Pastor Elijah Okon Usen, the Area Superintendent of The Apostolic Church, Maboju in his end of year message yesterday, spoke about the need to repackage for next year.

He inspired the saints to see next year as the appointed time to rewrite the history of our lives. The coming year he said should be one in which we should be ready to talk about the good tidings of great testimony……..

I do not know how in the course of the sermon, I wished our sports was in the congregation, present to listen to the message that will prepare it for next season, next year.

By now, the various sports federations would have come to the realization that no amount of moanings, bellyachings and complaints will alter their destiny in a clime where football is worshipped by the populace, giving the National Sports Commission the excuse to pitch camp in the football tent, forever.

2015 will not be an exception. The government of this country can, without batting an eye lid, produce N740 million to “solve a football problem” where most of the sports “will do wonders” with N50 million, yes just fifty million naira.

2014 is a year that saw the eclipse of our sports as the various sports Federations went to sleep, resigned to their fate. In 2015, we must pray to be able to go back to the days of the Brai Ayonotes, ( Boxing) Raheem Adejumo, Chuka Momah (Tennis) Rev Moses Iloh (Cycling) Eddie Aderinokun (Volleyball)…….Men who put themselves and their means at the disposal of their sports. Who called the bluff of the National sports commission, courted sponsors and ran their Federations with dignity.

Danagogo

Because there was nothing to write home about other sports, the football crisis was amplified. In all the years that the Bafana Bafana had nothing to offer their country men and women in the area of success, South Africans had alternatives to turn to as the country runs very lucrative and exciting Rugby and Cricket leagues.

Pro and amateur boxing thrives in South Africa. Swimming is at world standard while hockey, tennis and netball (Yes netball) are not short of competitions all the year round. What about golf? About six South Africans occupy the top twenty ladder of world’s golf over time.

Thanks to Supersports on the DSTV bouquet we watch daily as thousands throng to see these other sports and revel in them. Unfortunately, that is not the situation here. 2015 should therefore be a year of the lesser sports picking up the gauntlet and encouraging themselves.

In 2015 we will pray for developmental programmes in all the sports, a bed rock that is neglected here. Going back to football, one is aware that FIFA consciously budgets for the development of the game with emphasis on youth and women. Such funds should be applied for the purpose. I believe there are a lot of concerns in this country who will gladly jump at an opportunity of catching them young. Mobil Producing Nigeria, Nestle and Shell Producing are some of those companies that have remained faithful to the “catch them young “ initiative. Unfortunately, youth so discovered are not tracked and invested in.

Next year our clubs in Africa will run after superstars in the league. The moment they qualify for Africa, they raid other clubs for the so called established stars. If there is any league that brims with old players, that league is the Nigerian league. I will leave Emma Jemegah and Emeka Nwani with the assignment of compiling the list of those players who have spent 15 years in the league, yet are below 30 in age.

Just this week, we woke up with the story of a young Nigerian Seyi Ojo 17, who made it to the bench of a phenomenal club like Liverpool in the Premiership. Dominic Iorfa at Wolves, Kenechukwu Uchenwa at Mallorca, Jordan Ibe plays for Derby…. they dot the globe, young Nigerians. Here 25 year olds angle for call ups by the Eaglets coach. What ever happened to that league clause that mandates clubs to establish Feeder Teams? Feeder teams as different from Reserve teams! Structured academies, home grown players, tutored and schooled for stardom with loyalty to their foundation in mind.

In 2015, we will pray for a sports summit, driven perhaps by the Sports writers Association of Nigeria, where weekly, sports Presidents and Chairmen will be called upon to render stewardship, make an appearance in the court of public opinion with their lieutenants and convince us why they should be left in office.

In 2015 we will pray for all the problems in the house of football to disappear, including internal wranglings that are threatening to explode in the new year. We will pray for the coaching drama to be resolved for us to move on.

As we move into the new year we will pray that Coach Okon and his Falcons stop talking and get down to business. Whether they like it or not, the challenge that USA, Sweden and Australia will pose in Canada in June is real and daunting. Yes we are Africa Champions, yes we can qualify for the second round, but the task, believe me is daunting!

In 2015 we will pray for our U17 and U20 teams as they go to Niger and Senegal respectively in search of World tickets. This is the year that we will pray for more “sports loving governors” men who will provide us with suitable infrastructure that will aid the development of sports at grass root level.

2015, the year of prayers. Let us pray.