“If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem.”- Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian Philosopher
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| BOLT: Man to watch in 2012 |
In years to come, 2011 would be remembered as the year that almost about everything went wrong with sports in Nigeria particularly with the beautiful game of football.
The year that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) best efforts were not matched with success on the pitch. The year Nigerian footballers missed out of the annual Footballer of the Year Award. The year of Twitter rant by Super Eagles’ striker, Osaze Odemwingie. The year the Super Falcons won a record six African Women Championship but failed to qualify for the Olympics. The year Nigerian football was played most in the court rooms with different forces struggling for the leadership of the NFF and the Nigeria Premier League (NPL). The year Nigeria played the second fiddle at the All Africa Games in Mozambique. The year Nigerian clubs failed to conquer the continent. The year Port Harcourt hosted the National Sports Farce than Festival: grandiose facilities but average in unearthing of fresh talents. The year the revolving door of the National Sports Commission (NSC) hummed with ministers coming and going with little or nothing to show in terms of success. The year Nigeria’s Basketball teams failed to break their duck on the continent. And not forgetting, 2011 as the year of Boko Haram!
While Nigerians bemoaned their fate, the attention of the continent is shifted firmly to Equatorial Guinea and Gabon as the crème de la crème of African football gather for the 28th edition of the continent’s foremost tournament, African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The 2012 AFCON would be the most open in recent years without the traditional super powers like Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria and there is the likelihood that a new winner could even emerge by the time the Final Match of the tournament is played at the newly constructed The Amitie stadium in Libreville, Gabon.
When I made similar exercise of projecting into the future on the eve of 2008, I reckoned that ‘nothing is as easy as predicting the winner of a championship as tough as the Nations Cup with the usual suspects like Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Egypt and Cameroon in attendance’ but by some strange coincidence, only the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and Black Stars of Ghana are returning to compete for Africa’s most-sought after football prize.
Incidentally, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire still have a score to settle given the manner the Black Stars saw off Didier Drogba and co at the 2010 AFCON in Angola. The Black Stars today could well be regarded as the continent’s best team over the last two year with their super performance in Angola as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa when they nearly crossed the Rubicon as Africa’s first team to reach the semi-final stages but for that Luis Suarez’s offending handball incident an d the resultant painful penalty kick miss by Asamoah Gyan!
“Winning this award feels great, but this is just personal rewards. I’d be happier if we could win the African Cup of Nations 2012,” said Africa’s latest celeb, Yaya Toure after been crowned as 2011 African Footballer of the Year, “I cannot wait to follow the African Cup of 2012. We want to play and win but we are going to be very careful.”
But looking at the field, I think Guinea and Senegal, Mali are most likely to give both Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire a run for their money at this tournament. These teams could be said to be occupying the second-tier of African football but their rejuvenation over the course of qualifiers for the tournament means they have a solid reputation to compete for the top honour.
With the 2012 AFCON over, attention again would be focussed on the Super Eagles and the qualifiers of the 2013 AFCON in South Africa as well as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Stephen Keshi on coming on board last November, promised to revamp the team he inherited from Coach Samson Siasia and what he has done in the last few months would be subjected to proper scrutiny.
2012 is loaded with flurry of activities. The national Under- 17, the Golden Eaglets of which I’m the media officer , would be fighting for a ticket for both the 2013 African Youth Championship in Morocco and 2013 FIFA under-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates.
I have been asked time and again how I’m going to deal with the perennial allegations of older players featuring in cadet competition? I believe this a question for all stakeholders of Nigerian football given our experiences in recent years. The time has come when players with the right age are fielded for the sake of Nigerian football. Under-aged competitions should no longer be the end of Nigerian football but a means to an end. I would love to see a team populated with gifted players that could form the bedrock of the senior national team in the nearest future. We should no longer be satisfied with winning at-all cost particularly age-grade competitions rather, we should be contented in discovering real gems for the good of the game in the final analysis.
Between July 27 and August 12, 2012 the attention of the world would be on London, host of The 2012 Summer Olympic Games (officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad) and Nigerians would expect Team Nigeria to do well against all odds.
It is a shame that the well conceptualised Team Nigeria which was launched with fanfare inside Aso Rock chamber by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 has turned to what can best be described as an abandoned project. Team Nigeria Trust Fund was to be the baby of Corporate Nigeria but the project lost steam after the exit of its first CEO, Suleiman Baba Ali.
Under the grip of the NSC, Team Nigeria is under-funded with resultant effect that athletes are not exposed to the kind of training needed to compete with the rest of the world. Even more scandalous is the fact that the NSC which should have been the hub of sports development is now regarded as the cog in the wheel of progress.
During the week, Amaju Pinnick, Chairman Delta State Football Association, stirred the hornet’s nest when he reiterated the fact that the NSC is killing rather than developing sports.
