John Ogu wants the Super Eagles to boycott the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Sierra Leone in protest at the government.
About 12 people were reportedly killed by security forces on Tuesday night in Lagos following weeks of protests across Nigeria.
The protesters, mostly young people are demanding the disbandment of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to take on the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone twice next month and Ogu believes boycotting the games would be a price worth paying even if the country failed to make it to 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
Read Also: Fabregas Calls For End To Killing Of #EndSars Protesters In Nigeria.
“What is the point in representing the country if this is what the politicians, the people we’re representing, can do to us?” Ogu told the World Football show on BBC World Service radio.
“I feel like this is the best thing to do right now until they get back to their senses and listen to us.
“We want a good government, the police brutality to stop, we want the Sars to stop, we want the killings to stop, we want good laws, we want job opportunities. It’s just crazy.
“I believe most of my colleagues understand where I am coming from, I wish we can do this. There are games coming up and if we boycott these games I’m sure they will know we’ve made a statement.
“I haven’t really spoken to any of my team-mates about this. They feel for the people here, their loved ones, those that have died. I’m sure the players are aware.”
32 Comments
Mr man shut that ur dirty and smelling mouth,idiot because u are no more receiving invitation to the national team abi that is why u this young boy to delay their chances of going to afcon,since u love Nigeria very much go and bring ur wife and children to come and protest against the government first,we are here for football not politics,
thank you ubah don’t mind that stupid guy ogu truth be told if he is still in super eagles will he say this rubbish is the recent happening not enough reason why they should play the match with all vigour in solidarity to the youth they replesnt fill the stadium with clear messages to the government
thank you my people good reply
Ogu I take God beg u. No b now at all at all yeah. SE is d only thing in Nigeria that eases the pain of the common nigerians, who happen to be the ones at the recieving end of all these satanic government. They the government officials, are not gonna feel a pinch from SE boycotting matches. Infact doing that, will amount to finally strangling the common masses to death. I beg you oo Ogu.
The super eagles boycotting the playoffs against Sierra Leone will not bother Buhari and the rest of his government rather the ordinary masses they represents just like @Glory rightly said.
However,the super eagles players showing their empathy in the recent unjust killings amidst peaceful protests by the youth and the EndSars clamour rather should show unanimity by not just turning up for the games but winning convincingly for the Nigerian masses the ordinary people which they represents,not the aristocrats,the few corrupt politicians that have impoverished it’s own people.
Ogu please do not start something that would take our football backwards.You are entitled to your opinion.If you are invited you can decide not turn up we are fine with that please do not sway our players into boycotting the game next month because if you truly love Nigerian suffering masses and the super eagles,then that’s not the way to go because if you are at the top of your game and deserving an invite to the super eagles you won’t come up with this crap.
Mr ogu, abeg wetin you dey yarn, wetin concern super eagles with protesters. Have you condemned the people that sold there votes for N2k and bag of rice. Abi are they not the ones that got the country into this mess. Abeg o let our eagles come and play jejely.
Showing support for the cause before, during and after the matches will speak volumes. They can even decided to use bonuses from the matches to compensate those lives that have been lost. Those steps are much wiser than boycotting the matches.
Hahahaha….Ogu wants to take us back to 1996-2000, when our golden generation could have won the AFCON at least once within that period, but couldn’t even participate due to political tensions and a subsequent ban from CAF.
Football in history has been a mass movement tool. The power of football was used to send strong messages at various times in the past like during the civil war in CIV, the apartheid era, the gulf/taliban wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and many other instances.
This battle is not a battle of brawns but a battle of brains and strategy. The best way to voice out against the govt is to actually play the matches but use them to send a resounding message to them. Banners, T-shirts, Clenched fist salute after every goal and a bag full of goals scored without jubilating will send the right message across to the government and rejuvenate the hope of the masses.
Football is one of few, if not the only thing that gives Nigerians joy about Nigeria….including yours sincerely. Remove football from Nigeria and many can as well discard their passports.
