By Onochie Anibeze
It will be a stupid thing to be offered money and you turn your back on it especially for the reasons that we are hearing.

The above is the position of ex international Sylvanus Okpala who has expressed outrage that the Nigeria Football Federation is considering canceling the contract they signed to play Argentina in another international friendly this August.

The match is scheduled four days after the September 3 Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar in Antanarivo. Organisers have offered the Nigeria Football Federation up to $1m for the match they plan for Bangladesh. It is a grade A match for which Nigeria, their kit sponsors and the federation will enjoy massive exposure that could in turn generate more business for the federation aside the positive impact it would have on Nigerian football.

Samson Siasia, we gathered, has approved the match saying “win or lose, we have a lot to learn from the match especially now that we are building our team.”

“It is unbelievable to hear that the federation is considering pulling out of the contract to make money and also work on their team,” Okpala who had a great career in Portugal said at the weekend.

Some of the reasons are as follows: That the 4-1 victory against Argentina in Abuja June 1 will be short-lived if Eagles play them again and lose this time.

That Nigeria has a Nations Cup match against Madagascar before the match.

That the first match in Abuja attracted controversy especially with FIFA investigating  alleged match fixing.
Fear of any effect on theMadagascar match makes no sense as the match against Argentina comes up after the Nations Cup match.

The match fixing allegation has also been watered by the fact that world governing body, FIFA, till date, has not written Nigeria or probed any Nigerian over any allegation. Rather, it is probing the referee that officiated the match especially on the penalty he awarded against Nigeria in the dying minutes of the match.

The goal reduced the tally to 4-1. After watching the tape of the match and even how Nigerian players protested against the call, FIFA probably knew that Nigeria had no role in making the match end 4-1. Some gamblers in the Far East, we gathered, had gone into betting that the match would produce five goals.

“The important thing is that our hands are clean and that organisers are offering the federation huge money to come and play a match. Football is business, it is about money and the federation needs money, the players need money, the officials need money. Now there’s money coming from organisers of the match and federation wants to say no. I can’t believe it.

It will be a stupid thing to do not to play that match because they want the victory in Abuja to last long. I can’t even believe that they are considering pulling out,” Okpala fumed at the weekend, adding “we have nothing to lose if we lose the match. Rather,  we have everything to gain because we would have learned a thing or two. How do we learn and improve if we don’t lose matches.”

Again, highly respected Julio Grondona, FIFA’s Vice President who,  as  the Federation President of Argentina,  had hand in the contract for the friendly would also be disappointed if Nigeria does not honour the contract. FIFA will probably sit over the fine for contract cancellation and NFF should not expect any mercy from the body.

The financial implications could be huge. So will be other factors as agents will mark Nigeria as a country that easily defaults in business.
Adidas, the kitting sponsors of Nigeria will also grudge over the cancellation of a match that could earn them good exposure.