“I think the sports ministry is a chunk of the problem associated with Nigerian sports, instead of getting themselves busy to develop sports in Nigeria to international standard they are compounding the problem, ” Pinnick who was once an ally to Dr. Patrick Ekeji, the Director General of the NSC.
Pinnick said he could not comprehend the fact that it was the DG that endorsed the banning of athletes schooling abroad from National Sports Festival, adding that Delta State-born athletes to the London 2012 are already fortified following the N25 million doled out by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan through the State Sports Council. So with or without the NSC, we can look forward to London 2012 with the hope that some Nigerian athletes would mount the podium.
Still on London 2012, all eyes would be on the incomparable Usain Bolt after he was disqualified from the 100 metre final Finals at the last at World Athletics Championships in Daegu last August.
"He's human, isn't he? I always knew he was human," said his coach, Glen Mills, "he will pick himself up. He's a champion."
Would Bolt’s thunder strike twice at London 2012? Can he repeat the magic of Beijing 2008 when he grabbed three sprint gold medals and as many world records? We can’t wait.
In 2012, we wait to see if Barcelona, the Spanish team that has left the whole world enthralled with their brand of football, would continue to dominate the space. Complete with some of the best players of this generation including Argentine Lionel Messi, Barcelona is now regarded as the best team in the world and the Catalan giants’ legendary status would once come the fore come 2012.
Elsewhere, attention would also be on England. That the English Premiership has become a sort of religion here in Nigeria is perhaps stating the obvious and it would be interesting see if the blue half of Manchester (Manchester City) would be able to annex the title from their highly successful neighbours, Manchester United.
Come back home, how would Nigerian teams fare on the continent in 2012 after cheerless performance in 2011? What about the league, can the traditional teams like Rangers International of Enugu, Shooting Stars of Ibadan return to winning ways after a dismal showing in 2011?
Plenty of things to look out for. But given the fact that 2011 is regarded as a monumental failure of Nigerian sports, it would be wise to drink from the wisdom of Jim Rohm, a motivational speaker: “To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?”
These three essentials, I think, would help Nigerian sports to move forward in 2012.
Kudos, Abebe!
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| Dr. Abebe |
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, and to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well,” stated Ralph Waldo Emerson-American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist.
Emerson’s can be applicable to Dr. John Abebe with the establishment of the AAA (Triple A) Foundation to help indigent cricket players enjoy the benefit of education scholarship. Not less than 13 players have benefited from the scheme to the delight of everyone.
Abebe said he was compelled to establish the foundation as his own contribution to the game he passionately loved.
Endurance Ofem, National Cricket Team Captain, a final year student of his History and International Relations at the Lagos State University, was quoted as saying that the AAA Foundation scholarship has enhanced his status as a cricketer: “I started playing cricket at a very young age but I later realised that you are not a complete sports man if you are a good cricket player without education. That is why we are all grateful to Dr. Abebe for investing in our personal development.”
Abebe has truly put his money where his heart is and need gracious commendation. Well done, sir.
REACTIONS
NFF: Results confusing the realities
*My dear Moraks, I Share your view on need to put a solid NFF structure in place for an assured future for our football. – Otunba Jide Adebayo
*So far we continue using the so-called federal character as seen with d pseudo zoning arrangement witnessed in d last NFF’s election .We won't get d best of administrators to run our football. Even at that, the Glass House still does not have a substantive second general secretary purportedly zoned to d southwest and nobody is talking. - Hakeem Akintunde, Sports Presenter, OGTV.
Don’t Cry For Super Eagles
*Good piece and food for thought for Nigerian players and football administrators. Moraks keep the flag flying. - Dr.Rasak Olajide, Lecturer University of Ibadan.
Lessons from Morocco
* I must inform that you are spot on in your report today but I must inform that all of us have parts of the blame as well (I mean players, fans, parents etc). I remember an incident that happened years back, one of my brother’s friends that passed out of secondary school in 1993 only for this same guy to participate in the 2000 edition of the Shell Cup for a secondary School from Abeokuta- Adekunle Michael, Port Harcourt
Abdullahi, Your Chance to Make a Difference
*Your column made a good reading. Just to Point out that the last NSC boss is from Sokoto State. I reckon time has come when outsiders other than politicians appointed as sports minister. – Emma Ohiaeri, Ahoda, River State.
* Another bull’s eye today with your column. The only goof is ex-sports minister, Suleiman’s state of origin. He‘s from Sokoto not Kano. -Otunba Jide Adebayo
* A mix up can always occurred which attest (to the fact) that you are human and not immune to error. Alhaji Yusuf is from Sokoto not Kano; try to be current as a journalist. - Arole, Ilesha
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