First published in the Nigerian Compass of Tuesday 13th July, 2010.
IN my last column, I hailed Mr. President on his popular decision to ‘self-ban’ Nigerian national teams from international engagements for two years. I also mentioned that, FIFA’s ban was imminent that day as it has decided to impose a ban on Nigeria if Nigerian authorities failed to reverse their stand and toe the line of the world soccer body. I had predicted that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan would not be swayed into recanting his words as he had earlier threatened that ‘Nigeria is a sovereign country and will not bow to pressure to surrender its sovereignty to a mere body’. But, as we witnessed, Jonathan ate his words and could not stand his ground. He failed in the last minute to impose his views. Though, stakeholders hailed him for going against himself, but prosperity is here to judge him. I have decided to be indifferent on the matter, but having done a piece last week on the same issue, praising Jonathan, I think it worthwhile to address the latest development. This is of course the latest policy somersault in the history of this country.
On Sunday, the first World Cup ended with Spain carting home the biggest prize in world soccer. African countries were disappointing in the campaign, with the exception of Ghana- who, with its thin arms, shouldered the big responsibility of the entire Black countries by reaching the quarter finals. Nigeria with other African countries fell like packs of cards when it mattered. None of the African teams went past the preliminary stages. More worrisome, is Nigeria, as this concerns me more than the others. Nigeria, coming from the backdrop that the erstwhile coach, Amodu Shaibu, was sacked on the eve of the mundial, gave too little to be remembered for. They could not fight and as a result, like their country, somersaulted!
It is high time Nigerians knew that whatever they do will be history at some point in the future and that posterity will judge us. At the end of the soccer showpiece, Nigerian striker, ‘Yaku-boo’ Aiyegbeni, was voted as the striker with the worst miss in the world cup history behind one striker in the 1930s. The Everton striker missed an open chance that could have put his team in the second round of the competition and maybe won the sympathy of their enemies. He had the net at his mercy but somersaulted terribly by kicking the ball away from the goalpost. He reminded me of a friend, who once said that most of the lads we took to South Africa are unreliable and anybody desiring to live long should just put his mind off any expectation from the Super Eagles. He also added that some of them can kick penalties in to throw-in. If you understand the structure of the pitch, that is a terrible thing to think. But Aiyegbeni proved him right by missing that chance. I then start to have the feeling that it was deliberate for nature to want Nigeria and other African countries to fail because their homes are not in order. This is strictly my thinking. Maybe, if Nigeria were better managed, our national teams would not have faltered uncontrollably as they are doing. A sportswriter’s version is that it was because Amodu was sacked that we lost woefully.
Holding tightly to my belief, most countries performance in soccer or sports generally, or even in many other areas, are true reflections of how well their country is managing itself. Most of these things cannot be done in isolation. It’s like searching for a good leader and the citizens are bad. You cannot get it. Knowing fully well that these leaders must emerge from among the populace; then looking forward to such will only amount to futility. A country’s performance in international conference, meet, event or any other gathering will surely be a reflection of what is happening domestically in such country. Taking us back a little; in an earlier piece, this columnist x-rayed Ghana as an emerging force on the African continent in all ramifications. But Ghana was once in a similar position as Nigeria. Their economy was not growing; Ghanaian leaders were as selfish, if not more than, Nigerian leaders; Ghanaians were running away from their country to anywhere as Nigerians are doing presently; Ghanaians were being persecuted everywhere because of vices they take anywhere they go as Nigerians specialize now; education, sports, economy were all in bad shape; and poverty was written all over the old Gold Coast. What did they do? Clear the debris called leaders off the way for a new Ghana. Someone was told a gathering that Jerry Rawlings gave the then looters of Ghana ample notice to return the loot back to treasury, but they refused, and he then had no choice but to apply the ‘Rawlings treatment’. We have severally recommended similar treatment for our dear country. But each time we move it, the looters move fast. But look at Ghana today; American President, Barack Obama, in his earliest days in office, visited Ghana and came out strongly to say that Ghana is a model for other African countries. No wonder, 80 percent of the closed 820 firms that left Nigeria went to Ghana. Ghana will soon celebrate five years of uninterrupted power. Just last year, Ghana won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, reached the final of the African nations Cup in Angola and was in touching distance to reaching the semi-final of the world cup. A last minute penalty miss by Asamoah Gyan was their undoing because if he had converted that spot kick, Ghana would have had a very good chance of making the final of the event and wjo knows, could have ended up as champions. These feats are not miraculous. It is often argued that the bset foreign policy is a strong domestic policy. If our house is not put in order, no matter the amount of taxpayers’ money we spend, we will still miss out. This country has somersaulted enough and we cannot afford to continue like this.
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