Gafaar urges federation to restructure technical committee, scouting system
Sports Development Minister, John Enoh, will meet with top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to reassess the country’s campaign at the ongoing 2026 World Cup African qualifying series.
Nigeria is fifth with three points out of the available 12 in a group that has Lesotho, Rwanda, Benin Republic, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Super Eagles latest defeat by Benin Republic on Sunday sent alarm bells ringing across the country with Sports Minister, querying the NFF on the team’s poor form.
Special Assistant to the minister, Media, Diana-Mary Nsan, told The Guardian, yesterday, that the minister would meet with the NFF chiefs next week to assess possible ways to relaunch Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
She said the minister is currently engaged with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) national trials for the Paris 2024 Olympics holding in Benin, adding that the NFF has been notified of the intending meeting.
While the ministry is trying to find solutions to the Super Eagles’ debacle, a source at the Presidency has told The Guardian that the Federal Government may constitute a rescue committee to ensure the country qualifies for the World Cup.
The Guardian recalls that the Federal Government, under Goodluck Jonathan, formed a Presidential Committee led by former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to ensure that the country qualified for the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa.
Then, it seemed that Nigeria would lose the ticket to Tunisia, who was leading the group before the presidential committee motivated the Super Eagles to win all their remaining games home and away to qualify for the first World Cup hosted by Africa.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, said that the office of the vice president was working out ways to boost Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, adding that the idea of a concert of experts to drive the qualification bid had been mooted. But he did not say if the sports ministry is in on the plan.
Meanwhile, proprietor of 36 Lions Football Club, Liameed Gafaar, has urged the NFF to restructure its technical committee to ensure that it comprises only technically sound football technocrats.
Gafaar also urged the federation to be more accommodating to ideas from private individuals in the best interest of the country. Lamenting that the Super Eagles has become a home for players, who ordinarily should be nowhere near the team, Gafaar said a functional scouting department would help the country discover its best players and ensure that no matter who the coach is, there is always quality materials available for games.
