By Ikeddy Isiguzo
TOO many assumptions are being made about our football, even sports. Some are sounding triumphant over the developments of the past few days.

They won by getting our football back to the international circuit. They won since the same characters who are committed to destruction of our football are firmly back on the saddle.

They can gloat, but it would not take long before they start fight over the spoils of their victory.

Football is a victim. Its tormentors are the victors. The minor disagreements between the impeached Nigeria Football Association, NFA, bosses and those who have firmly grabbed the reins of football are part of the class fight for the sustenance of chaos in our football.

The authors of the confusion believe they can profit maximally when disorder reigns, if there is none they create it.

Nothing has changed, nothing will change without fundamental re-structuring of our football. The thinking remains that a shifting of a few chairs would change football. What is the content of the proposed changes in our football?

Can we start implementing the Statutes, beginning from the roots _ that is Article 21 (5) that provides for election of State Associations? Can we have an NFA with a passionate knowledge of the game?

In the light of the lies, it is important to note that the game of exclusion is continuing. The dubious entrenched interests in our football are working hard to return in other forms, formats, or formations.

It is important that we agree on the pillars of the woes of our football. They need to be dismantled for us to rebuild. There is nothing in the present foundation that should recommend it to a new structure.

Many fake interests are popping up, some are fronts for the old order, and others are flanges of the same order, in disguise or out to take their turn after an earlier displacement.

When survival is the game, the stakes to prove relevance can be stunning, all to astound decisions on the future of the game. Everyone wants to be part of the new NFA, to be heads of delegations to international competitions, implement budgets, cut new sponsorship deals. All these are in the game’s interest!

Sani Lulu must have been bad. We probably have worse people in those who have suddenly found their tongues. Where we they when Lulu assumed the powers with which he acted alone? It is now safe to speak.

They want to lead a new NFA they will plead their experience and contacts with FIFA and also innocence in the current mess.

Extreme care is required to bring our football to bearable standards. My major fear is that government has neither the courage nor commitment to undertake the fear-reaching decisions that can change the direction of our football.

Emails On FIFA

I HAVE been following your articles on Nigerian football and it strikes me that your last article has hit the best stride. Our sovereignty has been challenged by FIFA in them dictating who will run our football whether the characters are men that are incapable or corrupt.

This is FIFA that does not see Nigerian referees capable to handle their World Cup matches and picked that joker of a referee from Mali to disgrace Africa at the World Cup match between the United States and Slovenia .

We must chart a new beginning by having the NFF work with the Presidential Advisory Committee in fashioning out the best way forward.

Something is wrong if the Nigerian coach and the officials are saying that the country that played in the final of 2008 Olympic Games final can only muster the lame attack in South Africa .

In every match as soon as Yakubu was replaced, the Nigerian team became threatening and the pressure on its defence abates.

Surprisingly, this is the top striker that Lars Lagerback feels is the best in Nigeria, a forward who never had a dribble or a shot in three matches at the World Cup.

Austin AKABUEZE, [email protected], a former Sports Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria , now a business consultant, lives in the USA

WE like living in fool’s paradise. When all else stops working it affects football too so it cannot be dealt with in isolation except if we are deceiving ourselves which is what we do all the time.

Nigeria needs a surgery. We like deceiving ourselves by eulogising half measures. The press has a lot of responsibility in this regards because I see it as part of the problem rather than the solution.

Jimmy ADEYEMI OFOR, [email protected]

IT is rather unfortunate that at this stage in Nigeria ‘s football evolution or rather her retro evolution we are still talking about cheating and the use of over aged players.

Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka has continually raved about how we have sent football gradually into an abyss of decadence and from all indications we have not learned from the past. We believe that every time we are billed to perform at any international competition, it is time to line our pockets with “estacode”.

I thought President Goodluck Jonathan would revamp our football but all I see is the head being severed just for new heads from the same specie to sprout. I was very glad we lost to the Swiss sucklings, although we learned nothing from that episode.

FOLARIN, [email protected]