…says Nigerian football is under siege
President, Matchmakers Consult and organizer of the prestigious annual Nigeria Pitch Awards, Shina Philips, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the crisis that has engulfed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and save the country’s football from an impending FIFA ban.
Speaking exclusively to The Point, the highly travelled sports administrator and FIFA licensed agent said football administration in Nigeria is under threat as different parties are laying claim to its leadership and there is an urgent need for President Buhari to wade-in and put an end to the crisis.
“You see, the problem we have always had in Nigeria and Africa is that we are so deprived of history.
“We can’t make progress if we neglect history and that is why those in the larger society have continued to make huge difference in every facet of their national life. There is no retrogression because they are reminded of the failure of the past.
“The crisis in NFF is not new, it has always been there!
“Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima and even Aminu Maigari-led boards witnessed same crisis we are talking about today, so it’s the same old story. It seems we can’t kill the politics that often cripples our sporting life. Today, FIFA remains intact because it does not involve itself in any form of national politics.
“For me, Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa are not the problem of Nigerian football. Pinnick means well , he’s got great ideas; however It seems we have some powerful and selfish interest behind the scene that are determined to scuttle any meaningful progress geared towards the development of football in Nigeria.
“Pinnick and his team truly have the desire to see football managed the way it’s done in Europe, but he is like a new wine in an old wineskin. He has what it takes to develop the game but his dream must be made clear to all,” he stated.
On the way forward, Philips said: “One thing must be stated clearly, FIFA does not force countries to join them; countries desire to join FIFA.
“We know FIFA is clearly against government interference and this position is made clear when you decide to be a part of the body.
“It is only expected that if there are issues, you do not circumvent. We must respect the laws of our land, but it is also proper that the interpretation of FIFA laws be made clear and signatories adhere strictly to FIFA’s rules for resolving conflicts. However if there are issues involving government and the national FA, they must be attended to within the confines of the law in such a way that we will not in any way conflict with FIFA’s laws.
“Russia cannot break FIFA laws; America cannot break it even as super powers, and therefore, we should not be caught in this kind of crisis. I believe Mr President can do something about putting an end to this international embarrassment.
“First, there should be a proper interpretation of the FIFA rules to the Federal Government and they should find out how the laws of the land can work without any clash.
“If the Federal Government can investigate and discover the problem then we can save our football life. President Buhari must find the time, the will and a way to wade into this matter and get all interested parties to agree to a fresh election in August that will have observers on ground and possibly have it broadcast live because of our peculiarity.
“I will say to the Minister of Sports and to the President who I believe also share the ideology of fair play to midwife a fresh election. So, whoever has grievance should not ridicule our political and judicial systems in the international community. As long as we have decided to be a part of FIFA, let us get the elections right once and for all.”
Reacting to Super Eagles early exit from the Mundial in Russia, Philips said he was not surprised.
“Well, it would be totally unfair of me to say that I was surprised we were edged out of the World Cup quite early. Before I travelled to Russia for the games, I didn’t believe we had the team that could win the World Cup.
“For instance, the last World Cup won by the Germans was over an eight-year programme put in place to build a world class team that humiliated Brazil before their crowd.
“It took huge preparation with meticulously laid out plan. Thus, in Nigeria and in Africa as a whole, every hand must be on deck to make things work, beginning from government, administrators, corporate bodies and the media.
“My observation overtime is that virtually all African teams do not prepare to win the World Cup.
“If preparations are geared towards winning the tournament, then we must look at what those other countries did to win the World
Cup.
“We do not take stock of these things, we do not look at history and the methodology put in place by those countries. Until we begin to do so, African football will continue to nosedive,” he concluded.
