The dust has settled, and the reality has kicked in. Nigeria are going to miss their first World Cup since 2006. It’s their second missed World Cup since 1994, when they reached the knockout stage. In actuality, it should not shock anyone that Nigeria are missing out on the 2022 World Cup. The signs were there, the cracks were papered over and now Nigeria has slipped, hard.
On Sept. 30, 2014 Amaju Pinnick took over as president of the Nigerian Football Federation. He oversaw the disaster that was not qualifying for the 2015 (two years after Nigeria won AFCON) and 2017 AFCON tournaments. He went on to hire Gernot Rohr, who saw a successful period of Nigerian football. Rohr, however was disrespected and eventually fired.
So who’s to blame? And what’s next for Nigeria after a disappointing stretch. Let’s sort it out.
Playing the blame game
Who is to blame for Nigeria not qualifying for the 2022 World Cup? It’s a large pie, everyone can get fed. Let’s start with the obvious: it was horrible goalkeeping for the Thomas Partey goal in their 1-1 draw against Ghana on Tuesday. The players looked like they were waiting for a third and fourth leg. Victor Osimhen was trying things he should not have. You get the point — the players did not hold their weight.
The coaching. Manager Augustine Eguavoen was the assistant coach when Nigeria did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup, he is a legend on the pitch, but off of it, he has failed to replicate what Aliou Cisse and now Rigobert Song have done for their country. The tactics, player selections, the substitutions or lack thereof were not up to par. Eguavoen and his staff need to take a long look in the mirror.
The football federation. There are way too many egos and not enough humility within the NFF and the sporting authorities in Nigeria. From Amaju Pinnick to the rest, there seems to be no plan, just vibes and a lot of talking. Cameroon has…
Source : cbssports
