The Super Eagles of Nigeria will clash with Les Fauves of Central African Republic (CAR) in the reverse fixture of Group C African qualifier for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 holding today at the Stade Japoma de Douala in Cameroon.
Nigeria, ranked 34 by FIFA, suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat to CAR (124) in the first game between the two teams played at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Thursday, October 7.
However, despite this embarrassing loss, Nigeria is still ahead of the group with six points; followed by Cape Verde (four), CAR (four points) and Liberia (three).
A delegation of 23 players, technical officials, backroom staff and others arrived in Cameroon yesterday for the duel fixed for 2:00 pm Nigerian time.
Meanwhile, former international, Dairu Sadi, has attributed the slide in Super Eagles’ recent performance to a one-man running football administration in the country without inputs from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee.
Sadi said the technical committee members, who would have pointed out grey areas as experts noticed in the Super Eagles and other national football teams, have been rendered ineffective.
Speaking to newsmen yesterday, Sadi said the loss was not unexpected.
“There are a lot of issues confronting the Eagles. There is a lot wrong with our football generally. Now, the rot noticed in other national teams is gradually creeping into the Super Eagles.
“The team’s problem began with the coaches and the players being owed salaries and match bonuses. And then you hear the football governing body refuting it. All these things bring a lack of trust, and at the end of the day, a
loss of concentration during games.
“We that played the game for the country before know how players can be distracted before any match even when some of us earn well in our clubs compared with the domestic players in the camp then and even now. This is truly a big issue that should be addressed,” he said.
Sadi, a former NFF technical committee member, added: “We can’t be losing these kinds of games against minnows. But that is the situation we have found ourselves. When you rate our player’s side by side with that of our opponents, you know our players are more rated and are even scoring goals for their clubs in Europe. Then you ask yourself why are they not replicating their form here?
“The truth is that I don’t think those managing our football are ready to address several issues affecting our football. The NFF technical committee, which should be the engine room, analysing and pointing out areas that needed to be addressed in any of the national teams are no longer to be reckoned with.”
There was a time when these people watch players in training during camping and they offer their advice on what they see. But now, the NFF technical committee is only on paper.
“But these days you find one man travelling around and doing all the jobs of the technical committee members by himself. And you then ask yourself if that is how football is being run? To get our football right, we must rely on these technical committee members for better performance,” he said.
