Understanding Keshi’s revolution

Understanding Keshi’s revolution

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” -Arnold Bennett

IN THE BEGINNING: Keshi(m) with Siasia meet former Sports Minister, Ibrahim Bio at  2010 World Cup[

On the margin of the Golden Eaglets’ screening exercise, I had a brief yet instructive encounter with the Big Boss, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi which bothers n his revival of Nigerian football vis-à-vis initiation of local-based players into the Super Eagles.

Since he came on board last year, Keshi has said loud and clear that players from the domestic league would form the fulcrum of the national team. He has so far demonstrated his appeal for the home-grown talents so much so that some are of the conviction that the involvement of foreign-based professionals should be limited as the Super Eagles struggle to come out of the valley of despair.

Things have really gone from bad to worse for the Super Eagles culminating in the team’s failure to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nation (AFCON) hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and the subsequent dismissal of Coach Samson Siasia.

On the appointment of Siasia soon after the Super Eagles 2010 World Cup debacle, I’d asked if it was a gut decision or gut reaction: “The choice between Keshi and Siasia would naturally split soccer enthusiasts in opposing lines because as one analyst said ‘there is little to choose between the two former Nigerian internationals. Is the popular saying that the voice of the people is the voice of God a truism in this instance? Did the technical committee and NFF swayed by popular opinion or was there an unseen hand in this appointment? Is the choice of Siasia over Keshi a gut decision or a gut reaction?”

Late marketing guru, Mark McCormack who authored that unique book ‘What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School’ actually described gut decision ‘as the choice you face after you’ve collected and digested all the facts while gut reaction ‘is the same choice after you’ve heard only one fact.’

On hindsight, we can safely say that Siasia’s was a gut reaction because ‘it was made ‘quickly, emotionally, and often irrationally’ while the eventual appointment of Keshi (albeit after Siasia’s fall) could be said to be a gut decision since it was ‘based on instinct and experience tempered by information and a broad sampling of opinion!’

It is for this reason that close attention is being paid to Keshi’s Eagles but we must not run away from the fact that this exercise is going to bring some heartache along the line hence my encounter with the Big Boss need be amplified.

“I think we are on the right course with our program for the development of Nigerian football despite the result in Kigali,” Keshi said in apt reference to the listless performance of the Super Eagles against Rwanda in his first competitive game in-charge of the national team. “We’ve started so well by bringing on board the local players and they have really done well in those friendly matches we played prior to the game against Rwanda.

“Think that is why Nigerians were disappointed following our drawn game against Rwanda. But this would not deter us from doing the right thing by giving the local-based players the needed opportunity to be part of the national team,” he noted.

Keshi was of the view that revolution and reengineering of the domestic game is one of the prerequisites for the gale of change needed to turn the corner for the national team, begging for patience on the part of everyone. It is not as if he’s saying anything new going back to Super Eagles’ trajectory on their way to winning the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia before exploding at the world stage when they were voted the Second Most Entertaining team at the USA’94 World Cup for instance.

Under Dutch coach, Clemens Westerhof, the Super Eagles that held everyone spellbound actually passed through the crucible of fire: the team failed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup; finished as runners-up at Algiers’90; won a consolatory bronze at Senegal’92 AFCON. The fans suffered so much heartache particularly in that ill-fated opening game of the 1990 AFCON when the Fennecs of Algeria thumped the Super Eagles 4-0 but the beauty of it all that this same team made up of local-based players fought back and eventually came second after a 1-0 loss to Algeria(again) in the final. The carcasses of that team later formed the bedrock of the team that eventually gave Nigerians so much to cheer about and there is that possibility again if Keshi can be goaded to follow this tried and tested path again.

There is indeed reason to think this is the right course having watched an unheralded Chipolopolo of Zambia ruled the African continent following their penalty-shootout win against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire at 2012 AFCON.  The battle-hardened Zambians had purpose, solidarity and self sacrifice-the same point that Keshi need to stress to his wards.

“It was unrealisable before the start of the tournament and we realised we have to believe in ourselves. We were not the best team but have the strength to fight on, “Zambia’s French coach, Herve Renard noted after that historic win by Chipolopolo.”My players were magnificent. We were not the best but we had a force that has made us African champions. They might make some tactical mistakes here and there but you can see the talent."

Of course, the point has been made time and again that Nigeria is blessed with talents but we need to wait for these talents to evolve under this dispensation least we fall into the same trap that has ensnared the development of the game in recent time.

Ojeikere: ‘Writer as a hired assassin!’

At a recent  media briefing to announce the rare honour did to Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr by Manchester United, ace  broadcaster,  Mr. Toyin Ibitoye made a clarion call on Globacom to consider picking sports journalists as its Ambassadors –the same way it has done for Nollywood  guys and gals.

Not many would agree with such high-vaulting demand but the point was made recently that journalists and indeed sports journalists are role models with the choice of Mr. Ade Ojeikere, hard-hitting writer and The Nation’s Group Sports Editor as one of the 2012 Olympic Torch Bearers.    

 Last month, the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) confirmed that over 7,300 inspiring people including Ojeikere would be carrying the Flame in the Olympic Torch Relay ahead of the Games of the XXX Olympiad.  

The choice of my buddy and boss, Ojeikere indeed calls for celebration. Love him or loathe him, Ojeikere brings into the job an uncommon drive and disposition which has stood him in good stead all these years. I witnessed  at firsthand his attitude to work at the defunct National Interest Newspapers(NIN) when he assembled what we usually referred to as the ‘Dream Team’- complete with the likes of Ben Alaiya, Desmond Ekwueme, John-Joshua Akanji, Toyin Ibitoye, Onyewuchi Nwachukwu, Sam Emehelu and two ace graphics designers, Segun Fajimolu  and Shina Ogunbiyi .It was at NIN that Ojeikere earned his reputation as a ‘bull-headed’ with  the sobriquet:  ‘writer as a hired assassin’ but it was evident that he love his job with passion.

German Philosopher and Inventor, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) was quoted as saying that ‘nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.’  Undoubtedly, Ojeikere’s passion and steadfastness has been rewarded with his nomination as one of the 2012 London Olympic Games’ Torch Bearers and it is indeed his moment to shine when he has the privilege and honour to carry the Flame in Broadway on July, 1 2012.