Chris Maduewesi
Member
Nigerian football in retrospect this year is one that can be described as being topsy turvy, never following an expected pattern.
It was one of mixed joy, laden with so much intricacies that has come to characterize the country's association with the sport.
Make no mistakes, there were a lot of "ups" to celebrate but it looked as though it competed side by side with the "downs" whom would emerge to be tops in the popularity contest.
While the joyous part came mainly from the women category, there wasn't much to cheer about in the men's zone.
The women teams were everything their male counterparts weren't, inking Nigeria's name as a nation to be reckoned with on the international scene.
The administration part of football in Nigeria witnessed so many low points this year.
It was a year wherein that at some point FIFA became so confused with Nigeria's numerous problems that they almost set up a department solely for the country's avalanche of problems(literally).
So below, we have outlined the GOOD, BAD and UGLY of Nigerian football this outgoing year.
-The Good
** Falconets finishing second at the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup:
Nigeria's Falconets yet again finished second at the FIFA under-20 Women's World Cup tournament, losing again to none other than Germany whom they lost to in 2010 edition of this same championship.
But the Nigerian girls were menacing and impressed in their games all the way to the final, forcing the Germans to an extra time which they eventually lost 1-0.
With some of their games played very late in the night,Nigerians stayed up to watch the girls play.
Despite the fact that they lost, there was some form of gratification that they got that far and were not disgraced.
Coach Peter Dedevbo's team lit up the tournament, with players like Asisat Oshoala leading the charge.
** Super Falcons winning the African Women's Championship:
Nigeria this year in Namibia reclaimed the African Women's Championship title and has now won it for a record seventh time.
The Super Falcons defeated Cameroon in the final, beating the Indomitable Lionesses 2-0 to win the title.
It is an unprecedented feat and no other African team has been able to record such an achievement.
By virtue of winning the championship, Nigeria also qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup taking place next year in Canada.
The Super Falcons proved that finishing fourth in last championship was just a temporarily blip, and that they remain the undisputed queens of the continent.
-Bad
*** Stephen Keshi's uncertain position:
The position of Stephen Keshi as Super Eagles coach is one completely shrouded in mystery.
The situation this year: one day he is still the coach, the next day he isn't the national team handler.
Keshi's contract expired after the 2014 World Cup tournament in July, and the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) up till this moment haven't come out to state if he is their man or not.
Before the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers against Congo and South Africa in September, there was a cloud of doubt over who would coach the team, and who handed out the call-ups for the qualifiers.
Keshi agreed to manage the team for the games, but that was after the sports minister, Tammy Danagogo pleaded with him.
He was cast out in October after briefly working on an interim basis, but was brought back on the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan.
However the NFF are yet to offer him a substantive contract to work with as the national team coach.
As it stands at the moment, it's best to say that the team is rudderless and there is no coach for the Super Eagles.
*** Multiple NFF problems:
Nigeria at a stage became a butt of ridicule in the international scene. The country flirted with FIFA's ban incessantly and was at a stage placed on an indefinite suspension.
Factions laid siege on the NFF leadership as there were warring parties fighting for the soul of Nigerian football.
Past NFF president, Aminu Maigari was ousted out of power and some of the executive members of the federation were guests at detention facilities of some security agencies.
Chris Giwa claimed that he was legitimately elected president of the NFF and when Amaju Pinnick was elected by the NFF congress, it only fuelled litigation in the court of law.
Crisis and Nigerian football are like Siamese twins, always seen with each other.
FIFA on countless occasions wrote correspondences to the NFF "reminding them of abiding by their statutes"
It was only when FIFA threatened to give Nigeria a lengthy ban which could only be lifted during their next congress in 2015 that the country bent into shape and sought for a palliative remedy.
-Ugly
** Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2015 African Nations Cup:
The Super Eagles in a show of ignominy failed to qualify for the 2015 African Nations Cup tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
No excuses for Nigeria's inability to scale through a group that had Congo, South Africa and Sudan.
In-fighting within the NFF and Keshi's uncertainty were some of the determining factors to have hindered Nigeria's qualification.
Nigeria didn't start the qualifiers all guns blazing, in fact a home defeat to Congo and a draw in Cape Town to South Africa put qualification in doubt.
However a 2-0 away win in Point Noire to Congo turned the tide and sprung alive hopes of qualification.
But how can you defend the fact that Nigeria could not win their last game at home to make it through.
A 2-2 draw to South Africa in the final game of the qualifiers at the newly built Uyo stadium condemned the defending champions to the bitter straws of elimination.
Just under two years of that glorious night in Johannesburg, Nigeria was not even good enough to qualify and defend the crown they won in 2013.
The gloom that trailed that disappointment in Uyo summed up the turbulent tide that has threatened Nigerian football this year: some they weathered, others just swallowed them.
