Posted by By PAUL EREWUBA on
Alhaja Ayo Omidiran has described the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), a body which she served as a board member for over two years, as a lame duck.
Alhaja Ayo Omidiran has described the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), a body which she served as a board member for over two years, as a lame duck.
The proprietress of Omidiran Babes said the abrogation of Decree 101, which hitherto had left football administration in the country in tatters, was a welcome development.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with Sunday Sunsport in Oshogbo, the light-complexioned lady averred that despite the expertise of NFA board members, they could only dream dreams.
"To say the truth, Decree 101 has been a great inhibition to sports development in the country. And I'm happy with its abrogation.
The NFA board was just like a lame duck while it remained. Members of the board had good ideas then but could not execute them. And because of this problem, members of the public had always seen the FA members as ‘mumu'.
"Even decisions to sanction players who committed offences could not be carried out then by the board.
"But with the kind of NFA that would come on board now, I expect people with vision would join the board, not just people who think the FA is a place for making money.
"I expect a more vibrant FA with members who would be appreciated by the public because of their calibre and what they would be able to do as they run the board."
Omidiran, who watched the Super Eagles as they forced Rwanda to a 1-1 draw in Kigali, refused to lay blame of the poor outing on the door steps of the Super Eagles' captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha.
"I'm not happy that Okocha did not play against Rwanda, but the young man must have his reasons which majority of us are not privy to. I think we should give him the benefit of doubt.
"But, personally, I think because of the influence he commands in the squad, he would have gone to the camp and explain his problems to the coach. That, at least, would have raised the morale of the players to a certain level because by then, everybody would have understood that Jay Jay was there, but would not play due to some personal reasons. As the captain of the team, he has a very big responsibility, which he should not take lightly.
"So, my only disappointment is that he did not show up to explain himself very well to Nigerians. The way he is going about it is not tidy at all, that's why people are complaining so much. But as I said earlier, I think he has his reasons. The Okocha I know is a patriotic Nigerian.
"Many people are worried that we have failed to get substitutes for Okocha, and as a result, we have depended heavily on him. Whenever I think of this I laugh because I do not think it's a matter of having substitutes.
"People should realise that we are playing World Cup qualifiers. And it's the same Nigerians that will castigate Chukwu if we fail to win by the time he begins to use his second eleven or those players who are not regulars in the Super Eagles squad.
"I'm very confident that Super Eagles will qualify for the World Cup in Germany, and we will do it in grand style. Even with the 1-1 draw with Rwanda, I just feel it will only make us to sit up. However, I don't pray that anything bad should happened in our game against Angola."
Omidiran debunked critics, who are insinuating that since her exit from the FA board she has been in limbo.
"My exit from the FA board does not in any way affect me in the development of female football. We have planned for certain programmes, but not on the international level.
"Besides, my not being in the board does not mean that I'm really away from female football. I have become a sports consultant, specifically for women football. So, I'm doing a lot of things underground, which would put Nigerian female football on the rise. What we are lacking now are the needed sponsors to actually aid women football.
"A lot of people have said that Globacom were sponsoring the female league, and another company, SPG, has taken over the league. That's all wrong information. SPG has only thrown their weight behind the Women Challenge Cup and not the league," she clarified.