this has nothing to the oversubscribed statement ‘ineptitude of the NFF.’ 

 It is as result of this that I wish the Flying Eagles a successful run at the Under-20 World Cup-starting with their first game against Guatemala tomorrow in Armenia, Colombia.

As African champions, much is expected of the Flying Eagles at this World Cup and I think the only thing that may stand between them and the trophy is luck!

The NFF ensured proper preparation for the team and I think all us of may have lost count of the number of matches they played on the road to Colombia. Playing together all this while should give the team an edge against the rest of the teams. Nigeria has come within a distance of winning the U-20 World Cup but were mere runners-up in 1989 and 1995, may the class of 2011 surpass the feat of their predecessors!