World football attention is on the ongoing EURO 24 in Germany, but not so in Nigeria as the country’s football is enmeshed in another crisis capable of ending the country’s bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup that is in tatters.
Even the transfer window that opened in the week across Europe that would have been the focus of world football has been relegated to the background for now because of the Euros. The release of the 2024/25 English Premier League fixtures on Tuesday also failed to generate much attention for now because of the Euros.
But Nigerian football failure to focus on Euros has to do with the self-inflicted crisis that could end Super Eagles’ hope of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
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The ongoing crisis between Finidi George and Victor Osimhen is a confirmation of the fact that Nigerian football has assumed crisis as its middle name. Crisis has become an inherent part of our football ecosystem. The way crisis unfolds on daily basis in Nigerian football is like crisis has been ingrained in our culture. It’s now pathological. What an unfortunate situation.
Genort Rohr exit from Nigeria was not devoid of crisis, so also the coming and exit of Jose Paseiro. The coming of Finidi George as Super Eagles Head Coach could be likened to rocket science. It took the Nigeria Football Federation months before asking Finidi to take over the team. His choice was because the matchday 3 and 4 of the qualifiers was at country’s doorstep.
Finidi’s reign the shortest in the history of Super Eagles managers did come as a surprise to the discerning minds. Those in the know knew that it was a matter of time before Finidi would be eased out of the system. The surprise was that he fell into the trap set for him too early.
It need be pointed out that there are one or two entrenched interests in Nigerian football. And the moment their interests are threatened they will stop at nothing to get rid of whoever is perceived to be the obstacle to their interests. It suffices to point out some of these interests.
The first are those who never believe that a Nigerian, no matter his qualification, should coach the Super Eagles. Their belief is that it is only a foreigner, preferably, a European, that is good for the Super Eagles. This class of Nigerians, who benefits from employing a European, will stop at nothing in getting rid of any Nigerian given the mandate to coach the Super Eagles. They will go to the extent of instigating players against the coach, and the ensuing crisis, will prove that Nigerian coaches lack the wherewithal to manage the team. Sunday Oliseh, Adegboye Onigbinde, and Samson Siasia, are living witnesses. Stephen Keshi, Shaibu Amodu, Paul Hamilton and Chris Udemezue, all of blessed memory were victims of treating Nigerians as second-class citizen in their country. They were victim of the inhumanity of this class of people who never saw anything good in a Nigerian coach.
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Another class of entrenched interests is football managers masquerading as members of the Nigeria Football Federation. This class of people is in the system to ensure that their players receive preferential treatment in any of the national teams. They will go to any length just to ensure that these players get national calls. That’s their business and any coach who refuses to play ball will face the wrath of these unholy men.
Finidi, who has been in the system since he’s playing days in the Super Eagles, should not be oblivious of the shenanigans of these classes of people in Nigerian football. Having coached Enyimba and worked with Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Finidi has no reason to feign ignorance of the fact that his appointment was just a smokescreen aimed at pacifying the powers that be at the presidency that a Nigerian should be allowed to manage the Super Eagles.
Finidi, I believe armed his traducers to fight him with some of the policies he tried to implement. Refusing to invite William Troost-Ekong, the captain of the team, the player who was voted the best player at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’ Ivoire, I think was a mistake. His refusal to allow Osimhen to be in camp, having informed him of his injury and with the player wanting to be with his colleagues so as to cheer them up I believe was not in good faith.
Finidi’s failure to learn from his Nigerian predecessors mistake was an error. Samson Siasia’s plan to rejig the team in 2012 cost Nigeria the Africa Cup of Nations ticket that year. The senior players then, fearing they would be eased out of the team sabotaged him and eventually Siasia was sacked. Sunday Oliseh was another Nigerian whose attempt to instill discipline in the team was resisted by the players. He started wrongly by dethroning Vincent Enyeama as captain, and he knew no peace until he walked away.
Finidi, I believe, should have invited Troost-Ekong as the captain of the team. The moment the players started sensing that something is fishing, and even a captain that they love, they would fight back.
Hence I believe Osimhen’s vituperation was on behalf of his colleagues who are beginning to be jittery at Finidi’s policy. Having worked with Peseiro, he should have kept his plans to his chest. Since he’s not a neophyte in Nigerian football, he should have realized that the proponents of foreign coach and players’ managers in Nigerian football would stop at nothing in order to get rid of him. Alas, he played into their hand; he fell into the trap set for him. The rest they say is history.
If this was not the case, how come he was not informed during a meeting with the NFF that lasted over three hours that the NFF has decided to hire an expatriate technical adviser? Finidi should ask himself if not that these hounds have gotten a great opportunity and would not let it pass, why should anyone inform Osimhen what was discussed in a meeting that was supposed to be high level secret one?
Finidi by his resignation has redeemed the image of Nigerian coaches. This is because safe Late Joe Erico resignation has become an anathema among Nigerian coaches. With the way they are being treated, it is unheard off for any to resign. That he made the NFF to realize that Nigerians should not be treated as a second-class citizen in their country should be applauded. He took the right decision.
