Nigerian Football
DALUNG DIRECTS RESTRUCTURING OF THE NFF
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
A major restructuring is in the offing at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Sports Village Square has gathered from the chieftain of the organisation, Amaju Pinnick that the minister of sports, Solomon Dalung has directed the restructuring which is intended to bring the body in line with the reality of the complex nature of running football organisations which has many global issues to contend with.
“Daily running of the NFF cannot be done in the current manner as most of its operations have to be computerised to avoid lapses”, Pinnick remarked while fielding questions at the close of the NFF/Zenith U-15 football fiesta at the Agege Stadium, in Lagos.
The obvious reference is the recent sanction imposed on Nigeria following the fielding of an ineligible player in last month’s World Cup qualifier with Algeria.
Nigeria, not only forfeited the match and the point accrued from it, the Super Eagles were also docked three points and three goals in addition to fine imposed.
Moreover, it technically ended the enviable unbeaten run the Super Eagles had established over 36 matches of the World Cup qualifying series since 2004.
“The minister was not happy about this”, Pinnick remarked, saying that he subsequently ordered a restructuring of the football governing body to avoid future lapses.
To this end, Pinnick disclosed that automated systems are being put in place whereby cards and other cautions imposed on players in both local and international engagements easily prop up.
He lamented that he had to carry the all the blames as the overall head of the NFF, even though the day-to-day running of the secretariat is statutorily not his responsibility. “But the buck stops somewhere, it has to be on my table”.
“But you know I cannot be making marketing drives and pursuing policies that will enhance Nigerian football and at the same time myself to secretariat and clerical works of the NFF.
It is good that the minister has directed that we reorganise the place and I will ensure we carry out that assignment diligently.
He disclosed that a former general secretary of the organisation, Ahmed Sani Toro, had been contacted to assist in the reorientation of the secretariat staff.
Sports Village Square recalls that in 1991 as the general secretary of the then NFA, Toro recommended a complete computerisation of secretariat after he had attended a two-week internship at the offices of The FA in London.
Pinnick disclosed that external communications of the NFF will be depersonalised such that when a particular officer is not available, the communication can be directed to the next officer.
Sports Village Square learnt that Nigeria could have escaped the FIFA sanction had the officer the notification of the ineligibility of Shehu Abdulahi had acted or the communication passed to other since he was unavailable on health grounds.
The miserable run of Akwa United and Ikorodu City came to an end after six games in the Nigerian Premier League this season. Both teams were initially glued at the bottom of the league table.
They now got respite as Akwa United beat Kano Pillar by 2-0 while Ikorodu City even did what could be considered an upset, beating Bendel Insurance 3-0.
Remo Stars bounced back to the top of the log after a 3-0 defeat of Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars are yet to get their rhythm this season, playing a barren draw with Enyimba in Ibadan.
Kwara United who got their first full points of the season last week after a 1-0 defeat of Remo Stars could not consolidate as they were beaten 1-0 by Abia Warriors.
Heartland under Emmanuel Amuneke are gradually recovering as they got a valuable away draw against El-Kanemi Warriors.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is 75 years since Nigeria’s national football team first played an international match. That was on 8 October 1949 when the first set of Nigeria’s assembly on their return voyage stopped over in Freetown and engaged Sierra Leone in an international football match. Nigeria won 2-0, setting a chain of positive results on 8 October.
The country never lost any competitive duel on that date. More significantly, the Super Eagles first qualified for the World Cup on an 8 October date.
That was in 1993 when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in the quest for USA ‘94 World Cup.
Nigeria became the first English-speaking African country to qualify for the World Cup. Another significance of the October 8 match at the July 5 Stadium, Algiers is that Nigeria were unbeaten for the first time by Algeria at home.
The only deviation from the 8 October Magic was in 2015 when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Congo in a friendly match.
Twenty-six years after Nigeria’s debut international match, one of Africa’s biggest football nations, Egypt fell to the October 8 magic, losing 4-0 to Nigeria in the last stage of the triangular World Cup qualifying series for Argentina ’78.
Up till October 15, 2013, when Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi, the October 8, 1977 duel with Nigeria remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying match.
Before the 1977 duel, Nigeria in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The October 8 magic was active, even in an away match. Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. It was shortly after the team had, through a protest, upturned a victory by Guinea to pick Nigeria’s very first African Nations’ Cup ticket.
Little wonder then that when FIFA suspended Nigeria in 2010, the world governing body provisionally lifted the ban on October 8!
Nigeria on 8 October
- 1949 – Freetown (Friendly) Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
- 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly) Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
- 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria… qualify for USA ‘94.
- 2005 – Abuja (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
- 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect to the 8 October magic, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on Nigeria.
- 2011 – Abuja (African Nations Cup qualifier) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea. Although undefeated, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2012 African Nations Cup.
- 2015 – D.R. Congo beat Nigeria 2-0 in Visé, Belgium. The ‘October 8 Magic’ is finally broken.
Rivers United have launched themselves to the top of the log at the end of the match day 5 of the Nigeria Premier League. The Port Harcourt side beat Akwa United 2-1 to go afloat after initial leaders, Remo Stars crumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Kwara United in Ilorin on Sunday.
It was Remo Stars’ first defeat in the season. Rivers United are now with 13 points. Stephen Mayo put Rivers United ahead after 31 minutes. But it turned a temporary lead as Akwa United bounced back almost at the blast of the referee’s whistle for the second half.
Friday Apollos levelled up for Akwa United before Ndifreke Effiong Udo scored the winner in the 85th minute.
Sunday Results
- Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
- Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
- Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
- Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
- Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
- Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
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