On August 17, 2009, I sent in the following diary material from Berlin where I was covering the World Athletics Championships:Avinoam Porot is in his 60s. He is an Israeli journalist who would always remind you that he is from a beautiful country.

Baring unforseen circumstances the people who will run our football for next three to four years will emerge after the FA elections tomorrow.

The Sports Committee of House of Representatives yesterday concluded a three day hearing on what led to our failure in the World Cup and recommendations on the way forward for our football.

I was not moved when we crashed out of the World Cup. I never expected wonders from the team. I had prepared my mind for the worst. I saw disaster coming but I never knew it was going to be that bad – that a team would lose two matches and still had a chance to qualify if they won one against a country like South Korea and still failed!

A bronze medal at the Olympics means that you are the third best in the world…But in which other sector do we rank among the top 100?

I am worried that growth of football will be the only victim. Finally, has President Goodluck entered into a plea bargain with the characters who squandered the goodwill of Nigerians? Has he accepted the apology and inadvertently dragged us as usual to several steps backwards?

Edwin Eze, a senior colleague had sent this text: “Dagama, that was a masterpiece. If we had listened to our analysts in picking local coaches like Siasia, Keshi and Okpala before the World Cup, the tragedy of Lars Lagerback would have been avoided.”

That reminded me that the government could also mobilise to vote the FA out and still reorganise our football without hurting the game. I strongly believe that President Jonathan was not well advised and those who thumbed up his action acted on the spur of the moment which was understandable. But I know that the President means well and can re-address this issue with time. After all, this government once withdrew from the hosting of the last World Under 17n Soccer Championship after bidding and winning the hosting right.

ONE thing that pains me badly is how forgetful we are. The other is our complex over white skin which I made an issue before they signed foreign coach to replace Amodu Shuabu.

Former sports minister, Musa Mohammed, once got in touch to clear the air on an issue I had raised concerning the bad blood between the Nigeria Football Association and his ministry.