By Amaechi Agbo

Obviously, the none qualification of the Super Eagles to the 2022 World Cup have come and gone but the stack reality that Nigeria football is projected on the downward spiral end is a looming fact.

Nigeria came into the global football arena in the late 80s and early 90s when the cadet teams did exploits and the Super Eagles held the stage during their maiden World Cup appearance in 1994.

With the passage of time, came with the change in leadership of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF the apex body saddled with the responsibility of development, managing and organising football in the country.

Ab initio, the bedrock of football and any sport development, is the grassroots structure, system and sustained culture of harnessing the millions of abundant talents in the country and prepare them for national glory.

However, recently, there are evidences that the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF have intentionally programmed the national U-20 and U-17 male teams, the Flying Eagles and the Golden Eaglets, respectively to fail. This is also obtainable in the female national teams, the Falconets and the Flamingos.

Nigeria football followers, pundits and stakeholders have labeled the NFF Nigeria Super Eagles Federation. No doubt, of course, because the federation pays premium attention to issues and activities around the Eagles more than any other teams.

The NFF’s total disregard and almost inantention being paid to the youth teams are very obvious and measured. It is under this current NFF administration that coaches for the youth teams are appointed/announced most times, less than a month to tournaments or qualifiers.

The Flying Eagles, Nigeria’s U-20 male team are due to play in the West Africa Football Union, WAFU Zone B qualifiers next month. However, NFF have no interest in this competition. Flying Eagles have been abandoned, Golden Eaglets neglected!

The biennial tournament will be held in Niamey, Niger, from Saturday, May 7 to Friday, May 20, 2022, as a qualifier for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. That of the U-17 is slated for June. Sadly, with less than a month or two months to these competitions, the NFF have no plans for the teams.

Coach Bosso’s November Camping Plan Rejected

This paper understands in good authority that the Flying Eagles coach, Ladan Bosso had earlier in November 2021, submitted a proposal for the team to begin camping in December same year for the team to bond ahead of the WAFU Zone B qualifiers.

However, an inside source told our correspondent that the federation declined his programme and kept it in view.

“As I speak with you, Coach Bosso submitted his team plans in November but because the NFF attention was on the Super Eagles and the Nations Cup, they kept it in the drawal. Bosso had a very beautiful programme for the team but the federation appears not to be interested.

“Now we are talking about less than a month to a competition and yet, we don’t have a team. The players are not called to camp. How are they going to perform magic?” the source queried.

Is Bosso still the Flying Eagles Coach?

With less than a month to the commencement of the 2022 WAFU U-20 Zone B qualifiers, there is palpable confusion surrounding the composition of the Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets coaching crew.

While Ladan Bosso remains in charge of the Flying Eagles with Fatai Amoo in charge of the Golden Eaglets, however, the NFF have directed the technical committee to submit list of new coaches for the national teams.

Arising from an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee of NFF on Tuesday, 5th April 2022 at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the federation gave the technical committee 5 days deadline to furnish it with recommendations of coaches for the Super Eagles, home-based (CHAN) Eagles, Flying Eagles and the Golden Eaglets.

“The Executive Committee mandated its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to, within the next 5 days, make recommendations to the Executive Committee on coaching crews for the Super Eagles, the CHAN team, the U-20 Boys (Flying Eagles) and the U-17 Boys (Golden Eaglets) ahead of upcoming assignments. This is to ensure preparations for the next qualifying tournaments and championships commence in earnest,” the presser stated.

The deadline for the committee to submit the recommendations is on Sunday, April 10 meaning that the Flying Eagles, the Golden Eaglets whose WAFU Competition will come up in June, will not be in camp any time soon.

With NFF’s obvious proclivity to ensure that the two teams did not do well in the forthcoming competitions, it is instructive to note that Ghana and Ivory Coast have been in camp for months in preparations for the competition.

Abdul Karim Zito’s side are currently at the Ghana’s Centre of Excellence in Prampram preparing to defend their crown.

Best Choice Sports gathered that Coach Ladan Bosso is currently being frustrated due to lack of direction and communication from the NFF.

“Ladan Bosso is one of the finest coaches we have in this country but look at what is happening. As I speak with you, Bosso is frustrated.

“He is not sure if he would remain the coach and if he does, how would he start? Where would he start from? A tournament that is due to begin on May 7th and we don’t have a team yet. Even if you bring Jose Mourinho to coach the team, he will fail,” our source stated.

WAFU ZONE B Qualifying Details

Eight countries are expected to compete for honours at the championship which is being used to select finalist for the Africa U-20 Championship.

Defending Champions Ghana will fight for the title against heavy weight Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, and host Niger.

The Black Satellites won last year’s edition and qualified for the U-20 AFCON, which they also won due to their outstanding performances.

While the Ghanaian, Ivory Coast and other West Africa s teams in the West Africa Football Union, WAFU Zone B are intensifying preparations, Nigeria is yet to call their teams to camp

This, no doubt, is a calculated attempt to frustrate the coaches and programmed the teams to fail