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Truth is Timeless.
By Toyin | January 18, 2009
When Nigeria hosted the FIFA Under 20 in April 1999, a lot was expected of the national youth side. At the end of the day, they fell by the way side losing to the Malian side in the quarter finals.
Yesterday, I watched Barcelona demolished Deportivo La Coruna and one of the major architects of that win is Seidou Keita, the captain of the Malian side that bundled Nigeria out of the competition. Xavi, a player that is renowned all over the world as one of the best midfielders in Europe was also part of the Spanish team that won the trophy beating Japan by 4 goals to nil at the national stadium in Surulere.
Other players from this tournament that are still setting stadium alight across Europe includes Ronaldinho(Milan), Edu (Valencia), Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn Rovers), Ernesto Chevanton (Deportivo),Joseph Gabri (Betis), Robin Keane (Liverpool), Simao Sambrosa (Athletico Madrid) etc. I could go on and on.
Out of the 18 member team that Nigeria presented at this tournament, the only notable player left is Joseph Yobo of Everton. The star of that tournament for the country was Pius Ikedia; please pardon me if I say his where about is unknown to me. Julius Aghahowa is somewhere in Ukraine in absolute cold in the real sense of the word. Others, I simply do not know what became of them!
Where am I going? The penchant for telling lies concerning the age of players in youth tournaments, while it may bring sudden success does not and cannot augur well for the future. The reality of youth tournament is to plan for the future. This purpose would be absolutely defeated when over aged players are used for such competitions.
This, I believe is a major bane of football development in Nigeria. Over the years, we have always presented credible representations in major FIFA organized youth tournaments but the bubble always bust after some years when the players used in such meetings are nowhere to be found and neither can be compared to their contemporaries from other countries.
The simple reason for this is that we tend to use over aged players that are not qualified for the completion ab initio. Though we win at times, especially in the Under 17, we hardly can point to three out 18 players out of such squads after five years as doing well in any league in Europe where the action really is.
Anytime I’m opportune to see the likes of Xavi and Ronaldinho in action, I kept thinking of what could’ve been if we had followed rules to the latter.
If other nations can decide to do things in the right way, we cannot but be determined to be right in our decisions making process. After all, there is nothing anyone can do if the foundation is faulty. The best way is always the right way; those that fails to realize this ends up gnashing their teeth at the end of the day.
I have no doubt in my mind that we have the talents to confront anyone in world football. What is lacking? Direction, infrastructure and administration!
Once we decide as a people to put our country first, no one can conquer us. Yes! We are as blessed as that.
To be continually successful, we must eschew all the ingredients that brought us failures in the past. No man makes a good name for destroying a nation’s reputation but clear and well defined policies that stipulates process and procedures ensures everlasting glory.
We are a people of great potential and I know that we can stand our own anywhere in the world. All that is required is sincere leadership and right direction.
It is therefore save to conclude that the ball is in the courts of our leaders and they should play it well!
Topics: Nigerian Football, Success Pills |
January 19th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
All through the weekend most of the sports programms on air talk extensively on this same issue. One begin to wonder if our leaders, sport minister other individuals involved in the day to day running of sport in Nigeria get to hear other people’s opinion.
You have rightly said it all what we lack is direction, infastructure and administration.
Most young Nigerians that can fall into the U-17 category are either in the secondary schools or just fresh from secondary school.
The sport ministry owe this generation a duty of catching them young. What will it cost them to build academies/schools that will combine education with sports. Or better still provide an enabling enviroment for them in their present schools.
Nigeria as a country has got the resources to do this, we pray we get good sport adminisrators that will use these resources wisely.
The idle hand is the devil’s workshop they say, if the youth of this nation channel thier energy towards sports which I am sure over 80% of them will be interested in, crime rate will definitely reduce.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
No comment! you have said it all.
For the records however, Julius Aghahowa is now in Turkey. I even heard he’s one of the highest goal scorer….hahahahaha!
January 19th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Na una sabi oooooo. Truth or no truth, I intend to be invited to the Under 13, I am not sure I would survive the under 18 category; dem bone too strong. After all, na only 2 children I don born. All I need is a good razor, I will sahve off all this embarassing beard and I can easily pass off as under 13.
My goal is the house in Abuja and the Kia motor that I will be given. After all, all you complainers, are you better off today. How many houses or cars do you have.
Abeg, make una no bother anybody life oooo. You can start thsi propaganda after we win the next Under 13 world cup. (If una like make una go tell dem say I do almost reach 40 yrs). Oluwole passport still dey. I go deny all of una.