What really happened .???

Now that the five African representatives of Ghana our nemesis, Cameroon that shocked Algeria too, Senegal who gave Egypt a run for their money after penalty shootouts that saw Mohammed Sallah sending his spot-kick to the high heavens, Tunisia that sent us out of the Nations Cup, just the same style of goal that Ghana used to send us out of the world cup with a one time shot, Atlas Lions of Morocco humbled and dismembered a bemused DR Congo team in the reverse fixture in Morocco, 4-1 after a 1-1 draw in Congo,all have taken their slots for the Mundial after the last qualifying matches that produced the winners with the first and second legs decided.

When we smelled rat was during the qualification round of matches when we lost at home in Lagos to minnows, Cape Verde 0-1 and the ultimate sack of our foreign Coach, Rohr who qualified us in the last World Cup in Russia ?? . I know by now the German-born Rohr will be laughing at us for our inability to read correctly where our football problems lies and not his sack.

Whom do we blame ??? Is it the players largely made of the foreign legion based in Europe and elsewhere or is it the technical crew led by former Super Eagles Captain, Edo State-born defender who once plied his trade in Belgium as a professional and whose CV as a technical expert in the round leather game is suspect or is it the usual lack of dedication inherent in our Nigerian society as well as the well known “Nigerian Factor” that has eaten deep into our fabrics as an entity .where an intern or mediocre is appointed or given a position he does not merit because his cousin or uncle occupies a position of influence in the Nigerian society.

A look at our technical crew shows mediocrity, incompetence, and foolishness to be compared with our rivals Ghana who came with a high profile and seasoned football Managers who have weathered the storm in football matters.

*Failure begets serious exposure..
Maybe this will wake us up from our slumber

Ghana’s Technical Crew

1- Chris Hughton – Premier League coach
2- Otto Addo – Asst coach of Borussia Dortmund*
3- George Boateng – Aston Villa under 23 coach.
4- Mas-ud Didi Dramani – Asst Coach at Norsjelland in Danish league.

Nigeria’s Technical crew

1- Austin Eguavoen – Jobless failed coach who took a job Seyi Olofinjana rejected…..
2- Emmanuel Amunike – A failed coach who was demoted to academy scout within 1 month
3- Paul Aigbogun – Another failed coach with no profile to write home about
4-Salisu Yusuf – Banned bribe-taker
5-Joseph Yobo – Fashionista for 6 years and thereafter foisted on us by Segun Odegbami and co with zero coaching profile.

We lost our 2022 world cup ticket from the bench….

When we tell the so-called ex-internationals to stop lazying around and prepare themselves for a job by getting a certificate on Coaching like it is done in Europe, they will be crying about racism….. for example a former Juventus player,was only allowed to take over from Marisa Sari , at Juventus two seasons ago was because he has almost completed his thesis in a Coaching school in Italy.

Eight years ago, a friend of mine, named Ojo,who lives in Lagos, Southwest of Nigeria, told me a gory tale tale about his son who was an undergraduate then was invited to the then Under 17 National team , that he has to bring about 500,0000 naira for him to be taken in the age grade football in Nigeria.

Right from the Nations Cup in Cameroon , former Super Eagles sweat merchant had no clear cut tactics to take the team beyond the prelims , with his repetitive tactics which any seasoned Coach can easily read and dismantle . Then he worsened his crisis against Ghana when he changed and fielded an entirely mediocre team from the one that played Ghana in Kumasi , players like Ademola Lookman, Frank Ifeanyi , left back Bassey and the greatest culprit , the goal keeper ,Francis Uzoho who was not used during the Nations Cup committed the blunder that let in the goal for Ghana . Those players have not played for the Nations team at that levél or for a long time and had no business in that match, you don’t change a winning team and we paid dearly to it . Players like Iheancho, Samuel Chukwueze , experienced Ahmed Musa ,Simon Moses, etc were all on the beach and we expect to win . We only missed our Leicester star defensive midfielder , Ndidi Wifred through injury .
Throughout that match those new boys were struggling to play and panting in their breath when the ball comes to them. It was a show of shame indeed .

There is need for a total over haul of our National team and engagement of a seasoned foreign technical Coach , not the Portuguese Coach who was with Eguavon during the Nations Cup in Cameroon and selection of players based on merit and not through ethnic bias or monetary settlement to make the team.

The time is Now and Now as we prepare for subsequent football tournaments.
Time’s little Mercies, time is a great healer of wounds.

@UcheAnaba1 on Twitter .