It was one of mixed joy, laden with so much intricacies that has come to characterize the country's association with the sport.
Make no mistakes, there were a lot of "ups" to celebrate but it looked as though it competed side by side with the "downs" whom would emerge to be tops in the popularity contest.
While the joyous part came mainly from the women category, there wasn't much to cheer about in the men's zone.
The women teams were everything their male counterparts weren't, inking Nigeria's name as a nation to be reckoned with on the international scene.
The administration part of football in Nigeria witnessed so many low points this year.
It was a year wherein that at some point FIFA became so confused with Nigeria's numerous problems that they almost set up a department solely for the country's avalanche of problems(literally).
So below, we have outlined the GOOD, BAD and UGLY of Nigerian football this outgoing year.
-The Good
** Falconets finishing second at the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup:
Nigeria's Falconets yet again finished second at the FIFA under-20 Women's World Cup tournament, losing again to none other than Germany whom they lost to in 2010 edition of this same championship.
But the Nigerian girls were menacing and impressed in their games all the way to the final, forcing the Germans to an extra time which they eventually lost 1-0.
With some of their games played very late in the night,Nigerians stayed up to watch the girls play.
Despite the fact that they lost, there was some form of gratification that they got that far and were not disgraced.
Coach Peter Dedevbo's team lit up the tournament, with players like Asisat Oshoala leading the charge.
** Super Falcons winning the African Women's Championship:
Nigeria this year in Namibia reclaimed the African Women's Championship title and has now won it for a record seventh time.
The Super Falcons defeated Cameroon in the final, beating the Indomitable Lionesses 2-0 to win the title.
It is an unprecedented feat and no other African team has been able to record such an achievement.
By virtue of winning the championship, Nigeria also qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup taking place next year in Canada.
The Super Falcons proved that finishing fourth in last championship was just a temporarily blip, and that they remain the undisputed queens of the continent.
-Bad
*** Stephen Keshi's uncertain position:
The position of Stephen Keshi as Super Eagles coach is one completely shrouded in mystery.
The situation this year: one day he is still the coach, the next day he isn't the national team handler.
Keshi's contract expired after the 2014 World Cup tournament in July, and the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) up till this moment haven't come out to state if he is their man or not.
Before the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers against Congo and South Africa in September, there was a cloud of doubt over who would coach the team, and who handed out the call-ups for the qualifiers.
Keshi agreed to manage the team for the games, but that was after the sports minister, Tammy Danagogo pleaded with him.
He was cast out in October after briefly working on an interim basis, but was brought back on the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan.
However the NFF are yet to offer him a substantive contract to work with as the national team coach.
As it stands at the moment, it's best to say that the team is rudderless and there is no coach for the Super Eagles.
*** Multiple NFF problems:
Nigeria at a stage became a butt of ridicule in the international scene. The country flirted with FIFA's ban incessantly and was at a stage placed on an indefinite suspension.
Factions laid siege on the NFF leadership as there were warring parties fighting for the soul of Nigerian football.
Past NFF president, Aminu Maigari was ousted out of power and some of the executive members of the federation were guests at detention facilities of some security agencies.
Chris Giwa claimed that he was legitimately elected president of the NFF and when Amaju Pinnick was elected by the NFF congress, it only fuelled litigation in the court of law.
Crisis and Nigerian football are like Siamese twins, always seen with each other.
FIFA on countless occasions wrote correspondences to the NFF "reminding them of abiding by their statutes"
It was only when FIFA threatened to give Nigeria a lengthy ban which could only be lifted during their next congress in 2015 that the country bent into shape and sought for a palliative remedy.
-Ugly
** Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2015 African Nations Cup:
The Super Eagles in a show of ignominy failed to qualify for the 2015 African Nations Cup tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
No excuses for Nigeria's inability to scale through a group that had Congo, South Africa and Sudan.
In-fighting within the NFF and Keshi's uncertainty were some of the determining factors to have hindered Nigeria's qualification.
Nigeria didn't start the qualifiers all guns blazing, in fact a home defeat to Congo and a draw in Cape Town to South Africa put qualification in doubt.
However a 2-0 away win in Point Noire to Congo turned the tide and sprung alive hopes of qualification.
But how can you defend the fact that Nigeria could not win their last game at home to make it through.
A 2-2 draw to South Africa in the final game of the qualifiers at the newly built Uyo stadium condemned the defending champions to the bitter straws of elimination.
Just under two years of that glorious night in Johannesburg, Nigeria was not even good enough to qualify and defend the crown they won in 2013.
The gloom that trailed that disappointment in Uyo summed up the turbulent tide that has threatened Nigerian football this year: some they weathered, others just swallowed them.
