The NFA Strikes Again

The Nigerian Football Association (NFA) is something alright. I have always marveled at their consistent ability to get exactly nothing right. My first recollection of this peculiar power was an ill-fated bid to host the 2002 World Cup that was over before it even began due to “administrative issues” = “We screwed up.” At the time, no one fussed as much because there was never any chance that we were gonna get to host the games anyways.

Fast-forward to 2006, Nigeria has just narrowly missed out on going to Germany and the coach comes out to say that they’ll have to cancel a friendly with Ghana because he did not know about it and he would not have enough time to raise a team. I was shocked to the point of incoherence. How could such a situation even be possible? I still do not have a good answer.

What does any of this have to do with anything, you ask? Well, the NFA is once again living up to its reputation. See Vincent Enyeama and Ikechukwu Uche vent their frustrations to BBC Sport because someone in Abuja could not be bothered to send out a couple of letters on time. Given the quality and fitness of the young players we have right now, Nigeria has a really good shot at the gold medal. Should not all our efforts be directed at making this possible? Instead we have some blubbering blustering about how FIFA has to intervene. Well, Mr. Ademola Olajire, if y’all had done your jobs in the first place, there would be no need for FIFA’s intervention, would there?

I apologize to all for this ranting screed, but I wonder sometimes how Nigeria preserves its reputation as a football powerhouse with such an ineffectual and sometimes destructive FA. Can you imagine just how far the Super Eagles could go with competent management? My heart breaks at the very thought.