SUPER EAGLES AND THE WAY FORWARD

27/06/2013

SUPER EAGLES AND THE WAY FORWARD

Super Eagles of Nigeria

Following the Super Eagles ouster from the ongoing Confederations cup in Brazil, a lot of reactions have thus been generated. While not being unmindful of the anger and exaspirations of Nigerians with the usual shoddy display of the team in the matches played in the competition, one must admit that the senior national team is in dire need of fresh talents and ideas if we are to prevent continued lacklustre display and heartache.

The truth of the matter is that by winning the 2013 Nations cup in South Africa, in which the element of luck played a crucial part in our favour seemed to have raised the expectations of Nigerians that the Super Eagles have arrived, hence the complacency on the part of both the authorities and the die hard football faithfuls to the reality that this is and remains an average team that is capable of producing disappointing results anytime.

If we are to move forward and put a stop to our usual national ethos of blame game which was vividly expressed when we crashed out of the Confederations cup, such as blaming fatigue, inexperience, injuries, etc, then the time has come for us to do a surgical analysis of the team as a whole. This is the time to once again clamour for the reinvigoration of football academies and the grassroots developmental programmes to develop and discover new talents which God has blessed us with in abundance.

Also Coach stephen Keshi needs to be empowered in terms of refresher courses and trainings to upgrade his potentialities and must be enjoined to jettison his other conflict of interest occupation of players manager in which he seems hell bent on marketing some below average players in the national team at the expense of our national interest of fielding only the best.

I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to keshi to remain focussed and not to make the mistake of his life by recalling into the national team, players who have over the years proved to be embodiment of indiscipline. Like we all know, discipline is a key ingredient for success in any facet of human endeavours and we are not too pleased with current state of things in the national in which we believe there is still room for improvement. Those players are in their thirties and should be allowed to enjoy their exclusion from national duties because they don't have anything to contribute again except may be disquiet into the team.

One would want to admonish the media to show understanding by appealing to Nigerians to exercise patience with the national team which is due for a rebuilding process just like our country, if we sincerely and patriotically want to get it right.