And they finally "got their way".... The Siasia Era Ends!!

it's all over!!

I feel so sorry for Samson Siasia.  I have never seen a situation where so much was expected by Nigerians (except for the members of the NFF/NFA board) and they backed their expectation by providing the goodwill needed to succeed.  Except that the reality was not as rosy as we thought it would be.

The FA's statements these past weeks were an indication that all was not well with this relationship.Then came the players (some of them, at least).  And at that time, I felt that the inevitable was going to happen.  Poor Samson, Poor Nigeria.

The sacking of Samson Siasia brings to the fore certain key issues around how the system in Nigeria functions.  The issues surrounding the sacking is an interesting one.  Firstly, the NFF quoted that the coach did not qualify Nigeria for the AFCON tournament, hence he is in breach of contract.  Well, I have had an opportunity to study this contract and found (in my layman's interpretation) that its loopsided.  The NFF has been in breach of certain provisos on the contract since the coach was hired almost a year ago.  And although, I blame the handlers and the coach for accepting a gentleman's agreement at the resolution or lack thereof, when the NFF was in breach of his contract.

The next situation we would find ourselves is the proverbial blame game.  I am alright confronted with these issues. Has the NFF fulfilled the aspirations of Nigerians as a board??? what gives it the moral and current standing to terminate the contract of the coach at such a critical time...Has the chairman of the technical committee, the body saddled with the responsibility of handling the coaches and teams, offered to resign, since the teams they were responsible for, failed woefully??? For the first time in recent history, our men and women teams did not compete in the Africa Games, plus we are out of the Olympic games (women), plus we are and might not qualify for the men's event.  Has Chris Green offered to resign??

In my view, the decision to sack Samson Siasia is shrouded in petty jealousy and personality disagreements.  The FA hired him to do a job, and to many Nigerians, he was on the way to reforming the National Team and  was dealing with the issues of indiscipline that has festered since the Amodu/Eguavoen period.  Our team was playing a more creative brand of Nigerian football and would have reached the point where the team would be in position to win serious games.

As the old military adage goes, no General can go to battle if his army is not behind him.  I would have expected the FA to stand by the coach.  Far sighted organisations would have supported his sanctioning of players and stood firmly behind their coach at this time, and show solidarity for his work.  But one cannot ask a board with skeletons in its cupboards to be forthright...... Siasia is the sacrificial lamb that was put forward for the failings of the board.  No wahala.  If we are going to go by contracts, legal structures and frameworks, then the board must realize that it has opened a can of worms.

The solicitor general must be brought in to audit the federal government funding that has been spent by this organisation in the last 12 months (ooops, It is rumored that his kinsman, is on the board :) .
The Attorney General must act and act now.  This board has been spending funds generated and provided by the Federal Government of Nigeria, and it has not yet accounted for funds received.  So the government must act now, in the overriding public interest and audit the NFF.  If it doesnt, private citizens will go to court and demand that the audits be done and the board made to account for the funds provided to it, say for the last 3 years.

This same board must be aware that there are mechanisms and structures available to interested parties to commence their impeachment for non performance and continued failures.

Samson Siasia will take a big lesson from this.  He is too good to stay without a job for much longer, and it is my opinion that he should focus on picking up an AFCON bound team. His managers are advised to commence an active distribution of his credentials within the African continent.

Nigeria has just set itself another uphill task, are we going to go through a full blown selection exercise, or is someone going to be appointed ad-interim?

The board again has shown its frailties and incompetence, and a general lack of vision with this decision.  I want to wish Coach Samson Siasia success in his endeavors and hope he bounces back on his feet.

As for the NFF, I am going to be taking particular interest in their activities and can promise them that this is just the beginning........

What a shame.

"Pastors in the mix", role and impact of sports psychologists in Nigerian sports...

