Change of attitude, please

Sometimes,  I feel that some of our players think the country owes them  debts for wearing our jerseys during matches. What one cannot understand is why those who feel too big to play for Nigeria don’t quit the stage honourably instead of reporting late for key matches. Will they change their nationalities? With many of them using the national soccer teams’ platforms to gain international acclaim, one is left with no other option but to join the school of thought canvassing for us to develop the game only.

It is important to plead with our players for a change of attitude. They should stop insulting our sensibilities by telling us they missed their flights out of England. Asking them to report early to camp is for blending. If they had reported to camp early, they would have gained five days training session before today’s game. One can understand why China and Russia based players reported late, not those in Europe.

Perhaps the players have forgotten that the next game is next Tuesday. In between Saturday night and Tuesday, they won’t have another opportunity to train again, except they do so on Sunday night and Monday morning before travelling. They have lost one day or two. It won’t surprise anybody if they wobble in today’s game (God forbid). Our players should be more professional.

Nigeria needs to use sports as one of her biggest Public Relations (PR) tools to change people’s perception of our dear country. I won’t forget how Chioma Ajunwa ran towards a young American kid sitting at the stands to collect the Nigeria green-white-green flag for the traditional lap of honour after winning the women’s long jump gold medal at the Atlanta’96 Olympic Games. The next day, America’s top newspapers found space for Ajunwa’s celebration on their front pages, largely because the long jump had been their forte. Need I remind you that Nigeria was a pariah to other nations because of the better-forgotten Sani Abacha junta? I digress.

This writer’s adrenalin pumps highest when the Super Eagles are converging in camp ahead of crucial matches. Whereas our boys saunter into the camp like kings, when most of them are second-string players in their European clubs, their club mates in other countries make a ceremony of their return to national team assignments on the internet and the social media. Hitherto, we thought our players behaved this way because the coaches were scared of talking to them. But with German Gernot Rohr in charge, nothing has changed, although most pundits feel that he spoilt it by giving concessions to Victor Moses and others to report late to camp in the past. Rohr, the ball is in your court to wield the big stick.

What excites me is the captivating manner in which other nationals hurry back to play for their fatherland even when they depart from different countries at different times. They manage to make their passage through the immigration at the airports, one in which the media celebrate them. In fact, many of them are so excited that they start posting their movement back home, once they are boarded for the homeward trip. It is easy for the coaches and the fans to raise their hope of victory.

The arrival halls are a beehive of activities, with everyone struggling to come up with one fashion style that would beat others’. Whilst watching these pictures online, one is forced to hiss at our players’ attitude towards Nigeria’s matches. The argument that European players’ mentality towards their countries is different is bunkum, if one considers how the Senegalese, Ghanaians, Ivoriens et al report to camp early to prepare for matches. One is awed watching others wear wristbands of their countries while playing for their clubs; this is missing among our players.

The flipside suggestion that we use and dump our athletes as the reason for their seeming non-challance amounts to standing truth on its head because only recently, Cameroon’s football icon Samuel Eto’O Fils rescued a former Indomitable Lions’ captain Norbert Owona, who is homeless and whose plight was highlighted in a documentary. Eto O Fils promised to build a house for him. He gave 500,000 CFA francs (£686) to Owana, according to another former player, Joseph Kamga. Owona had written to some government ministers about his state of health and his appeal for help.

He complained of “living like an animal” and said it was “unfair to receive such treatment from his country”. Owona said it was difficult to get medical help because he had no money or home, having spent all his savings to pay for the cancer care of his wife and children. The Cameroonian government and indeed the Football Association (FECAFOOT) looked the other way.

Let me not waste space with George Opong Weah’s contributions towards  making Li beria a football nation. What did Cameroon do for Eto’O Fils that Nigeria hasn’t done better for our sportsmen and women? The Liberians rewarded Weah with their votes, rightly so, not the government.

The Super Eagles are the biggest marketing brand to reshape sports development in this country, only if the players can emulate their colleagues when it comes to honouring assignments. Nigeria was not at the last two Africa Cup of Nations (2015, 2017), after winning the 2013 edition in South Africa. A number of factors contributed to this sad development, including reporting to camp as if they were coming for a picnic. The present NFF corrected the flaws as attested to by the players at the Russia 2018 World Cup.

Our players should understand the damage they do to the fans’ psyche anytime they perform poorly. For instance, since Monday, commercial activities in Uyo and its environs have improved. People are making brisk business marketing various wares – sweets, ice-cream, pure water, minerals and food stuff, not forgetting the astronomical rise in prices in the town. This will go on until next week Monday, when the Libyans and the Eagles depart Akwa Ibom State. Fans are now forced to reside in neighbouring states, such as Cross River, Abia and Port Harcourt, where they will depart as early as 5am today to watch the game.

Ingenious Nigerians have made almanacs, tee-shirts, mufflers, Nigerian flags, flutes for the fans to motivate the players and other items having their favourite players’ faces. Restaurants and viewing centres have built collapsible tents, with big screens for fans who cannot enter the stadium to watch the game. This scenario is replicated in many other states across the country.  The streets will be empty from the kickoff time. Wild ceelbration will herald Eagles’ victory till the wee hours. That is how much Nigerians love the Eagles. Our players must beat Libya today to appease the fans.

Eagles are the nexus for sports marketing, if they do excel in matches because sponsors will fall over themselves to fund their activities. Those firms who can’t get Eagles’ sponsorship package will gladly fund basketball, where Nigeria’s male and female teams qualified for the World Cup, although the sport is enjoying sponsorship from food beverage giant Milo. Several windows can be created for sponsorship when the big firms are available.

I’ve refused to do any analysis on the game because Libya is a country in turmoil. They play their home matches in Tunisia, not Tripoli. If Eagles cannot beat the Libyans groggy with goals, they have themselves to blame. The Libyans are mentally unprepared for the game. They are in Uyo to fulfil all righteousness. They also don’t want to incur CAF’s wrath by pulling out of the competition. They have good reasons to do so. But they know the devastating impact pulling out of the competition will do to their game. They are honouring the Uyo fixture for the good of the game.

I feel strongly that Gernot Rohr should deliver on this competition by winning it, like the late Stephen Keshi, to justify the huge pay.  I’m however encouraged by his pre-match talks when he said: “On Saturday, the team has to give everything, come to the fore. When we do not hesitate we become more recognisable. If we speculate we become a vulgar team.

“If Libya are relaxed for the game, I will be happy. We cannot disappoint the fans. We go all out because we need it, and also even if we do not need it. It has nothing to do with either motivation or the sporting level, but the essence of the team. We cannot speculate. We respect them, but we want to make our presence felt,” Rohr added.

Alex Iwobi’s comments on Thursday typifies what Nigerians expect from the Eagles. He said: “Libya played a draw against South Africa, so it shows they are a good side. I’m sure the coaches and officials are putting everything in place to ensure victory on Saturday. The team is preparing hard and they are not taking them for granted.’’