Ogu, Oshoala and the rest of them were just yarning opata up and down like street thugs. Why not keep shut and stay out? Revolution is not child’s play. It’s not like this. Syria and Libya are still burning up till today. Your strategy and leadership have to be perfect.
In fact, I now see that Oshola girl as a street thug. No self-respect. That kind of person should not be Super Falcons captain. She doesn’t have the emotional intelligence at all.
As for Ogu, I don’t even know what to say about that one. I hope by now he knows he’s more or less permanently out of the SE set up. So that his backyard opinion does not even count. It has no weight. Every current SE player will turn up without delay. Ighalo spoke because he’s retired and I know they dragged him in.
Ah a! Good intentions but bad suggestions. No boycott of matches o! Wetin go remains. A beg make Ogu rethink that idea o. When Ogu talk say him never speak to him teammates, that suppose be him former team mates na. Lolz
ogu unto say you are too important or what? It’s hightime celebrities should come out to tell the youth to calm down. war is in the corridor. wether peaceful or no peaceful protest, they should all stop. The message have been spoken loud and clear enough and it’s no longer necessary for the continuation. it’s surpose to be a warning and that is why we must allow it to stay in history as a warning to our political so called mafias, anything more than this may become final judgement(war)! for our dear giant of africa? NOooooooo. police and civilians are dying on daily bases on this matter and the politicians we are targeting are already out of the country, continuation of the protest will only do us more arm, don’t forget that though we are the youth we still have more important people in the society than us . these people are our children non of your child will like to see or know that you burnt your fathers house (Nigeria) and kill him totally while trying to show ur grievance of which he had already agreed to attend to. it will not be justifiable I think we have spoken enough it’s time we sit back and watch them react to our demands. if they paraventualy fails then the nest election will be another battle field but not with guns or machete, it Will be fought with our own voters card. lastly stop the protest as it’s still noon, trabal war should not be given a chance to take a place in the struggle cos if it does water is really gonna pass garri.
I’m so glad to hear this. Thank you so much Ogu. This is the way to go. That is 100% correct.
If any of our family were among those who lost their lives for this country on Tuesday, I don’t think anybody on this forum will be happy to Super Eagles playing the Afcon qualifiers.
If anyone attacks Ogu for what he said, that means you don’t care about nobody but yourself.
Super Eagles show Boycott the Afcon qualifiers to should our government that they are nothing but evils. God bless Nigeria!!!
Omo, why are you so backward? I was not expecting this from you na…rubbish
So it is boycotting the qualifiers that will bring back the dead abi…? Even Cameroon that lost Marc vivien Foe right there on the pitch didnt boycott the finals of confed cup in 2003. They still went ahead to play and used the opportunity to pay tribute to the fallen soldier.
Ngwa boycott qualifiers na and watch CAF ban you from 2021 and 2023 AFCON…and then an entire generation of SE would have become wasted.
shebi you wan protest…..It is you that cares about everybody…..If i see your you comment pim on this forum in the days leading up to the match or afterwards about the SE or the match proper ehn…you will hear from me. When the SE are playing that day pls off ya TV.
Bros nor dey talk like dat jare. The country is currently sitting on it’s edge. We have no other country but Nigeria alone. Ogu calling for Super Eagles players to boycott matches is not the solution to Nigeria’s problems.
I can surely tell Ogu that Nigeria as a nation gave him the platform to all he has achieved as a footballer.
With Buhari’s speech yesterday, we all now knows we don’t have a president that is presiding over the nation. There, the onus is on us to standup as youths and make the nation great again.
If Ogu happens to be the Eagles captain, he won’t make such a statement.
Football in Nigeria has only one language. At this time in our beloved country, we all need every avenue to hold the unity of the country.
Sorry for my typos.
Everyone knows that I love our team Super Eagles so much.
Ask CSN, BigD, E,Samuel, Ayphillydegreat, kel, mercy, Glory, and all of us on this forum, they will tell you that I omo9ja love Super Eagles too much.
Even, Oakfield and his friend, Dr.Drey who loves devil him to we human beings can testify to it how much I love our darling team.
