Veteran footballer, John Fashanu, says the current form of the Super Eagles is not impressive to him.
Fashanu spoke in an interview with sports journalists at the
inauguration of the first ever Sports University in Idumuje-Ugboko,
Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta.
According to him, Coach Sunday Oliseh, still has the challenge of turning the team around to make it a team to beat.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fashanu called on the national team followers to be patient with the team.
He appealed to Nigeria’s football administrators to remain focused and give the needed direction to achieve the desired result.
“Super Eagles have not impressed me at all lately. I will not say the
appointment of Oliseh was bad, it is a challenge; he has not had that
position before.
“But we have to step up because the country now is moving backwards in terms of football in FIFA rankings.
“We are at the lowest end; it has never been like that. That means
somebody at the top must do something,’’ Fashanu said. He also chided
Oliseh on a statement widely credited to him in the media.
“People say when we gave Sunday the job, he said he is not the
messiah. Only one job is harder than being a Super Eagles coach in this
country and that is being the President.
“So, if you are not ready to be the messiah, you better step down
because being a Supper Eagles Coach, it means you have the second
hardest job in this country.
“You have to bear the responsibilities because nobody cares that you
have never had that job before,’’ he said. Fashanu said that football
funding should be the prerogative of the people, private sector and not
government anymore.
He said that the private sector would ensure accountability; noting that football is business and should be treated as such.
Fashanu also decried the poor attendance at football matches in
Nigeria, saying most stadiums were almost empty during crucial domestic
league matches.
He said that his earlier call for the nomination and election of
former Gov. Orji Uzo Kalu of Abia as the next FIFA president was because
he was a successful businessman.
The ex-soccer star said that the NFF should have waded into the FIFA
presidency issues by asking either Segun Odegbami or Kalu to step down
and getting support for one of them.
He expressed dissatisfaction that at the end of the screening for
contestants wishing to become the next FIFA president, Nigeria lost out
because
“NFF failed to take a critical decision’’ on the matter.
According to him, there is a lot of politics in football.
“So, if you are not a politician, you don’t have business in
football. Let everybody not believe that because you have a very
successful football career, you will be a good football manager.
“It does not work like that because some football managers in the
world have never kicked the ball, yet are very successful in football
management.
“But the likelihood is that you will understand the game more if you actually played it.
“That I played over 2,000 matches and scored over 500 goals does not
mean that I was going to be a good football manager. Football coaching
is about managing players,’’ Fashunu said.
He commended a former lawmaker from Delta, Mr Ned Nwoko, for his
resolve to establish a Sports University in Idumuje-Ugboko, his
hometown.
Fashanu said Nwoko’s initiative would help to grow sports at the grassroots.
“I am here in Delta to be a part of the biggest dream come true by my
brother and friend, Ned Nwoko, who had proposed to build a Sports
University in the state.
“I am sure this is the only Sport University in the whole of Africa. I want to be a part of this history,” Fashunu said.
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