LANDMARKS, PITFALLS OF NIGERIAN FOOTBALL AT 51
One area Nigeria has recorded some giant strides since it gained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960 is sports, particularly, football. But rather than build on the success of the golden era, the administrators appear to see the opportunity to run the game as a gold mine.
Given the abundance of talents and enormous resources God has put at our disposal as a nation, the level of our football development is still a far cry from what it ought to be. For instance, Nigeria first made appearance at the World Cup in the United States in 1994 with the Super Eagles rated the second best entertaining team after Brazil while Nigeria was ranked fifth in the FIFA ranking that year, ostensibly the No. 1 football playing nation in Africa. More than 17 years after, Nigeria has slumped to an all time low 46th position in the World football ranking.
It has been established over time that the administration of the game falls below expectation and this inept administrative system has cumulatively affected the genuine growth of the round leather game. That is the more reason it has apparently become difficult to sustain the growth of Nigerian football after successive achievements. In this clime, the managers of the game do not know that football is a big business empire that could provide employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerian youths if properly managed. The unending crisis in the football governing bodies tells the story of the state of Nigerian football. As the nation celebrates its 51st independence anniversary today, Saturday Sunsports takes a look at the journey of Nigerian football so far.
Nigerian football at post independence
Before Nigeria attained sovereign status, the country had been involved in football matters both continentally and globally. To be precise, on August 16, 1949, 18 Nigerian footballers boarded the RMSS Apapa en-route Liverpool, England, where two weeks later, they began their playing tour of the United Kingdom. That is where the story of Nigeria's national team began. The UK Tourists marked a watershed in Nigerian football history. From that time, Nigeria's national team started getting involved in football at the continental level. Surprisingly, Nigeria did not make any entry for the World Cup from 1938 to 1958. Nigerian football started evolving at the post independence period. So, by 1962, Nigeria made entry for the World Cup failed to qualify.
It must be established at this juncture that the Civil War that started in the mid 60s hampered the progress of the game in the country because football activities dropped to the lowest ebb. Even, Nigeria did not feature in the African Cup of Nations until 1976. Immediately after the war, Nigerian football witnessed a new dawn as things started taking a new shape with football activities beginning to soar. By 1973, Nigeria hosted the All Africa Games and the West African country won the gold medal in football. It was a landmark achievement for a country that just returned from war. Five years later, Nigeria won a silver medal in football in the same competition.
At the African Nations Cup, Nigeria emerged third place consecutively in 1976 and 1978, while at the Olympics Games she qualified for the first time in 1968, but crashed out in the first round.
Nigerian football in the 70′s
The 70′s marked the golden era for Nigerian football clubs with Shooting Stars of Ibadan setting the tune in 1976 when it won the Africa Cup Winners Cup for the first time by a Nigerian club. Enugu Rangers International followed suit the year after (1977) by winning the same trophy. It was the turn of New Nigeria Football Club of Benin became the toast of Nigerian clubs in the early 80′s winning the WAFU (West Africa Football Union) Cup in 1983 and 1984. BCC Lions of Gboko put smiles on the faces of Nigeria once again when it won the Africa Cup Winners. Shooting Stars reclaimed its continental glory in 1992 when it won the CAF Cup. Bendel Insurance won the same trophy. Enyimba of Aba, perhaps, holds the record of the highest achievement by any Nigerian club as it won Africa's biggest trophy in club competition in 2003 thereby breaking nearly 40-year old jinx that trailed Nigerian clubs. The Aba People's Elephant successfully defended the trophy the next year. Only last year, Sharks of Port Harcourt broke its trophy jinx by winning the WAFU Cup.
Nigerian football in the '80s
The year 1980 marked what could be regarded as the re-birth of Nigerian football. Regrettably, the dark years of the civil war kept Nigerian football in the doldrums, but the victory recorded by the Green Eagles at the 1980 edition of the African Nations Cup opened another vista in the history of Nigerian football. It was the first time Nigeria would win the African Nations Cup in the history of the tournament. In the next edition of the championship, Nigeria did not do well as it was bundled out of the tournament in the first round. But in the subsequent editions, the Super Eagles was the team to beat. It bounced back in 1984 when it reached the final only to lose to Cameroon 3-1. It was an indigenous coach, Adegboye Onigbinde that led the team to the championship. Nigeria lost in the final again in 1990 to host, Algeria and won bronze again in 1992 in Senegal. With silver medals in 1984, 1988 and 1990, bronze in 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004 and 2006 and gold medals in 1980 and 1994, Nigeria became the team to have won the top three positions in the African Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles reached an all-time height in 1994, winning the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia and making an impressive debut at the World Cup USA'94 where Nigeria got as far as the Round of 16. With about 90 seconds away from the quarterfinals Italy scored a late equalising goal and scuttled the Super Eagles' dream. However, Nigeria was ranked fifth after the World Cup in 1994, the best in the nation's football history. Nigeria made history in 1996 when she became the first African team to win the Olympics football event, but also the first non-European country to win the gold medal since 1928.
Added to this were the exploits of the Nigerian teams at different age grade competitions. In far away China in 1985, Nigeria's captain, Uduka Ugbade, mounted the rostrum to receive the U-17 World Cup from the then FIFA President. It was the maiden edition of the championship. Eight years later in far away Japan, Nigeria's cadet team conquered the world again to win the trophy for the second time. The Nigerian lads under the tutelage of late coach Yemi Tella won the trophy in South Korea in 2007 for the record third time. At the U-20 level, Nigeria came close to winning the trophy but sheer ill luck robbed her of victories. In 1989, Nigeria lost 2-0 to Portugal in the final and also in 2005 to Argentina by the same goal margin.
It is on record that Nigeria dominated the Women's Football in the continent with the Super f equally made good appearance at the global level.
Honours won by Nigerian players
When Nigerian football was on the rise some Nigerian players played some outstanding roles in which they were adequately rewarded with different awards. During the golden era of Nigerian football Rashidi Yekini was a strong factor and nobody was surprised when he was named the African footballer of the year in 1993. It was the turn of Emmanuel Amunike to be named the winner of the award in 1994. This was the year Nigeria's senior national team took the whole world by storm. The Prince of Monaco, Victor Ikpeba was on top of his game in 1997 when CAF named him as the winner of the award. Nigeria's Olympic team captain, Kanu Nwankwo was named the winner in 1996 while he won the award in 1999 as well. There were some other Nigerian players that distinguished themselves during their time that were named as winners of the prestigious award. Players like Segun Odegbami (MON), who was once named as the best in Africa, Christian Chukwu(MON) too merited the award as well, Henry Nwosu ( MON), Sunday Oliseh, Austin Okocha, Taribo West, the trio had also been listed but they did not win.
However, despite all these achievements it is not yet uhuru for Nigerian football at 51.