SPORT PUNCHES: Amodu deserves another chance

Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15; 2009, are dates sports loving Nigerians will not forget soon. I will not, because these were two days in which God proved beyond doubt that he is indeed a Nigerian and His love for Nigeria has no limits. To Him be all the glory and praise and honour.

As a result, issues concerning the miraculous qualification of the Eagles - Super or not - for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa and the well-deserved victory of the boys from Switzerland, over the men from Nigeria, will take centre stage for a while. Nigeria lost painfully. Is it not instructive that the only defeat recorded by Obuh and his men came at the very final match of the corruption-infested FIFA-organised age-grade football competition?

Let Amodu stay

Let me quickly sound a note of warning. Remove Shaibu Amodu as the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles and forget about any good thing emanating from the 2010 Cup of Nations scheduled to hold in Angola. We will deo volente, address issues concerning the World Cup very soon. Except God decides otherwise, Amodu must be allowed to handle the 2010 Cup of Nations.

A labourer is worthy of his wages and I make bold to state unequivocally that this labourer named Amodu Shaibu - hired by the Nigerian Football Federation not the Presidential Task Force has laboured to ensure that the green and white flags of this great Nation are flown in various South African stadiums, during the FIFA 2010 World Cup finals.

Regular readers of this column will remember how I felt about some of Amodu’s antics and careless comments, especially before and after the Nigeria/Tunisia match in Abuja. I felt so concerned, I called on him to resign honourably. So many other Nigerians felt the way I did. But Amodu held on. Great guy, I must say, because winners never quit, they hold on, no matter how turbulent the crisis. We may not like his style. He may seem too soft or conservative. We may even believe that he is bereft of contemporary scientific coaching techniques.

Some of us say he is very proud, morally incapable of handling the Super Eagles, and not spiritual enough for such an assignment. Such criticisms seem endless. But in truth, is there any one of us critics who is perfect? No, some of us are even worse than Amodu in our various places of assignment. A lot of us asking for the head of Amodu are not only ingrates, but bankrupt. No wonder God Himself says in His holy book, that the heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it.

Amodu’s record speaks

Haba, check the records of all the coaches - globally - who participated in the recent World Cup qualifiers, and mention just one with a better result than Shaibu’s, given the harsh administrative environment within which he operated. He played 12 matches; won 9 of them, drew 3, and conceded 5 goals. I challenge anyone to a live national radio/TV debate on this issue.

By the way, is Shaibu responsible for the systemic decline in Nigeria’s football? Is he not a product of the corrupt structure operating in Nigeria? Is he responsible for the non- existence of an effective sports (football) development policy in this great Country? Is Shaibu responsible for the very shameful lack of a properly structured succession programme for our aging Eagles? Is he responsible for the inadequate welfare package of the Nigerian Football Federation?

Advice to Task Force members

My advice to the members of the Presidential Task Force (we hear not all of them are involved) clamouring for a foreign coach - white, pink or black - is to please retract such statements. Please encourage Amodu and his boys, otherwise sack Amodu and disband the entire team. Get your magician from the foreign land and give him the mandate to produce a new set of players for the January 2010 Cup of Nations . I believe this is possible, what I cannot guarantee is the result of such an experiment. If it is the will of God, it will succeed.

But if the plan is to remove Amodu and bring a foreign coach to tinker this same set of the Eagles, it may end as a disaster. A mix of the so called U-20 and the U-17 players may successfully take over from our aging Eagles.

Perhaps, there may be a need to import the foreign coach and give him enough time to build his team. I proffer this to satisfy both parties.

U-17 nuisance

Enough is enough with this age-grade football competition as is administered in Nigeria. Age cheating jeopardises investment in youth development and therefore has a significant negative effect on football development. Age falsification is evil, demonic, and from the throne room of the devil. It is nothing less than mortgaging the future of the country to Satan. It does not provide positive opportunities for young players to learn, play and enjoy the game of football.

It does not encourage those of us involved in and committed to preparing millions of children and teenagers in this country for future leadership roles through football and education. Age falsification will not assist in the reduction of poverty and crime in Nigeria. It is already abetting all forms of immorality. It is a travesty of the nobility of the greatest vocation on earth called football, moreso, when it is alleged that a Prophet is involved. May God have mercy on Nigeria, Amen.