2011 a year to forget in Nigeria
Devastated Eagles star Nsofor
Coach Amoo rejects 3SC offer
This outgoing year has been one of the country’s worst in terms of football results in recent memory
as the country’s teams stumbled from one defeat to the other, reports MTNFootball.com
Flying Eagles rule Africa but not the world
The only notable football achievement by the country in the outgoing year would be to some extent the exploits of the national U20 team, the Flying Eagles.
The Flying Eagles won the African Youth Championship in May in South Africa for a record sixth time, overcoming the likes of bitter rivals Ghana, Gambia and Cameroon on the way to glory.
The victory ensured the coach John Obuh side qualified for the U20 World Cup in Colombia, where they reached the last eight of the competition only to lose 3-2 to France in a thrilling encounter.
A little bit of luck and better tactics would have propelled the U20s to the last four in a country where they won millions of fans.
A nightmare not Dream Team in Morocco
Nicknamed the Dream Team V, the national U23 side put up a poor performance at the CAF U-23 Championship in Morocco, as they crashed out of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The team displayed one of the worst outings by any side from the country with an attack that lacked bite, a disco-ordinated midfield and a defence that buckled at the slightest threat.
After losing their first two group games to hosts Morocco and West African rivals Senegal, the team overwhelmed Algeria 4-1 in their final match but it was too little, too late as Senegal and Morocco advanced from the pool.
It prompted coach Austin Eguavoen’s immediate resignation and left a bitter taste of what could have been had the country secured the release of several of their players based in Europe.
All-conquering Falcons dumped
Six-time African champions Super Falcons dominance in the African women was first broken in 2008 when they first failed
to win the African Women Championship in Equatorial Guinea.
But they restored some confidence of sorts when they reclaimed the title last year in South Africa.
However, the Nigerian team, dominated by ageing players, were dealt a huge blow by rivals Ghana and Cameroon, who stopped coach Eucharia Uche’s team from qualifying for the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique, and next year’s Olympic Games in London, respectively.
The Falcons ouster came as a rude shock to a fanatical football nation because the women were always there to put smiles on faces of millions of supporters when the men fail to impress.
It was the first time the team failed to qualify for both competitions.
Siasia crashes with Eagles
Charismatic Samson Siasia was in November 2010 appointed as Super Eagles coach amid huge expectations by this football.ad country.
However, the former Nigeria striker’s fairytale story ended on a sad note in October as he failed to steer the national team to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year.
The Eagles needed a win over group leaders Guinea to qualify but instead they were held to a 2-2 draw in Abuja.
Siasia told a stunned nation that he didn’t know that a 2-1 win could have seen the Eagles through and thus opted to attack when they were leading with the margin (2-1).
The Guineans exploited the lapses in the Eagles defence to earn a 2-2 draw and march into next year’s edition of the continent’s football showpiece.
It was the first time in 25 years that Nigeria had failed to qualify for the Nations Cup.
After an acrimonious debate, Siasia, who lost control of his dressing room as well as the massive support of the fans, was axed and enter ‘Big Boss’ Stephen Keshi.
Enyimba, Sunshine Stars falter in final hurdle
Two-time African champions Enyimba and Sunshine Stars raised the hopes of Nigerians in the continent’s club competitions reaching the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, respectively.
Having lost the first leg of their semi-final clash 1-0 away to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca, the entire nation waited anxiously for the second leg, but ‘The People’s Elephant’ crashed out after they were held 0-0 by the North Africans.
Debutants Sunshine also crashed out 1-0 on aggregate to Tunisia’s Club Africain in the continent’s second-tier club competition.
Court cases after court cases
Against FIFA statutes, Nigerian football was dragged to civil court that by the last count there were over 35 such cases against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Bayelsa United chairman Victor Rumson Baribote was finally returned as chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) after an arbitration panel disqualified Davidson Owumi.
Amidst controversies surrounding last year’s NFF elections, a parallel body by the name “Nigerian Football Association” sprang up as the nation’s football continued to experience a decline.
Former league title sponsors are now the latest to go to court after the NPL board awarded a rival company the right to bankroll the championship for the next four years.
