Date Published: 02/06/10
Saturday, February 06, 2010.
PRESS RELEASE BY FESTUS KEYAMO
CONDEMNATION OF THE SACK OF AMODU SHAIBU
I received with shock and disbelief the implied sack of Amodu Shaibu as the technical adviser of the Super Eagles by the Board of the Nigeria Football Federation. The implication of this is that Amodu Shaibu will not be leading the team to the World Cup in South Africa, 2010. I am prompted to react to this event as ardent sports fan, a patriotic follower of the Super Eagles and a Nigerian.
I also understand that the following coaches have either been shortlisted or approached to replace Amodu Shaibu:
- Louis Van Gaal
- Giovanni Trapattoni
- Guus Hiddink
- Craig Brown
- Hassan Shehata
The decision to drop Amodu Shaibu and the decision to appoint the above-named coaches are faulty, unreasonable and unpatriotic for the following reasons:
- Trapattoni, Guus Hiddink, and Hassan Sheheta did not qualify their respective sides for the World Cup despite the talents available to them in their respective countries. But Amodu Shaibu did, despite a spate of injuries to key players and strikers.
- The NFF originally set a target for Amodu Shaibu of 3 rd- place finish at the Nations Cup in Angola, and Amodu Shaibu achieved that.
- There are other world-cup-bound countries in Africa that went to Angola 2010 and did not even make the semi-finals.
- I have not seen anywhere in the world where a coach qualifies a team for the world cup yet gets the booth for “incompetence” and is not allowed to lead the team to the World Cup.
- Given the materials Amodu Shaibu had to work with in Angola 2010, a bronze medal was not a bad result. For instance, his main strikers Yakubu Aiyebeni, and Martins were half-fit since they were just coming out of injuries. Again, our main players are not regular players for their respect clubs. Even Cote d’voire that boasts of the best players in Africa did not make it to the semi-finals and were defeated by Algeria which the Super Eagles in turn defeated. The Ghanian team which defeated the Super Eagles was not a bad side at all as the Egyptians struggled against them and only scored in the dying minutes of the match.
- In about seventeen competitive matches, Amodu Shaibu lost only about two or three matches. That is not a bad record for a national team coach.
- The time between now and the World cup is too short for the appointment of a new coach.
The decision to sack Amodu Shaibu is not a footballing decision but a political one. I condemn it unreservedly and call for the reversal of the decision.
Thanks you.
Yours sincerely,
FESTUS KEYAMO, ESQ.
|
