Nigeria Super Eagles: Eze Hints on Strategies to Make the Nigerian National Team Fly Again…Commends Sports Minister, John Enoh For His Well Thought-Out Six Point Agenda …Describes Madugu – the Super Falcon Coach as Capable of Leading the Team to Glory
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze was one time Football Team Manager of the famous Christ the King College, CKC Football Onitsha, Anambra State – the first African Team to win a World Cup Tournament in 1977 in Dublin and which later produced key players to the National Team, particularly the Flying Antelopes, Rangers FC Enugu with the likes of Christian Isudinso, Camel, Sabinus Nweje who captained Julius Berger FC Lagos and other great players.
In 1985, Eze stormed University of Calabar as a student and changed the sports fortunes of that Institution becoming her most successful Director of Sports after the likes of great Sports Administrators such as Chief Paul Bassey who apart from being the Chairman of Akwa United FC was recently elected Vice Chairman of CAF’s new African Club Association, Hon. Orok Duke. Eze distinguished himself as the only Football Team Manager of a University team that defeated all other Higher Institutions in Nigeria during the 1986 NFA/Pepsi Cola Football Tournament.
Chief Eze better known as EZE THE MALABITE being the embodiment and symbol of the Spirit of Malabites also led the Team to Belgium on a playing tour. Through him great players who played at the national level like Celestine Ndukwe, the enfant terrible John Okon, Commander Louis Igwelio etc emerged.
He acted as the Adamawa State Sports Council Public Relations Officer immediately after his NYSC in 1990, later became the CEO of Eze Continental Sports Investment Ltd which he used to promote Sports activities within the North East of Nigeria .
Though Eze has since excused himself from Sports activities through which he gained scholarship after leading the University of Calabar Football to glory in 1986 but watching the dismal outing of the Super Eagles, he considered it imperative to put in some solutions that may help to take the Team back to winning ways.
In a statement issued to media houses, Eze first, Congratulated Senator John Enoh, whom he described as a fellow Malabite as both were students of University of Calabar on his emergence as the Sports Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and also commended him for the steps he has taken so far in repositioning Sports in the country. He said those of them who passed through University of Calabar are noted as great Sports administrators and as such, no mean feat is expected from the Honourable Minister.
He described the Minister’s Six Point Sports Development Agenda themed W.A.I.F.A.R is well thought-out innovative strategies capable of repositioning sports in the country if properly implemented.
The agenda which was unveiled to commemorate the Minister’s 100 days in office are hinged on welfare, grassroots development, infrastructure, funding and revitalisation of school sports.
According to Senator Enoh, the strategic framework will be used to guide sports development from 2024 to rejuvenate and restore sports to its former glory, consolidating its significance within Nigeria’s cultural and competitive landscape.
As contained in the breakdown of the theme, the ministry will enable a welfare system that caters to serving and retired athletes as well as an annual recognition platform just as sports federations will be reorganised for effectiveness.
Eze reassures the Minister of his unalloyed support to enable him succeed in his vision to build and revamp major grassroots sports facilities, reactivate school sports as well and provide adequate funding through collaborative models between the government and the private sector.
On the sad state of the Super Eagles and the need of winning the afcon tournament in January/February 2024, Eze suggested that it is needless to sack Jose Peseiro, the Chief Coach of the Team, regardless of his disastrous results since he assumed office. Instead, he opined that with the challenge of paying Jose his salaries and the huge cost his sack will cause Nigeria, the coach should be retained but should not be the one to handle the Team during the AFCON TOURNAMENT
“Allowing him to stay to live out his contract after the AFCON tournament but without handling our Team during the tournament will save us the huge cost his sack will cause us and also save us from the embarrassement before FIFA of hiring and sacking of our coaches before Major tournaments”.
In his place, Eze suggested a Four Member Technical Team comprising of Emmanuel Amunike, Samson Sisia, Sunday Oliseh and Vincent Enyeama as Goal Keeper Trainer.
Alternatively any of the above named Coaches can be separately assigned to handle the Team.
“I am very convinced that if any of the above named Coaches is appointed will do better than the half backed Jose Peseiro who is a bundle of failures. Since he assumed office on May 15, 2022, the Eagles have become mere chickens, unable to take off from the ground and happy to be struggling for crumbs with less rated teams like Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Zimbabwe”, Eze added.”
In 15 games in charge of the Eagles, Peseiro has won six and lost six with the three-time African champions scoring 31 times – with 10 coming in one game against Sao Tome and Principe – and conceded 21 goals.
With two matches decided in their World Cup 2024 qualifying group, the Eagles are left with two points from a possible six. In football, Lesotho is but a dot on the African map. The Warriors of Zimbabwe are presently cowards in soccer. These lowly sides were forced to a 1-1 draw by Nigeria.
From the records, it has become obvious that Peseiro is a serial loser. In 2003, he was an assistant to Carlos Queiroz at Real Madrid. Both men were sacked. In 2007, the man was fired by Panathinaikos. Bucuresti dumped him in 2008. The Saudis pushed the manager away in 2011, so did Braga in 2012 and again in 2016.
Eze said Peseiro has caused Nigerians too much heart attack and allowing him to continue to act solely as the Chief Coach will be sending some of us back to our creator before our time.
In addition the present Super Eagles Keeper, Francis Odinaka Uzoho should not and should not be allowed near the Camp talkless of being allowed to man our post ever again until he recovers himself as he is a bad omen to the Team.
Eze highlighted that watching the Eagles not only give Nigerians joy but that football is the only force that unites Nigerians who have been divided by the Fourth Republic politics coupled with the fact that our economy is in comatose and that people are dying in droves due to hunger occasioned by maladministration by our leaders.
Eze congratulated the Nigerian Senior National Female Football Team the super Falcons and Indeed, the Adamawa Born Football Gafer ( Bachama breed) COACH JUSTINE PWANIDI MADUGU for qualifying for Next Year’s African Women Nations Cup Holding In Morocco.
Eze while as the Adamawa State Sports Council PRO can affirm the ability and capability of Coach Madugu who happens to be one of most outstanding Coaches then in Adamawa astate to lead the Super Falcons to AFCON glory even qualify the Team for the 2024 Olympics
“As much as I respect the prowess of the foreign Coach that handled our Team during the recent World Cup but if he is to be reappointed Coach Madugu should be allowed to assist him and understudy him for possible takeover of the Team in the near future.
Coach Justine Madugu’s Feat since standing in as the Interim Capacity Coach of the Falcons in the Absence of the American Coach Randy Waldrum is indeed a Pride to Adamawa state and Nigeria in General.
Eze said he is very optimistic that if Minster Enoh adheres to the principles of Malabite and his vision, God willing,
he may succeed as the Saviour we have been praying for to revamp our Sports sector all these years since Commodore Samson Emeka Omeruah left as the Sports Minister.
Ends
Signed
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
APC Chieftain, member of APC Legacy Projects Media Team & former National Publicity Secretary, nPDP
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