Etta Egbe is the former number one goalkeeper of Rovers Football Club of Calabar. He rose to become a member of the national team and retired in 1986. He is in the technical crew of the national U-15 football team. Egbe speaks with Jacob Ajom on his childhood club, Rovers and the state of football in Cross River State.

What is the state of football in Cross River State?
Deplorable. Calabar Rovers have been relegated because the right thing is not being done.

Why?
We require government action. Government should come in and take over the club. Unicem, which has been the long standing sponsor don’t seem to be interested any longer. I would recommend immediate takeover of the club by government. Once that is done, the team should be put under the supervision of the Deputy Governor’s office. The club can come back in no time.

Look back and tell us how it was playing for Rovers
Between 1978 and 1985 Rovers was among the top 5 clubs in Nigeria. The set of players we had then were among the best in the country. Players like Isong Isang, Paul Atila, Egan Adat, Uwem Ekarika (now late), and Etim Esin who came at the tail end of my stay with the club. Rovers was a great club.
Football then was seen as a game for dropouts, or for children from the suburbs. Through school sports, talents were discovered. But today, most people run into the game for what they stand to benefit from it. Even ministers buy boots for their children to play football. So sports is no longer a pastime for dropouts.

Governor Imoke

How can Cross River State reposition itself among the best football states in the country?
Proper hands should be in place to run the affairs of football in the state. The state Football Association should be blamed for the present state of football in the state because if one looks at the result – like Rovers going into relegation – that means everybody has failed.

What is the way forward?
We need total change. And there is hope because the Cross River State FA election comes up in February. There is hope in the horizon.

From the field of intending contestants, do you really have hope?
The coast is not clear yet so we do not know those that are coming. However, there is that feeling that a change will come. We expect change.

The state is hosting the National Sports Festival in 2015, you think the state football team can win gold in the football event?
We have a very strong development programme in place. Imoke administration has done well in terms of sports development at the grassroots level. The state has won schools sports festival back to back and I believe they will do well.