Allow Ex-Internationals Lead NFF
A sports administrator and football pundit in Rivers State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo makes a case for change of leadership in the Nigeria Football Federation, insisting that former international players with deep knowledge of the game should be allowed to run the NFF
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
A renowned football pundit and sports administrator in Rivers State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo, has canvassed a fundamental change in the leadership of Nigerian football, insisting that only former international players with deep knowledge of the game should be allowed to head the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Okonkwo made the call in an exclusive interview with journalist in Port Harcourt, where he expressed concern over the persistent decline of Nigerian football at both continental and global levels, arguing that the continuous appointment of politicians to head football administration in the country is unwise, unprofessional and largely responsible for Nigeria’s failure to reclaim its lost glory.
“Honestly, it is high time this idea of using mere politicians to become NFF president should be jettisoned if we really want to get the desired good result from our national teams, even at the national league level,” Okonkwo said.
He argued that football administration is a technical and specialised field that requires practical experience, passion and understanding of the game, qualities most politicians lack.
“For me, efforts should be geared towards ensuring that some ex-internationals who have the knowledge about the game and had at one time played, are drafted in to serve as football administrators instead of appointing politicians in the name of political patronage,” he stated.
The pundit lamented that Nigeria is blessed with a large pool of well-educated and exposed former internationals capable of administering the game, yet successive administrations have failed to integrate them into the system.
He cited examples of countries where former players have led their football federations to remarkable success, noting that those who have worn the national colours understand the pain, sacrifices and technical demands of the game better than outsiders.
Okonkwo stressed that the present system, where NFF leadership is determined more by political connections, godfather syndrome and financial muscle than by competence, cannot produce the desired results.
“Under politician-led administrations, Nigerian football has witnessed poor planning, lack of transparency in team selection, inadequate welfare for players and poor grassroots development, leading to embarrassing outings at major tournaments.
“Nigeria was once a force to be reckoned with in African football. We won the Africa Cup of Nations, we won Olympic gold in Atlanta ’96, we produced world-class stars who played in top clubs in Europe. Today, we struggle to qualify for tournaments we used to dominate, and our domestic league is in a sorry state. This is not by accident. It is the result of poor leadership,” he said.
Chief Okonkwo also advocated a review of the selection process for national teams. He said the Super Eagles should be built on a mixture of home-based players from the local league and a few passionate foreign-based players, adding, “Selection of Nigeria’s soccer teams should be a mixture of both home-based players from the local league and very few foreign-based players who are passionate and proud to wear Nigeria’s colours.”
According to him, over-reliance on foreign-based players has killed the local league and discouraged young talents at home. Giving home-based players opportunities, he argued, would boost the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), attract sponsors and bring fans back to stadiums.
He urged the Federal Government, the Ministry of Sports and football stakeholders to rescue Nigerian football from total collapse, adding that the NFF statutes and electoral guidelines should be amended to make a football background mandatory for anyone aspiring to become NFF president.
“And until all these anomalies are properly addressed, Nigerian football will continue to witness a downslide both in African tournaments and global events. What we lack is not talent. What we lack is good leadership, good planning and a genuine love for the game. If we put the right people in the right places, Nigeria will bounce back. Our football will rise again,” he concluded.
