Nigerian Football
FOOTBALL ICON, ODEGBAMI MAKES PASSIONATE APPEAL OVER HIS GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDACY
Former Nigeria national football team captain and a continental icon, Segun Odegbami who has ventured into politics, has sent a passionate appeal to members of the sports community for support.
He is a candidate for governorship seat of Ogun State on the platform of Zenith Labour Party. His appeal in the form of an open letter to the sports constituency reads:
My dear Friends in Sports,
Some months ago, I took a major step that you all are likely to be aware of. I joined the train of Nigerian politics.
I understand the reaction of most of you in keeping a respectable distance from my unilateral decision by not openly associating with it in anyway, or even expressing an opinion, one way or the other. You all may also already have your political interests and affiliation.
I believe that had I informed you, or sought your opinion on the matter, it is most probable that you would have advised me to avoid the temptation, by all means, and not ventured to enter into the Lion’s den of Nigerian politics.
You would probably have correctly reminded me of our past general understanding of the relation between sports and politics. They never worked well together.
Strategically, those were the sentiments I did not want to hear at all at the time I took my decision.
Nigerian politics are not of the sort that, as a sportsman, an Olympian for that matter, I would ordinarily want to be associated with – the graft, the lies, the corruption, the intimidation, the treachery and betrayals, even killings -conducts and tendencies that do not work well with the values that we espouse in competitive sport – merit, transparency, equity, excellence, healthy competitiveness, fair play, clear rules and regulations, winning and losing graciously, friendship, discipline, honesty, equality, and integrity.
On the value scale, Sports and Politics are planets apart from each other.
So, for me to have unilaterally plunged into this obvious murky minefield means there must be more to my decision than meets the ordinary eye. Yes, indeed, there is.
The separation of Sport from politics in Nigeria has been responsible, in the main, for the stunted growth of an industry that should be thriving with the abundance of natural talent available. Sport has the capacity to make Nigeria a global superpower.
Through sport we could have united Nigerian people better, ‘laundered the image of the country better, taken a lot of our young boys and girls off the tracks of illiteracy, joblessness, drugs, prostitution, crime and uncontrolled emigration, and prepared them to pursue happiness through a sector they have a passion for, that engages them, creates global job opportunities for them,makes them healthy, wealthy and wise, empowers them, and imbibes in them the best of human values.
What we do now is deny the entire demography of young people entry into the opportunities to be productive on a global scale because of our myopic optic of the power of sport.
Through the decades, sport has continued to show the world glimpses of its ability to breakdown racial, social and religious barriers, and, through strategic deployment of its power and followership, to drive economic, political and cultural goals that can help in transforming Nigeria.
We have said a great deal through the years but have failed to move from ‘talk’ to ‘walk’.
Sport remains a wasting natural resource in Nigeria.
Previous political leaders have lacked the understanding to use it to drive national goals of development beyond winning athletic medals and trophies.
Intermittently between 1960 and 1980, Nigeria was actually on the right trajectory. The Olympics Games of 1980 was an unfortunate tipping point.
Since then, sport has been getting only the short end of the stick of government’s attention. Successive changes in government and in sports administration left the field with a deficit of human capacity and the vision to advance the cause.
Since then, major experienced and knowledgeable stakeholders have never been in position ofpower to influence, or even implement, their visions and ideas.
Sport,therefore, needs the fuel of political power to be able to burn brightly. Sport needs political power to will facilitate and implement advancement and development of the sector.
Sport is a driver as well as major contributor to the national economy, culture, tourism, diplomacy, infrastructural development, youth engagement and empowerment, and so on.
Since I ended my career as an active sports person, I have experienced the roles that sport can play in all the above sectors. In the eternal words of late Nelson Mandela in 1995, sport has the power to change the world.
There is a glaring disconnect between sport and government in taking advantage of what sport offers Nigeria and its army of youths in every cranny passionate about sport but wasting like beautiful flowers in the desert.
