By JOEL AJAYI
The crisis that is crushing the growth and development of football in Nigeria seems to be getting worse as no solution yet to fumigate this bacteria of corruption around our round leather game.
Indeed, Nigerian football has gone through storms and hurricanes ever known in the history of football in countries of the world. Nigeria’s football governing body popularly known as NFF cannot boast of having serene administration up till one month without schism.
The federation has been fumbling and shaking since the 2014 election and it has been falling into a hydra of the sort to date. From one court case to another, intra and inter rivalry.
For the football federation, this is definitely not the best of times. It is under heavy criticism for administrative blunders and so many allegations of fraud, which has continued to hunt the leadership of the Glass House.
Ranging from crisis, scandals, in-fighting are the adjectives commonly associated with Nigeria’s NFF. Sadly, these scandals are self-inflicted and they continued to bring the country, the game and the body to disrepute.
Crisis orchestrated by allegations of corruption by the football managing body and even the managed. From nonpayment of players match allowances and bonuses, interference from NFF management on team coaches, misappropriation of fund, giving and accepting bribes, fixing matches and litigations flying like eagles and unpalatable news both reported and under reported emanating from the glass house have indeed crippled the growth of football in Nigeria.
Our country government will always claim to be fighting corruption but have not bordered to know why Super Falcons Head Coach Thomas Dennerby left the team unceremoniously over claims that some influential members of the NFF were interfering in his work.
Though, the Federation has quickly drafted Chris Danjuma into the team to take charge of the team as they play in the second round of the 2020 Olympic qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire later this month.
NFF and Coach Dennerby saga took a worse dimension during the week when the Federation and the acting coach of the Super Falcons, in total disrespect to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare who waded into the matter.
In what could be regarded as a ‘coup’ allegedly to discredit coach Dennerby, the acting coach of the team, Danjuma, barely 48 hours after he assumed the position, after one of the training session, hurriedly named former Assistant Captain, Asisat Oshoala as the substantive captain of Super Falcons.
Mr. Danjuma in a video posted by the Super Falcons social media handler on their twitter handle announced the change in leadership of the team to the surprise of the players after their training on Tuesday evening.
The development could be a setback to the move by the minister who had promised, after speaking with both NFF and Mr. Dennerby parties, to broker peace between them.
Also, the announcement could also be a ploy to ensure that whatever plans the Minister has towards making peace did not come to the limelight since it was made the same day the Minister visited the team earlier in the morning.
When Minister visited the team during the training session he informed newsmen that he visited the team; gave inspiring words and assured them that the government will ensure their welfare. “I told them Nigerians are expecting only victories in their remaining qualifiers”.
“I have also spoken with the NFF leadership. We are working to resolve the issues in the interest of football development.”
But baffles stakeholders was the sudden change of skipper by the acting coach. Why take such decision when the minister had intervened in the matter? Whose interest was he protecting?
Only time will provide answers to these challenges that have hampers the football growth in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the crisis has indeed affected the growth and development of football in the country. The question bordering the stakeholders is when will peace return to the Nigeria football governing body?