Posted by BY ADEYINKA ADEDIPE on
By Tuesday, the Super Eagles should be in Egypt, venue of the Nations Cup, which begins on January 20.
By Tuesday, the Super Eagles should be in Egypt, venue of the Nations Cup, which begins on January 20. Report monitored from the Eagles camp in Faro revealed this much but the journey to Egypt can aptly be described as a bumpy one. The Eagles were initially billed to arrive at the venue of the championship today but logistic and operational hiccups, according to officials of the team, necessitated the shift in date.
The Eagles' friendly date against the Pharaohs of Egypt tomorrow may be called off unless the Egyptian FA agreed to reschedule the match. The Nigerian officials have already sent a formal request to the Egyptian FA asking that the game should come up on Friday.
The latest development is one of the problems the team is facing in the build up to the Nations Cup.
It is no longer news that Nigeria is a country of the absurd. And the absurdity is playing itself out to the fullest enroute this tournament.
Augustine Eguavoen was in the country last week to sort out cash problem of the national team. The Eagles chief coach flew out of Portugal last Monday night and met with top Sports Ministry officials in Abuja to ensure all the bills they had incurred while in Portugal were promptly settled before the players are selected for the championship.
Their failure to leave Faro on the initial date may be connected to the inability of the country's sports authorities to make available funds to settle their camping bills in Portugal.
Why Eguavoen should be running after money for the team instead of taking care of technical matters is something that should be best imagined but not happening. The Chief coach did not do himself any good by inviting about 40 players to camp with few weeks to the championship. At a time he should be in camp with the players, to see the ones that should make the team, he flew back to the country to sort out money issues.
He was absent from the Super Eagles' game against Bundesliga side, Freiburg. That was a game he should have used to determine the fate of some of the players. Some players have been given the grace to join the team today while 10 home-based players were decamped yesterday night.
However, the technical crew may be doing themselves some measure of harm as the level of fitness of those expected to arrive today had not been ascertained. Though they were all in the thick of action for their different clubsides before joining the Faro camp, that could not be used as a yardstick to judge their fitness, as some may be nursing injuries. Taking an injured player to the Nations Cup, no matter his status, will do the team aspiration no good.
The national team's problems are made more complicated by the current face off between the Sport Ministry and the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) over the re-election of Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima. The ministry has disassociated itself from the election after it tried in vain to ensure that its candidate landed the NFA top job.
The Eagles have become orphans, as it is not clear whether the ministry or the FA is in charge of the team. In the past, the Sport Ministry release funds to the NFA, which in turn wwould disburse the money accordingly. However, Eguavoen's visit to the ministry last week indicated that it has taken over the team especially now that the FA cannot boast of an administrative office after its Abuja office was sealed off following the Kano election.
It was gathered that, as it was during the FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland, the Sports Ministry has taken direct charge of the Eagles and as such, they and not officials of the NFA, are responsible for the settlement of the Eagles' expenses.
"No player has been paid either his daily camp allowance or ticket refund," a source informed.
The cash situation has been such that the management of the hotel, where the Eagles are putting up had threatened to throw out the team if they were not paid in time. Ministry officials blamed a delay in transferring the money to Portugal for the Eagles' cash problems.
Another problem was the club versus country row. European clubs have continued to question the timing of the Nations Cup. They say it coincides with the crucial period in the European football season. They also argue that losing the players to the Nations Cup is unjust as some of them are paid handsomely. On the other hand, managers of national teams have called on the European managers to respect the continent's most glamorous soccer showpiece. Over the years, both parties have found a way round the problem.
However, some countriesstill have to do without the presence of some of its best legs. In the case of Nigeria, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Celestine Babayaro will be two notable absentees. Aiyegbeni opted out due to his strained relationship with Eguavoen while it was not possible to see Babayaro's about his availability for the championship. It became necessary to seek his consent before his invitation because of his refusal to honour national call-ups in the past.
With over a week to the commencement of the championship, Nigerians would hope that the team put behind it all the problems and fly in Egypt. Nothing, other than the Nations Cup trophy, will be termed a success.