By Paul Bassey
Nigeria is in the dock. Brought to the court of public opinion on the believed “premature ouster” of the Falcons from the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Accused are the Nigeria Football Federation,( NFF ) and the Technical Committee of the NFF. Also in the dock can be found the media, Coach Uche Eucharia, the players and The Nigeria Television Authority ( NTA )

I hereby step out to represent them.

Presiding judge: Are you representing all of them?
Yes Milord.

Presiding Judge: Let us take the NTA first. Is there any reason why you should not be sentenced to a permanent black out for not affording Nigerians the opportunity of watching the Falcons live?

Milord, on behalf of the NTA, I plead guilty. You see the period of the Women World Cup matches coincided with the Boko Haram crises and the screening of ministers in the senate so they were forced to handle what was considered an issue of important national security.

Besides Milord a sooth sayer had told them that the Falcons will not go far, so if they had wasted money buying into the broadcast rights, it would have been difficult recouping same as interest of sponsors and advertisers would have waned after the ouster of the Falcons as predicted.

Presiding Judge: Let the players step forward and tell this court why they should not all be banned from football for life for such a disgraceful outing in Germany.

Milord, I plead not guilty for the players. If we replay the tape of that match against Germany, you would have seen how the players struggled and put in everything.  When they were told that their dollars will be increased, in fact doubled, they nearly died on the field. They were running helter skelter, kicking and pushing….if the same offer was made to them against France they would have won.

Presiding Judge: Is it about money, dollars? What about patriotism….
Milord, those girls have suffered. Despite being the most successful Nigerian team, what they earn as bonuses and allowances is nothing to write home about. Substandard hotels, neglect and the absence of a competitive league that will keep the girls in shape, week in week out… the world, even FIFA was surprised with the scoreline. They thought we were going to collect not less than four goals going by the 8-0 pounding we got in an earlier friendly match.

Presiding Judge: Who else is in the dock? Yes the media. The media deceived us. They should have prepared our minds for the calamity. How come they did not tell us the truth?

Milord. The media……well the media tried, a section of the media tried. There is that section that did not want to step on toes, scared to say it the way it was, not brave enough to delve into problems that bedeviled the team especially after they were knocked out from the All Africa Games by Ghana.

Presiding Judge: So what do you plead for the media?

Some are guilty Milord. Others should be discharged and acquitted.
Presiding Judge: Coach Uche Eucharia please step forward and convince me why you should not be sacked for leading this country to two consecutive defeats in Germany.

Milord, I also represent Coach Eucharia. She should have been sacked after losing to Ghana. That was the time, but her employers dilly dallied. She did not appoint herself. Someone employed her. Perhaps that person should be held accountable for her sins.

That one was a fantastic player, does not translate to a good coach. She tried her best but her best is not good enough. Could not match the off the field pressures, politics and demands of a virile team like the Falcons.
Presiding Judge: So?

Guilty Milord, guilty. I plead for leniency. She was a good servant of female football.
Presiding Judge: Barrister Green step forward. You are the chairman of the technical committee of the NFF. Besides you are a lawyer so I believe you can represent yourself.

Milord I am also representing the Technical Committee. Barrister Green is too shocked to be his usual vocal self. Milord the Technical Committee is guilty for not sacking coach Eucharia. A meeting was called to that effect, but a lot of variables prevented her sack just days before the world cup.

Let it be on record that this committee did not appoint Coach Euchariah, although it is now fashionable to have women at the helm of affairs, but when the committee discovered that she was technically still developing ( ? ) the committee tried to bring her up to par, in vain. The committee should have damned the consequences and lay her off.

Presiding Judge: Finally the Nigeria Football Federation. Lawyer Bassey, there is nothing you are going to tell me. The NFF should be held accountable for the failure of the Falcons.

Guilty. Milord, Guilty. The NFF is guilty of neglecting the female league. As I am addressing you, there are no sponsors for the league. Maybe the idea of independence should be exploited, same as the NPL. At the height of their achievements, our girls are treated like second class citizens. The regime of Alhaji Maigari should do something extra.

Presiding Judge: In Summary.

Milord, I plead for leniency on all counts. Please we should be given an opportunity to go back to the drawing board……

Presiding Judge: Objection. Which board? Which board? I don’t want to hear that. For how long must you keep on going back to that board instead of moving ahead?

Sorry Milord…..

Presiding Judge: Yes you should be sorry. Listen I am emotionally destabilized. If I give my ruling today, all of you will be sorry. I have therefore decided to postpone judgment till after the match against Canada. I believe you understand the implication of that decision…

I do Milord. I do.
Court adjouned.

See you next week.