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Jude Agbeyeke
The Director General of the National Institute for Sports, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu has decried the poor performances on display at the just concluded Nigeria President Federations Cup finals which saw El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri beating Ikorodu City Football Club of Lagos by a lone goal.
Rt. Hon. Shaibu who spoke to journalist at the Iconic Steven Keshi International Stadium Asaba after the match described the encounter as drab and the worst Federations Cup finals in recent times saying it was evident that there was something wrong with Nigerian football at the moment.
The former Deputy Governor of Edo State averred that the poor performances also displayed in the female final which saw Nasarawa Amazon of Lafia defeating Heartland Queens of Owerri in a penalty shoot out was a further testament to how far Nigerian football had fallen.
He said both matches did not live up to the standard of a Federations Cup Final and called on stakeholders in the Football industry to join hands in revising the dwindling standard of football in the country.
The NIS Director General said it had become imperative for all hands to be on deck in the quest to reposition and redirect the football sector as it remained pivotal to the development of future of the young talents that abound in the country.
He warned that if urgent steps were not taken, it would get to a stage when only Nigerian footballers in diaspora would be representing the country even in age grade competitions thereby leaving those born in the country little or no chance of exporting their talents.
Rt. Hon. Shaibu therefore called on the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigeria Referees Association, the Nigeria Coaches Association, the Nigerian media, the private sector and all relevant stakeholders in the industry to join hands in saving Nigerian football.
He assured that the NIS would play it’s part in working with the stakeholders towards producing sound technical hands that would drive the revival through modern coaching techniques as well as enhancing the knowledge of the game through quality researches and interactions with international bodies.
The former Insurance of Benin striker said the rejuvenation was not only needed in Nigerian football but across the nations sports sector stressing that talents abound in the country but the platforms needed to put them at par with their counterparts on the global stage was lacking in the country.
