Why our football is on the decline – Okpala

By Eddie Akalonu

Former Green Eagles star midfielder, Sylvanus Okpala  has said the reason why the country’s football teams have been recording losses in the continent was because there is a gap between planning and general expectations from the teams.

As a panacea for the dwindling fortunes, he has therefore called for a new beginning in view of other up-coming qualifiers for competitions ahead.

Speaking in Lagos, the former national U-20 team captain said “what has happened was expected. We have failed and we will not be going to the Nations Cup and our women won’t be going to the London Olympics. But we must move forward because there are other competitions ahead and we must stop lamenting  and  begin to plot how to go through those qualifiers.”

He highlighted several errors in our football including not running a purely professional football league as the foundation upon which  football must stand and grow as well as working on ways to build a functional home based Super Eagles and Super Falcons.

The Super Eagles recently lost a chance to play in the 2012 African Cup of Nations while the Falcons also ceded the ticket to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Earlier, the Falcons and the national U-23 male did not qualify for  the football event of the All Africa Games held in Mozambique last September.