Sports Minister set to overhaul Nigeria football
Emmanuel Alfred
Sports Minister, Sunday Dare is reportedly gutted with the state of football in Nigeria and is set to overhaul the entire footballing structure in the country.
This emerged from last Monday’s meeting between the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD), and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), that also had a representative from the Presidency in attendance.
The Ministry had earlier queried the NFF over the Super Eagle’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup Finals in Qatar.
The meeting gave the NFF the opportunity to explain why the National Team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Dare insisted that it was regrettable and that Nigerians have the right to be disappointed and demand an overhaul of the Super Eagles.
Other serious discustions took place on some practical steps that should be urgently taken to reposition Nigerian football and rescue it from its current state from the grassroots, the leagues, to the national teams.
The Minister decried the current state of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) citing that there was a close relationship between the struggles of the Super Eagles and the poor state of the NPFL as the home League has failed to serve as feeder for National home-based players making the National Team.
Sources disclosed that the Minister pointedly requested for an immediate status report on the League after which further actions will follow.
After several contributions and a few arguments, the Minister issued some directives which include;
1. Setting up a 3-man technical team of Nigerian coaches to coach the home-based team.
2. Selection and invitation of 30 players from the Nigerian League to camp immediately and the provision of a conducive camp ground for the team which will be sponsored by the Sports Ministry.
3. An immediate upgraded plan by the NFF to bring our League up to international standards. The league must be able to produce players good enough to play in the senior national team, the Super Eagles.
4. The NFF should set in motion the plans to hold their elections in September 2022. They should roll out the plans without delay.
5. Immediate commencement of the search for a competent Foreign Technical Adviser who must be subject to evaluation and must have an understanding of the developments around our football and Government plans.
The Minister hinted that consultations are ongoing to get the Federal Government to directly pay the wages of the new Technical Adviser while the NFF would handle other logistics.
All these plans are to ensure that the Super Eagles bounce back hungrier, stronger and better so they can restore joy and happiness to the hearts of Nigerians by qualifying for the 2023 AFCON in Cote’d Ivoire in grand style.
The CHAN Eagles, Olympic Eagles, Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets must also be adequately prepared so they can do the nation proud.
The Super Falcons, Falconets and Flamingos should not be left out as they prepare for their different International competitions.