The following is ascribed as a  statement by Osaze Odemwingie! A forward of the Super Eagles of Nigeria (I cannot collaborate its efficacy, but I reprint it, as I received it via twitter postings)

"Yes, I would say I am sorry to Nigerians for not playing according to expectations, and I believe I did not play well in the match.  But the prediction of Prophet TB Joshua really affected us. We thought we could see him and see how he could overturn the negative prediction but the officials came with another prophet who prayed for us and told us that all was well" Osaze Odemwingie culled in from Twitter.

As a young player, in the Nigeria amateur leagues, I was exposed to prophets, marabauts, prayer "warriors", fetish inclinations of our team handlers, owners, supporters and team mates.  As a kid, it was amusing for me to watch these individuals lose faith in their abilities, training, preparations and creativity in being enough to achieving success.  The "extra" as it was called in those days, became a norm than a myth.

I heard stories of live cows being buried in the middle of the center circle of the field by big teams just days before matches, I actually saw bloodied dead animals being thrown in front of our buses on many occasions.  I had attended many prayer sessions and watched as very confident men, were reduced to doubting their capabilities and years of practice, grooming and innate instincts....

Then I left to study abroad, and played for teams in advance countries, during that period,  the only time I came close to my Nigerian league experiences, was in a tournament in Mexico, wherein our team was faced against another diabolical team, that during our in field lineup, had a witch doctor woman, chanting and was "taken by the spirit" and predicted our loss in that game.....  some of my team mates of Mexican and Latin extractions, were not composed before and during the match.  They were psychologically messed up, and lost focus, that it was only when we were awarded a penalty and scored, that they began to regain their confidence. We won, and after the match, as we exited the stadium,  I saw her outside, in front of a bar,  drinking a Cerveza beer and looking very forlorn....... I laughed all the way to the hotel... What nonsense!!!!

Clinical and Sports Psychologists will tell you of the impact of images, words, and other influences on athletes before and during key sporting events.  And they warn about the negative impact these types of contacts and influences have on athletes.

The above statement credited to Osaze is very unfortunate! how could the handlers of the Nigeria Super Eagles allow such negative influences on the players??? It is amazing.... Culturally, Psychologically, and Emotionally, it is very upsetting.  I believe it is irresponsible of the FA to allow "pastors" and "prayer warriors" access to the players or come into camp,  to "pray" for the players.

Does the team not have its own chaplain and imam??  Clergy, that is trained to support and POSITIVELY prepare the mindset and conditioning of the team with religious scripture???

Furthermore, if true, why would TB Joshua, go ahead to pronounce a negative outcome on the team?? what was he trying to achieve?? Who does that???? Really!!!!

This kinds of situations just turns my gut against the Super Eagles handlers, administrators of the Nigeria Football Association and those dogooders.

Samson Siasia and Simon Kalicha should know better.  There should be a trained team psychologist, a chaplain and/or imam, people who work with the team to ensure that their mindset is prepared, and focused on executing the planned match.  For those players who are religiously inclined, the only person they get to talk to, is the team's chaplain or imam.  These are the only approved "prayer warriors" that have the access and authority to "pray" with and for the team.. The rest of us, should do so, in our private spaces......

It is incredible that in this day and age, we must ensure that these types of influences are immediately stopped and checked.

And to "Prophets" like TB Joshua.... Please keep your bad news to yourself,  if you have nothing good to say and if you really are that all powerful and all seeing, why not be patriotic and change the foreseen fortunes!!!.......... Nah, I am so upset.... I need to refrain myself from continuing with my thoughts about the statements listed above...

May the good lord have mercy on the way we treat ourselves and our country.......

