By Mike Ahamba, SAN
I am writing this piece on the threatened future of our National Soccer team, and their trainer Germot Rohr. I have read many articles and statements relating to our National Football Coach: whether to be or not to be. This is not the first time such hasty and ill-considered view was imposed on our National Coaches; and whenever such inducement successfully occurred, the result was the same-failure. Before I delve into recent history, let me remind everyone of the plot to remove Stephen Keshi of blessed memory even during African Nations Cup finals, and to replace him with the Zambian Coach in the unfortunate belief that Stephen Keshi could not take the team to any reasonable distance at that competition. But as fate would have it, Nigeria won in the Cup that year, and even beat Zambia whose Coach was to replace Keshi. The anti-Keshi activists tucked their ‘tails’ in-between their legs, like humiliated dogs. Since then none of the ‘preferred’ Coaches has won the nations cup for us after Keshi.
Now let us consider relevant history.
Remember Troussier who qualified our team for the 1998 World Cup in France? He was not allowed to take our boys to that World Cup because, according to newspaper reports, he had introduced a different style of play from that to which our boys were used. But he qualified our team for the competition with that same style of play. So he had to go as if that his style was not a winning style. Thereafter, Troussier led Mali to the finals of the under 20 junior World Cup played in Nigeria; but Nigeria was bundled out in the first round playing with the only style to which we were used.
When Trousier left, our faithful Amodu Shuibu whose faithfulness was hardly acknowledged was put in-charge. But he was not considered good enough for the job. So another Coach whose only credential was that he had coached Costa Rica and the United States. At least history would show that we are beyond those two nations in football. That Coach led us to a disastrous outing in France. Our patriotic Amodu Shuibu was brought back, and led our team to the qualification for the 2002 World Cup in Korea. His mandate was known to every football lover who cared to know: Lead Nigeria to the Semi-final of the 2002 Nations Cup, and lead the team to qualify for the World Cup. He accomplished both. What then was his offence? The only visible one was that his team did not beat Senegal. I firmly submit that Senegal survived Nigeria because their goalkeeper, Silver, was at his best on that occasion. A Coach who trained his boys to the extent that they kept the opponent’s goalkeeper very busy has, in my opinion, done his job. The failure to score may be that the strikers either did not strike well or were unlucky. But our team that played Semi-final as mandated and had qualified for the World Cup was disbanded, and a Coach, the only coaching credential of whom I know was that he coached the I.I.C.C Football Club, the seventies, Chief Onigbinde, was chosen to take our team to Korea. This ‘better than Amodu Coach’ left full back Udeze, alone under severe pressure (I think it was against England) while the medics attended to Taribo-West, which treatment, from my own calculation, lasted nearly fifteen minutes. In the process, Udeze, in his desperation, fouled a striker from the adversary and committed a penalty which saw us out. Was the withdrawal of Amodu Shuibu and Assistant Stephen Keshi necessary after the Nation Cup finals in Mali necessary after they had fulfilled their contractual mandate? I thought, and still think that it was not.
Now we are at it again!
Rohr, the current Coach has qualified us for the Nations Cup, and World Cup qualification is still on-going. Is he in breach of his mandate? Definitely not. Playing a draw with Cape Verde is no such breach, or good cause. After all their Basket Ball team also beat the D’Tigers of Nigeria, the reigning African Champions. We should rather take notice that the competence of a team is not measured by the size of the Country, and that every nation has become serious with the preparation of the National team, unlike what we do here.
I suggest that Rohr be left to complete his mandate. If he does not do well at the Nation’s Cup competition, those who are eager to enter into a fresh negotiation for a technical adviser may then have their way. Nigeria’s football terrain is everything but smooth. Where shall we get the soccer magician to meander us through in one month?
As at now, I do not see any justification for the distraction being created for Mr. Rohr. The interest here does not begin and end in the Ministry of Sports and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF). We are all interested and involved! Let us not run our sports in breach of agreements, as we have been running this Country with glaring negative effect on the well-being of our country and its people. Please, leave Rohr to finish his contractual mandate which he has so far not breached. In every sport, you win some, and lose some.
• Ahamba, a legal luminary writes from Owerri, Imo State