2021 CHAN: Time For NFF, Home- Eagles To Return To The Drawing Board

The ongoing 2021 Africa Nations Championship currently in its semi-final stages could have been another opportunity for the Home- Based Super Eagles to promote and advertise their talents not just on the African scene but also on the global stage.

Recall that Nigeria failed to qualify for the competition after the team was eliminated in the qualifying series by Togo 4-3 on aggregate. Togo won the first leg 4-1 in Lome before losing 2-0 in the reverse fixture at the Agege Stadium.

The 2018 finalists could have used the championship as a platform or gateway to sell themselves out to European scouts with the January transfer window coming to a close today.

There is no doubt that there are abundant talents in the Nigeria Profesional Football League (NPFL) who could have made the nation proud at the tournament.

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However, one of the major obstacles depriving the nation of achieving the best has always been the issue of corruption in terms of players’ selection. This has always been a major nightmare for the country’s football as coaches preferred to select players based on what they can offer financially than their quality performance in their respective clubs.

The current administration of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick has not done enough to tackle this huge problem in the football sector.

Pinnick, whose tenure has been engulfed with corruption allegations has not shown enough concern for the team in terms of preparation prior to their elimination in the qualifying stage.

On the continent , the NPFL teams have not really done pretty well and this has impacted negatively in their performance prior to the tournament.

By and large, the NFF must re-evaluate its goals and performance as a body if the Home Based Super Eagles must regain their pride as one of the giants of football in Africa.