The Price of Patriotism - when things dont go right, a users manual to supporting Nigeria

Kai, e no go better for them mama!!
Chineke, these boys don kill me!!
Siasia, must go!!
See us, Eagles yab!!
Na lie, na draw, TB Joshua, e no go better for you oooo!!!
Osaze, G@#$% go punish you and them!!
NFF must go!!
No be only us nah!, Egypt, South Africa, Cameroon, Algeria, Morocco no go sef, ehne, make another person win am jor (text message)

These were some of the very disturbing reactions from Nigerians whom I met, and was accosted by, yesterday evening after the dismal outing of the African Nations cup qualifier match at the Abuja Stadium.....  I was saddened, I watched a group of young men, who had the ability to perform, work against the overall objective of their coach, the FA and nation.  We missed so many chances of winning the game, that unfortunately, we drew and were knocked out.  Soon afterwards, the rumor mill ran amok, with tales that some starting players disregarded camp rules and party-ed till the wee hours of the morning, some outlandish tales were making the rounds about the open boasting and dollar "dashing spree" to women of easy virtues, by some of our key players, in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, Abuja (watch this space, when I know more, you certainly will).

The match was indeed, one of the worse performances by a team that had something to prove to its people, and itself.  There were several controversies surrounding the behavior of key players in the squad and the coaches responses, in the weeks and days leading to this match. The team could be considered, to be the best available legs we could field for a match of this nature.  But again, Ce la vie!  What has happened, has happened, the question is, can we take some lessons from the match and effect the changes needed in the transition exercise.

Nigerians have to learn that we cannot win every game, and we will lose some key matches, and we must also understand that our country as a whole is in a bad shape.  The national psyche and culture is distorted, and our sense of value is very warped.

Someone I respect a lot, made a statement at the stadium during the game, "Football is the bastard relative of the situation, that is the "Representative" of the issues facing the Nigerian state".   I have since been hounded by this statement, and as a follow up, I asked him, what the price of patriotism would then be??? He cynically laughed and responded, "As from tomorrow, the trial of the Sanhedrin will begin, we are on our way to Golgotha, to crucify your friend, Samson!".

Are these statements true??? Is this what Nigeria has been reduced to?? A nation that is so impatient, so cynical, that it will only stand by its man in good times only?? are we a nation that has no more commonsense??? are our leaders so out of tune, and misaligned that they live in a parallel space, and have no understanding of what it takes to drive the right type of values and order in the land.... Are we a failed state?? that our people have no moral, constitutional and humane compass??? What has gone wrong with patriotism. When we all band by ourselves and understand that the loss of one game is not the end of the world. ...

Yesterday, I saw raw emotions from Nigerians, the ugly, bitter and dangerously dirty side of us, as a people.  From the players on the field, to our so-called-state box "jollofing" leaders, to the fans..... I was sitting with friends, and was amazed at the level of insults and verbal cruxifiction they meted on Samson and the Eagles.

I know we are a very emotional bunch and can get carried away when things don't go our way, but for the first time, I was shocked.  For half the time, l watched as officials of the Nigerian state (those who are morally deficient) heap blame on the eagles. They cursed, yelled and threatened to have the coach sacked, removed and some things I cannot even begin to ascribe words to.  I was left shocked, saddened and speachless.....  What is it worth to Nigerians to support this country??.  when would it be right enough to stand by this country we call our own?.  What would it take for Nigerians to learn that even in defeat and loss, we must remember to be objective, in our criticism, and have it in the back of our minds that we can only get better.....

Nigerians must learn that a rebuilding program is 10 times harder than starting something fresh.  we have decided to change the course of the country, but it is going to be painful, tough, and a very trying and difficult period for everyone.  During the course of transition, things will happen that will test our belief in the project, we must not lose faith, have hope and believe this is for our own good.  Yesterday, the team played badly, on Tuesday, they have another date with Ghana in London, how do we send them off to that match???

As critical as I have been about sports and its management, I must admit that this country needs us all.  To rid our sports of idiotic and unfocused individuals, we have to bound together, work hand in hand, and rid ourselves of people, practices and other vices bedeviling our sports industry (and the Nigeria project at large).

Lets all stand behind this fallen EAGLE, its pride is hurt, its aching and needs our help, to right its path, heal its wounds, and guide its flight.

God bless the Nigerians and the Super Eagles of Nigeria, and God Bless the Nigerian state,  in what form it eventually decides to remain.......... We must bleed green, white and green at all times, no matter what.....