Frankly speaking at this stage my people, for us to enjoy new Nigeria, Super Eagles have no choice but they have to withdraw from Afcon qualifiers.
Our government wasted so many lives without any reason and everyone are in sorrow mode right now in Nigeria and you people still looking forward to watch Super Eagles playing the Afcon qualifiers?
This is not a joking matter. Drey that have nothing to offer the team other than attacking people on this forum is comparing
Foe situation to End SARS Protest?
I can see clearly that you Dr.Drey still have a lot to learn.
@Chris, thank you. My words may sounds like rubbish today as you said sir but I hope it won’t be too late for you to understand that for you to make something work, you have to do an unusual thing in a good way, most especially in Nigeria.
Our government have murdered our youth just like that and Dr.Drey is comparing Foe scenario to what is going on in Nigeria?
I love our Super Eagles but at the same time, our lives matters.
Boycotting the Afcon qualifiers will be a good thing to do from our boys. We are all in this together.
We have to letting the government know that what they did on Tuesday was totally wrong. Once again, thank you so much for saying the bitter truth Ogu.
Mind you Dr.Drey and his company, not only End SARS we are fighting for, we are asking for a better Nigeria. Good roads, electricity, quality education and good security. I am trying to recovered from that Tuesday pain. Please, watch your words. God bless Nigeria!!!
Hi Omo9ja,
I guess what others are trying to say is that boycotting the Afcon qualifiers will serve no meaningful purpose to the current human rights struggle other than be a massive setback to Nigerian football.
We will be sanctioned by CAF leading to expulsion from at least 2 Afcon tournaments and possibly fines.
You don’t want that, do you?
Let’s channel our energies in other productive ways aimed at bringing about social change rather than a move that is self-defeating.
I reserve my comments/reply to you till the days leading to the qualifiers and the days after it. I have said it before and I will say it again, shebi you wan protest…..It is you that cares about the dead…..Let me hear you talk about the SE in this month of Novemeber…! In your senselessness it is withdrawing from the qualifiers and getting a 4 year ban that will end Nigeria’s problems. Dont worry, let me here you say pim about the game before and after it is played.
Alainironu Omoale….!
So if we withdraw from the qualifiers what next will now happen…? Oya tell us…what next…? Buari will now transform from a devil to an angel….? All your legislooters will now transform to born agains….? All the thieves you call governors will repent and become philantropists…All the bad roads will now start becoming good and all the unemployed will start getting jobs….and finally all the dead will rise back to life…? You’ve always proven to be senseless and you have not disappointed this time around.
Now let me tell you what IS GUARANTEED to happen if we withdraw from the qualifiers…..
1. We will be banned from the next 2 AFCONS.
2. We will remain stuck on just 3 AFCON wins till 2025 while others like Egypt, Cameroon and Ghana will have a shot at increasing their chance at adding more to theirs
3. Our rankings will nose dive due to inactivity
4. A generation of talented Nigerian youths ( the same youths you claim you are fighting for) would be wasted. The way our Atlanta 96 sqaud was wasted without achieving anything at senior level.
5. Our players will not be able to play enough matches and it will affect their marketability (recall 75% rule) just like Onazi couldnt sign for ordinary Birmingham city because of the poor position of the SE some year ago…?
6. The Youth teams u17 and u20 will also be affected as there will be little or no SE to graduate to within that 4-5 year period.
7. Last but not the least, THE ONLY THING THAT GIVES NIGERIAN YOUTHS (nay Nigerians as a whole) joy would have been taken away from them for years further compounding their misery.
A govt that did not care about its citizen and soaked its national flag in their blood is it that type of government that will care out a boycotted football match…? I’ve told you many times, you dont think…that is why you always open your big mouth yaagbaaa and talk nonsense most times.
You have always hated the progress the SE has been making in the last few years, you have never hidden it. You have always proposed suggestions that will set the SE further aback and So I am not surprised you want them outrightly banned.
And later you will come here trying to act like an elderly person…I dont know whom you are trying to decieve….LMAO. You must be one of those elders that have no sense…one of the agbayas that ruined and are still ruining the country with their senseless decisions.
