Date Published: 02/08/10
WHY WE NEED FOREIGNERS TO MANAGE OUR SPORTS By Fashikun Olajide
(Originally published on Monday, 25th February 2008 by Daily
Independent newspaper)
Our sports “experts” have made us know and believe over the years that
the Nigerian coaches are not ‘good’. From football, handball,
basketball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, volleyball etc we’ve employed
foreigners. If after 47 years of nationhood we are still toddlers,
then, hope certainly is a foreigner to us.
Tell President Musa Umar Yar’adua that he is the first failure. His“experts” in the Ministry of Sports/National Sports Commission, though
with doctorate degrees were also honoured with national ‘degree’ for
failing our sports fabric! One thing I enjoy is that of the whole
140million coaches in Nigeria none is ‘good’ enough to coach the Super
Eagles. To save our sports, we need foreign experts from the sports
commission boss to the groundsman in the stdia.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
In my 23 years in Nigeria sports (athletics, handball & football), I
trained under 21 coaches in all. Six of them were foreign coaches in
Nigeria. Four others were my coaches in Zamalek SC. I sustain the
argument that Nigerian coaches are better technically though the snag
being that very few of them are intellectually (in terms of English
grammar) deficient.
In football (El-Kanemi of Maiduguri, Zabgai of Bauchi & in the Kwara
State 1980 KWASPO 80 team), all my coaches were master pieces. From
Sebastian Brodericks, Joe Erico, Usman Adenuga, Albert Adetoye, Musa
Abdullahi, the late Salisu Abdullahi Bebe. As a manager, I had worked
with the following Nigerians: Bebe, Alphonsus Dike, Kafaru Alabi,
Kadiri Ikhana amongst others while in Kwara United FC I had worked
with six foreign coaches, the last being Roger Palmgren. They are good
but not as good as the worst of all Nigerians! Even, the much touted
Clemens Westerhof was one of them. He is a good football artiste who
knows how to use the gallery well.
THE BERTI VOGTS ANGLE:
Ever since Dr Amos Adamu had taken the jugular of our sports in his
calloused hands, since then has our sports haemorhaged. It is now
having leukemia! A failure in his own country, not appreciated more
than Christian Chukwu. He went to Ireland and helped them for the
first time in 17 years lose to a ragtag Nigerian team coached by
gilded Adegboyega Onigbinde. He helped Nigeria to the worst African
Nations Cup record in 24 years! He had moved our football back by 30
light years! Not even the worst Nigerian coach would have gotten us
this quality of bad result.
The German had to tell off our President not to talk to his citizens.
He was as good as saying that the President was “disturbing” his
players. Nigerian coaching assistants in the Super Eagles camp could
not offer him advise nor speak to the players. He calls them names
(unprintable) to their hearing. Nigerian journalists could not have
words with their compatriots while foreign journalists had the same
room.
After disastrously destroying the Eagles and our national pride some
charlatans who said they are in charge of the NFA were making excuses
for why he should not be sacked. They signed a slave contract with the
German no wonder our players too keep signing slave contracts all over
the places. Methinks they are people of honour who should have
resigned their seats. We know their master in the ministry has not
remote controlled them to do same.
THE FOREIGN ANGLE:
There was a time our Police had jaundice just like our
sports. It is still there. President Umar Yar’adua solicited for
British Police assistance to re-train the Nigerian Police so as to be
atop of crime situation. Now, in our sports, what the President should
have done is call on Mr Sepp Blatter to bring white skinned NFA
officials to manage our football!
Let us advertise or seek for British government support to
fill the Minister’s position down to the stadium manager. (Did you
hear Jack Warner on the National Stadium, Surulere?) What other
evidence do we need?
Every Nigerian knows football. It’s the biggest religion.
Its our national passion. Of the 140 million coaches in Nigeria, no
one is good enough. I remember in 2006 at the Johannesburg airport, I
wanted to buy a digital camera with a price tag of $126. I brought out
the dollar but the shop owner politely told me: “Sir, I am proudly
South African, can you help change the money to Rands?”. I was shocked
since were he to be Nigerian, he would prefer to sell in dollars than
in Naira.
Ever since I had become proudly Nigerian. I will never buy a foreign
product where and whenever I see a Nigerian equivalent. That was when
I returned home and acquired a Glo line and make more use of it than
my other lines. That is the only way to the future. No national will
ever deliver the world cup title to another nation. Only Nigerians can
do it well. Give Super Eagles to a Nigerian coach.
Even at that, not Togolese failures, nor the mafia-Eagles who are yet
to cut their teeth as coaches and pronto it is our national team they
want to experiment with. Why can’t we go and bring Chief Adegboyega
Onigbinde as the Technical Director of the NFA with Shauibu Amodu
getting the Super Eagles, Siasia in U-23, Kadiri Ikhana in U-17, Joe
Erico for the Flying Eagles. I have spoken.
--
Olajide Ayodeji Fashikun
Director, Sports Development & Marketing,
Nigeria Sports Development Fund Inc.,
Suite 59, NICON Luxury, Tafawa Balewa Street,
Area 11, Garki,
Abuja, Nigeria
Tel: =234-805-3622-797
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