Flying Eagles rule Africa but not the world
The only notable football achievement by the country in the outgoing year would be to some extent the exploits of the national U20 team, the Flying Eagles.
The Flying Eagles won the African Youth Championship in May in South Africa for a record sixth time, overcoming the likes of bitter rivals Ghana, Gambia and Cameroon on the way to glory.
The victory ensured the coach John Obuh side qualified for the U20 World Cup in Colombia, where they reached the last eight of the competition only to lose 3-2 to France in a thrilling encounter.
A little bit of luck and better tactics would have propelled the U20s to the last four in a country where they won millions of fans.
A nightmare not Dream Team in Morocco
Nicknamed the Dream Team V, the national U23 side put up a poor performance at the CAF U-23 Championship in Morocco, as they crashed out of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The team displayed one of the worst outings by any side from the country with an attack that lacked bite, a disco-ordinated midfield and a defence that buckled at the slightest threat.
After losing their first two group games to hosts Morocco and West African rivals Senegal, the team overwhelmed Algeria 4-1 in their final match but it was too little, too late as Senegal and Morocco advanced from the pool.
It prompted coach Austin Eguavoen’s immediate resignation and left a bitter taste of what could have been had the country secured the release of several of their players based in Europe.
All-conquering Falcons dumped
Six-time African champions Super Falcons dominance in the African women was first broken in 2008 when they first failed
to win the African Women Championship in Equatorial Guinea.
But they restored some confidence of sorts when they reclaimed the title last year in South Africa.
However, the Nigerian team, dominated by ageing players, were dealt a huge blow by rivals Ghana and Cameroon, who stopped coach Eucharia Uche’s team from qualifying for the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique, and next year’s Olympic Games in London, respectively.
The Falcons ouster came as a rude shock to a fanatical football nation because the women were always there to put smiles on faces of millions of supporters when the men fail to impress.
It was the first time the team failed to qualify for both competitions.
Siasia crashes with Eagles
Charismatic Samson Siasia was in November 2010 appointed as Super Eagles coach amid huge expectations by this football.ad country.
However, the former Nigeria striker’s fairytale story ended on a sad note in October as he failed to steer the national team to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year.
The Eagles needed a win over group leaders Guinea to qualify but instead they were held to a 2-2 draw in Abuja.
Siasia told a stunned nation that he didn’t know that a 2-1 win could have seen the Eagles through and thus opted to attack when they were leading with the margin (2-1).
The Guineans exploited the lapses in the Eagles defence to earn a 2-2 draw and march into next year’s edition of the continent’s football showpiece.
It was the first time in 25 years that Nigeria had failed to qualify for the Nations Cup.
After an acrimonious debate, Siasia, who lost control of his dressing room as well as the massive support of the fans, was axed and enter ‘Big Boss’ Stephen Keshi.
Enyimba, Sunshine Stars falter in final hurdle
Two-time African champions Enyimba and Sunshine Stars raised the hopes of Nigerians in the continent’s club competitions reaching the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, respectively.
Having lost the first leg of their semi-final clash 1-0 away to Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca, the entire nation waited anxiously for the second leg, but ‘The People’s Elephant’ crashed out after they were held 0-0 by the North Africans.
Debutants Sunshine also crashed out 1-0 on aggregate to Tunisia’s Club Africain in the continent’s second-tier club competition.
Court cases after court cases
Against FIFA statutes, Nigerian football was dragged to civil court that by the last count there were over 35 such cases against the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Bayelsa United chairman Victor Rumson Baribote was finally returned as chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) after an arbitration panel disqualified Davidson Owumi.
Amidst controversies surrounding last year’s NFF elections, a parallel body by the name “Nigerian Football Association” sprang up as the nation’s football continued to experience a decline.
Former league title sponsors are now the latest to go to court after the NPL board awarded a rival company the right to bankroll the championship for the next four years.
It is indeed a bad year for Nigerian football. This present NFF members is the worst set especially the technical department led by Chris Green. They should bow their heads in SHAME and step dwn.
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