By Alexander Johnson Adejoh
Key stakeholders in Nigerian Football are pointing accusing fingers at the Ministry of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation over the current state of the Super Eagles in the qualifying races for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Eagles are languishing in Group C of the qualifiers with three points from possible 12, Nigeria is 5th on the six-team table with three points while Rwanda, South Africa and Benin have seven points respectively and Zimbabwe two points.
As Nigerians agonise over the fate of the Eagles, experts believe the administrators bungled the chances of the team with decisions taken before the last two matches.
A former national coach who prefers anonymity argued that the coach of the Eagles, Finidi George, was ‘prepared’ to fail.
“We all saw the situation. The NFF waited for over three months before the decision on Finidi. The body and the ministry did not offer enough support in terms of preparation and motivation of the players,” he said.
Ace football analyst, Barrister Godwin Dudu-Orumen, says football in the country is in turmoil.
The NFF has displayed high level of incompetence. Football is more than the 90 minutes we see on the pitch because so much planning and preparation must go into it.
It is funny that the ministry and the federation are putting the blame on Finidi and the Technical Committee but we all know the NFF takes all the decisions. The situation we find ourselves could have been averted, if the NFF had acted fast in employing a coach without sentiments.
The foreign coach decision should have been taken much earlier.
A club owner who also prefers anonymity questioned the commitment of the players while also taking a swipe at the federation.
The NFF is playing politics with our football and the soccer loving populace are suffering for it, after investing their time and emotions. It is a shame. I can confirm to you that the Technical Committee already submitted a proposal in March tipping the same coach they are trying to engage now,” he said.
Some others who spoke to our correspondent noted that the current board is still under the control of a powerful former boss of the NFF.