We cannot,therefore, stay away from politics and expect that things will change. Nothing will change unless we go in there and effect the change ourselves.
It is as simple as that. That’s my motivation for daring to break away from the norm and enter the lion’s den.
You all know me and my antecedents in and out of sport.
I have always being the ‘guinea pig’ in my own various ventures in sport, using the results of my work as testimonies of their efficacy, or failure.
Either way, the important thing has always been that I did something rather than prevaricate and play ‘siddon look’.
So, I am venturing again into politics, a new and unfamiliar terrain. I have painfully found out, to my chagrin, that it poses an exciting new kind of challenge that,with the support of my major constituencies (sport and the media), we can,together, surmount, make a difference and possibly change our world.
I assure you I am not motivated by vaulting ambition for power.
Neither is this a quest to amass wealth.
My intention is simple – to use sport, a territory I am very familiar with and for which I am eminently qualified, to drive a national development agenda.
I choose to start ‘small’, to emulate our ‘brother’, George Opong Weah of Liberia, and plant a political seed that will germinate quickly to establish in Ogun State the foundation of a new political paradigm in Nigeria.
My mission is that Ogun State will become the take-off point of a revolution using the power of sports and other related fields of entertainment that includes culture, music, arts, film, dance, drums, literature, hospitality, theatre and leisure, among others to initiate and undertake the fastest national development program driven by youths, in our history.
Starting from Ogun State, we can replicate the model and establish a continent-wide renaissance, an unaccomplished dream of Africa’s founding political fathers atIndependence from colonial rule around 60 years ago.
Their goal was to reclaim the dignity, respect and equality for the Black Race and Africans in the world.
In the general architecture of the world today, those goals can be attained quickly only through a cultural revolution, deploying the energy and passion for the arts, culture and sports to drive productivity and innovation, building an industry in the process that will be the fastest and most effective transformative tool in the world.
That’s why I am attempting, even against all the odds, to become the next governor of Ogun State where I come from.
I intend to use the State as both a laboratory and a launch pad, working with the best brains and talents across the sectors to make this dream become reality.
I shall soon have an interactive session with all members of our sports family in order to share my vision and mission in Ogun State. But until that happens, I am writing this to crave your understanding and support.
This is going o be a very daunting task, but I assure you that Sport has prepared me adequately for the challenges ahead. To me, ‘failure’ does not exist.
The will to win is the essential tonic that drives the spirit of hard work, single-mindedness, commitment, determination, never-say-die attitude, teamwork, humility, fair play, decency, honesty, integrity, discipline and dedication to the cause.
My ‘campaign’ started subtly a few days ago.
I am contesting for governorship of Ogun State. The party platform I am using is Zenith Labour Party. It is a new party, the last to be registered by INEC, the last party logo on the ballot paper, an empty structure waiting to soak in persons that embrace our simple motto – ThePeople, Our Priority.
I did not join any of the other major parties in order to be able to get to this point where I can even contest without carrying any existing or future burdens as result ofGodfather(s), political patrons, political funders and investors, and so on.
We are setting up new structures across the State, populated by disenfranchised people, people living with physical disabilities, civil servants, retirees, restless youths,women, and the elderly.
I humbly invite you to support me in any way, join me, or simply just watch me without shooting me down.
Your compatriot,
Segun Odegbami
Nigerian Football
NFF cuts Enyimba’ point haul by two
Two points have been chalked off from the 55 that Enyimba currently have after 32 match days.
This is sequel to the decision of the NFF disciplinary committee which upturned the victory that Enyimba had over Doma United in a March 10 game.
The match was disrupted after 88 minutes with the scoreline at 0-0. Then Enyimba scored a goal which was initially admitted, then the referee consulted with the Assistant Referee 1 who raised his flag for an offside positioning. The referee agreed that the goal was scored from an offside position.
The referee was faulted for using an unorthodox means of consulting an Outside Broadcasting Van outside the stadium main bowl to arrive at a decision.
