…Says NFF president, others should resign
By Emma Jemegah
The proprietor of Gabros International FC and former Vice Chairman, Nigeria Football Federation(NFF), Ogbuefi Gabriel Chukwuma has stated categorically that Nigeria’s Super Eagles are no longer in contention for a slot in the forth coming 2026 World Cup in the United States and Canada.
Chukwuma recalled that he had taken this position long before the Super Eagles’ World Cup preparation started in earnest, when he advised those in the Glass House to ensure that they engage a world class coach for the team even if it meant getting him involved to help offset his wages in order to ensure that Nigeria’s world cup hope remained unshaken. But surprisingly, they ignored him and went ahead deceiving President Tinubu and football loving Nigerians into believing that the world cup ticket was within their reach.
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“ I said it that time that if they needed results, they should do the right thing by getting a world class coach. But because they wanted to share money with unqualified coaches, they ignored me and today, your guess is as good as mine.
“ They were making Nigerians believe they had the magic wand with which to grab the world cup ticket without knowing that they had nothing to offer. Now, they are giving Nigerians the impression that all hope is not lost, hoping that the Super Eagles will qualify for play-off. Anybody thinking that play-off is possible is further deceiving Nigerians, because they dont have what it takes to bè at the world cup. Let me tell you, Nigeria has talented footballers but they dont play together as a team but individually. And as a result, they find it difficult to score goals. Look at a team that has former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen and reigning one, Ademola Lookman, yet they could not score more than five goals and find it difficult to win at home. It disturbs me a lot because I was born into football, drink, eat and dream football but there is nothing left again.”
Chief Chukwuma therefore, advised the Federal Government against wasting further money on the world cup project because it is all over, calling on the helmsmen of the Nigeria Football Federation to resign honourably as it is done overseas where failures or inability to perform, leads to throwing in the towel for another person to take over.
“Come to it, what are they waiting for? Gusau and his men have already crashed the Under 17; Under 20, it is no longer what it used to be; crashed Under 23, the CHAN Eagles and now our world cup ticket.Tomorrow now, he will claim he won Wafcon. What is Wafcon?, the trophy we won ten times? And it was won because of the commitment and hard work of the ladies, and not because of Gusau’s imput. If the proper thing should be done, we must remove sentiments and call a spade a spade.
“Again, we dont have a coach. They can’t get a world class coach because they know that with a world class coach, they can’t make money from rhe coach or from the invited players. There will be no opportunity to share money.”
He described Eric Chelle’s claim that injury sustained by the players scuttled his game plan against South Africa in Bloemfontein last Tuesday, saying “ the claim is neither here nor there as Nigeria never had a coach abinitio.
“Anybody who is defeated must have something to hold on for his defeat. I will not accept any reason because Nigeria had more than 1 year to prepare for the 2026 World Cup. I told them earlier, not to spend money on unqualified coaches, but they refused. The day Tinubu will find out that he was being deceived, that day they will be surprised.”
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