Nigeria failed to pick the ticket to the global fiesta after losing out on away-goal rule to Ghana in the crucial decider
Former Secretary-General of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Dr Tijani Yusuf has lamented the significant loss that the country will record following the Super Eagles' inability to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Super Eagles seemingly had home advantage in their favour after drawing 0-0 against the Black Stars in Kumasi in the first leg of the World Cup playoffs on March 25.
But the Augustine Eguavoen-led side limped to a lame 1-1 draw in Abuja on Tuesday to hand Ghana the ticket to the Mundial. The last time Nigeria did not participate in the World Cup was in 2006, with the three-time Afcon champions featuring at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 editions.
Dr Yusuf is disappointed that the Super Eagles missed the chance to bring in considerable benefits to various stakeholders with that qualifying ticket.
The senior lecturer at the Bayero University Kano insists that everyone, from the Nigeria Football Federation to the players, down to the fans, has something to lose from the Eagles' elimination.
When asked, during an interview with the Daily Trust, how much Nigeria stand to lose by not qualifying for the World Cup, Dr Yusuf responded, “The loss is enormous.
“To start with, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) itself has lost billions of naira that would have come to it from FIFA. Secondly, Nigeria’s ranking by FIFA would have gone up.
“Thirdly, the players themselves are the biggest losers because apart from missing the World Cup showpiece, their individual ranking won’t improve. Then we talk about Nigerians who were warming up to hit Qatar for the World Cup. It is a huge loss.”
Following the disappointment of the Super Eagles' World Cup elimination, the NFF moved quickly to dismiss caretaker coach Eguavoen and his assistants, Emmanuel Amuneke, Joseph Yobo, and Alloy Agu.
But despite calls from different quarters, the top officials of the NFF, including President Amaju Pinnick, have refused to resign.
Dr Yusuf is bewildered that Pinnick has not done the most honourable thing expected of a man who failed to deliver on his mandate.
“Like Distinguished Senator Orji Uzor Kalu said, they should all resign,” the University don added.
“This is the time for the government to step in. In a normal situation, the first person who should have tendered his resignation honourably is the NFF president. If it were in other climes, Pinnick should have resigned immediately.
“But in Nigeria, people don’t resign; they are pushed out by force. I expect him to resign together with his board members; he has done his best, but it is not good enough so let him resign immediately.”
Africa will be represented at Qatar 2022 by Afcon winners Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, Cameroon, and Ghana.
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Pinnick will not resign. He is a common Warri thug who should never have been allowed anywhere near football administration of a country like Nigeria. Jonathan was the one that brought him to prominence as part of his penchant for parochialism and cronyism (something Jonathan’s terrible administration was known for). He will end up in jail eventually. The NFF was used for money laundering and player marketing, and Pinnick, Eguavoen et al were all in on it. They kept trying to force the players they were trying to market on Rohr and he refused and that was why they sabotaged, and ultimately fired him (I am not a fan of Rohr btw, but the truth still needs to be told). The truth will come out. Not just the NFF. But also the certified crook that heads CAF (Motsepe) and Infantino at FIFA. They are the most corrupt administrators ever. They make Blatter and Hayatou look like choir boys.
When the ovation is loud enough. I wonder why people hold on to something. It’s just a shame. Dr. Yusuf you are right people don’t resign in Nigeria unless they are disgraceful pushed out. Their best is not good enough for Nigeria
I used to think Ammunike would make a fine SE coach, but his conduct after this Ghana “loss” has changed my mind. No player will ever play or go all out for a coach that singles out his wards when things go wrong. Is Emmanuel Dennis ‘not tracking back’ the reason why NIGERIA was eliminated from WC contention or was it the absolute lack of tactical acumen and deplorable in-game mismanagement by a technical team bereft of ideas that led to our elimination. And Amokachi also talked about how the boys did not want it bad enough and that they lacked desire. I actually believe that the best thing any new administrators can do going forward, is to keep the so-called ‘94 class away from our current and future crop of SE. That ‘94 set are nothing but a bunch of opportunists and leaches. They need to let these young boys be. Pinnick and his corrupt board of money launderers and player-agents must resign as they can’t carry on as if nothing happened.
The solution of Super Eagles technical and tactical decline or deterioration is to set up a conferance for technical experts to discuss SE failure on Afcon. in Cameroon and WCQ this year ; I think the the main cause SE do not play a defensive style or lack of defensive mentality , so the solution is to play a defensive one than to depend on attacking pressing and leave back line without protection; hire a France or Serbian tacticians who can bring strong and combative defensive midfielders from NPLF or from abroad ; also bring strong and combative centre backs who can be strong arsenal for SE back line; the mistakes or errors which exited out SE from 16 round of Afcon. in Cameroon is a unright coverage by defensive midfielders or pressing on miseakni to tackle the ball from him; also on Ghana match SE defensive midfielders granted Party a distance to shoot the ball inward to Uzoho without any prassing or strong tackling to intercept the ball from him. So I think bringing excellent defensive midfielders who have pressing, combativeness, ferociouness mentality against any rival even if France, Brasil, Argentina, Beguim teams they can do thier best; playing with defensive pattern fristly then move forward to attackt , all players defend if they loose the ball , but if they possess the ball (DM) must participate in deep centre of midfield; Semyi Ajayi and Awziem can do this role because they have pressing mentality , they play sliding balls which can intercept or interrupt any rival player who intends to shoot from distance or to attackt. This conference must put these solutions to SE team then we can watch a strong and incredible team in coming times.