MAY THE SUPER EAGLES NOT DISGRACE NIGERIA!

When the Super Eagles of Nigeria under Coach Stephen Keshi sealed the qualification to Brazil 2014, a lot of Nigerians were upbeat with the level the team has reached, the pattern of play, the crop of players and of course the fact that they were able to put all the pros and cons together to get e ticket into the World Cup which embarrassingly evaded Nigeria in 2010.
I for one was quite delighted that at last, Nigerian football was getting back to the days of glory and we could begin to see brilliant displays again. Despite the recent FIFA ranking that placed us 36th, a whole lot of us Nigerians still saw reason to celebrate as finally, the eagle was beginning to learn how to fly again. However glad I was, there was one thing I was afraid of, that the team despite the brilliant performances that won them the AFCON, will go on and put up a dismal performance at the World Cup. I am not being pessimistic; I am just facing the recent facts.
Prior to Stephen Keshi’s appointment as the Super Eagles Head Coach, Nigeria had been faced with the challenge of under-performance by the National team. The team was not just getting it right and something urgently needed to be done. When Keshi was finally employed, He began working wonders or so it seemed and everything seemed to be in the right direction. Alas, we won the African Cup of Nations in 2013 and went on to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. At this point, some people began to raise the fact that the problem the National team had all along had been the lack of quality players, on that I beg to differ.
Some other analysts again came up with speculations that the problem had been with the Technical team and since Keshi, the man with the Midas touch had been employed, all would begin to go well. Again, I beg to differ with this school of thought. The problem the National team had was one that surpassed the abilities or inabilities of the Technical team, it was one that was deeply rooted in the way football matters are being managed in our country. At this time, things seems to be going on well with the team, but I foresee some tumultuous days ahead if careful measures are not employed in good time. I here examine a few problems that are beginning to be evident.
While trying to prosecute the AFCON, Coach Stephen Keshi had to comb the nooks and crannies of the world to scout Nigerian footballers who had good potentials to be remarkable for the National team. In came the likes of Ogeyi Onazi, Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Moses, Ogu, Mba and a host of others into the National team as team favourites. He didn’t draft them into the team only because they were top performers in their various clubs, he drafted them in because they were top performers and they had the burning desire to do well for their country. They were simply thirsty for success and this paid off. The likes of Osaze Odemwingie who obviously felt too important had to be dropped. Things began going well with the team, the dressing room became peaceful and the Super Eagles began flying again.
However, after a barrage of successes, word came out that the NFF owed Coach Stephen Keshi a huge amount of money...salaries! What I wonder is, what excuse with the football governing body give for owing the Head Coach his rightfully earned salary? Is NFF broke? Are the officials not getting paid? Are they not even stealing money from that organization? So I realized, the first and greatest problem that football has in Nigeria is the NFF, the football governing body. If such situation were to persist, the morale of the coach will definitely be affected and performances will be below par.
The second important problem with Nigerian football is the way and manner certain analysts go about analysing their football. Just after qualifying Nigeria for the World Cup, many analysts began telling the coach to bring back the likes of Osaze to the team. In their opinion, the World Cup requires experienced players to perform. My problem with this thinking is, drafting players in and out of a National team affects the team’s dynamics and the players’ morale. How do you expect players to perform at their best when they know sooner or later, some arrogant unpatriotic lads are going to be called back into the team because of funny ‘experience’?
When I re-examine the Brazil National team that defeated Spain in the finals of the Confederations Cup, I realize when the potentials of young and hungry players are well honed, they can go on and put in top-flight performances for their teams. As young and new as that squad was, they became the first team to rout Spain in that manner in the last two or three years. Brazil did not because of experience call the likes of Ronaldinho back into full-time team action; they just simply built a more formidable team around young players who had the penchant for success.
The Super Eagles is already taking shape, whatever adjustments needs to be made are quite possible without bringing in legs that feel too important for the little contributions they can make. We should be thinking of encouraging the coach to build the right team spirit into the boys, blend them into a single entity instead of focusing on individual players.
If all these little dynamics are not addressed, I sincerely hope the Super Eagles do not go on to Brazil and embarrass the Nation and themselves. But even if they do embarrass us, I strongly believe that the faults accruable will most likely not be theirs to admit.
Go! Go!! Go Eagles!!!