The NFF has therefore ruled that the result of the match at the point of the restart of the game after over ruling the goal scored as offside is hereby upheld at (0-0).
Enyimba though still second, are tied on points with Remo Stars as both have the same points and goal difference. Remo Stars which secured a double over Enyimba in the on-going league.
Remo Stars also have a game at hand.
Nigerian Football
Finidi George begins race against time
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is 34 days to the match that will possibly shape Finidi George’s career as the new helmsman on the saddle of Super Eagles’ technical crew.
The Nigeria- South Africa will shape the Super Eagles’ destiny in the qualifying series for the World Cup 2026. Dropping of points in the match will be injurious as the Super Eagles began the race last November in the fashion of coal-propelled locomotive and are now third on the log of a six-team field.
What will put the Super Eagles back into reckoning will be the amassing of the six-points available in the home game with South Africa and the away duel with Benin Republic.
Encounters with South Africa have always evoke deep rooted passion and tension. Will an overtly self-effacing Finidi George be able to soak the looming tension?
Details of his contract is not known and may never been known as it is against the norm in Nigeria for the monetary value of footballers and managers to be revealed.
Also not known are the other members of his technical crew, whether imposed or nominated by the new manager.
Will he be solely responsible to draw up the list for the twin match with South Africa and Benin Republic?
Will he keep on with his current role at Enyimba which is at the cusp of possible 10th league title?
All these issues have to be straightened out today before we have another Paradise loss and have to be relegated to the spectators’ stands when the enlarged World Cup 2026 gets underway.
It is on record that Finidi George’s goal earned Nigeria their first berth at the World Cup. Will he repeat the deed by qualifying Nigeria to the World Cup as a manager?
Time and actions will tell.
Nigerian Football
Finidi George becomes Nigeria’s 41st national coach
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
After two matches last March in which Nigeria Super Eagles won one and lost the other, the Nigeria Football Federation Finidi George has been judged as the right man for the vacant Super Eagles job.
He thus become the 41st person to occupy the position since the adhoc engagement of John Finch, former Fulham winger in 1949. According to a press release by the NFF, the board of the federation on Monday approved the recommendation of its technical development committee to appoint Finidi George as Head Coach of the Super Eagles.
George who belong to the Nigeria Golden Generation of Super Eagles of 1994 spent 20 months as assistant to José Santos Peseiro.
In his baptism as an interim national coach, his squad edged Ghana 2-1, ending an 18-year winless streak against the Black Stars, but then lost 0-2 to Mali in the second game. The loss to Mali was the first time Nigeria had been beaten by Mali since 1972.
As a national team player, George is best known as the player whose goal qualified Nigeria for the World Cup for the first time ever.
It was a goal scored against Algeria on 8 October 1993 – incidentally it was the 44th anniversary of Nigeria’s maiden international match played against Sierra Leone in 1949.
Finidi played 60 times for Nigeria and was Nigeria’s 40th scoring debutant when he came as a substitute in a 7-1 defeat of Burkina Faso on 27 July 1991.
He is a winner with the Super Eagles at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nation and featured at the World Cup at the USA ‘94 and France ’98.
Incidentally, his major task now is to qualify Nigeria to another World Cup in the USA and two other nations. The match is 35 days away from this Monday.
-
CAF Confederation Cup6 days ago
Nigeria’s Samson Adamu signs Algeria’s USM match forfeiture
-
Boxing2 days ago
Nigeria sports minister set for ’bout’ with Bash Ali
-
CAF Confederation Cup6 days ago
BREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane
-
Nigerian Football1 day ago
Finidi George becomes Nigeria’s 41st national coach
-
African Games6 days ago
BREAKING! Accra 2023 African Games Chieftain is dead
-
Premier League7 days ago
Five-Star Arsenal hammer Chelsea to move three points clear at the top
-
Nigerian Football4 days ago
Remo Stars close to winning their first Nigeria Premier League title
-
Governing Bodies5 days ago
What FIFA frowns at in Africa holds in Spain as government takes over FA