People should learn how to reply comments, ogu said his opinion and this is democracy, this guy have served this country atleast he deserve a respect than insult, he can still comeback after seeing ur opinion and say ohh my people you are right,but for me I did not support the idea of boycotting the Match,Nigerians love football boycotting is another tragedy with our govt atrocities to football lovers,ogu oshoala yoy guys are still our hero/in God bless Nigeria
Youths were shot n killed n the govt was not perturbed is it SE boycott of matches that ll worry govt. The joy of the youths ll b further diminished. Oga ogu keep ur opinions to ur self don’t force it down our throats
Dr Drey and co, please help us tell them. Boycotting qualifiers means a complete waste of this promising generation of SE players, because CAF and FIFA will ban the heck out of us. They might even ban us reach 2025. There are other ways to protest and be heard. Boycotting the qualifiers does not affect our leaders IN ANY WAY. They don’t care! It is the normal, everyday people on the street who will suffer the most from the heartache of a lengthy ban. Not to mention the impact on the careers of the SE players. The baby’s bathwater is dirty and needs to be disposed of. Let us not throw the baby also outside in the process.
Still cringe whenever I think about the ill advised boycott of the 1996 Afcon. Nigeria was the strongest team on the continent in the 1990s, and we probably could have won both the 1996 and 1998 Afcons if we had participated. Let’s hope history does not repeat itself!!!
Once a super eagle always a super eagle for life. I am glad our players are beginning to have more sense of patriotism for the suffering of the masses. I will be happy if they make a strong statement that will be painful with high effects on all Nigerians. I will be better off with good roads, better electricity and improved wages than watching super eagles which doesn’t add anything to my standard of living. Let these players help the poor masses by boycotting now that everything is happening.
@Chuks, please re-think o. You go miss futbol if players boycott o.
Hey guys, i read on Owngoal that…..Aigbogun is now the NFF Deputy Technical Director and Head of Scouts for all the National Teams…….Chai Is this true? This means NFF is surely a non creditable organisation the just derive pleasure in recycling incompetent personnels for selfish gains
Ogu has just posted his anger for not receiving invitations.please don’t mind such brabrabra a good footballer should think on how to make his country progress, but he thinks on what will take us 20 miles backwards, thanks to the NFF for rebelling him unpatriotic
E fit boycott if him want na… I no know who go miss am! Lolzzzz
Ogu abeg u make u sidon for one place abeg. U wen he be say dem don forget about since last Nations cup na e con dey talk like say na your papa get Super Eagles. Leave our Super Eagles for us jare.
Even the active players for Eagles nor mention wetin u talk but dem still show thier solidarity in different forms on the #ENDSARS protest. The last time wen I look my crystal ball, I nor even see anything wen he resemble u as a squad player for Eagles. Na football dey give small joy for this Nigeria jaga jaga wen we still dey manage.
Bros Ogu, abeg en na beg I take beg u to leave our lovely Super Eagles alone. Abi u want make we suffer wetin we suffer again during Sani Abacha time? Or u don forget say we miss 2 Nations cup for South Africa and Burkina Faso for 1996 and 1998 respectively?
He knows he stands no chance of ever playing for Nigeria again owing to his drop in form and club situation. He is a fringe player and we don’t need his opinion.
boycotting matches is not the answer… I can’t bear not watching SE for the next four years or so. for the first time in our history we are having abundance of talent that rivals that of ’96. a decade ago, we couldn’t even find an average no10 to the extent we were using Sunday mba and rabiu Ibrahim. but now we have iwobi, aribo, etebo, ejaria – these players will stroll into the team that won us afcon ’13. why waste this amount of talent because of a government that is obvious that they don’t care. look at asuu and her strike, students have been at home for over how many months and look at how lackadaisical the parties involved are carrying out meetings that will decide the destiny of so many people
Football (esp. SE) is the only thing that is keeping us bonded and here you plan on taking it away. your intentions may be good but your solution is not
is it just me that thinks Rodgers don’t believe in Iheanacho…
Even Iheanacho don’t believe in Iheanacho.