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Super Eagles No Show At Equatorial Guinea- Shouldn’t The Manager Be Paying The Price?

Feature Article Super Eagles No Show At Equatorial Guinea- Shouldnt The Manager Be Paying The Price?
JAN 25, 2015 LISTEN

The 2015 AFCON- perhaps the biggest sport event in Africa- is alive and some sensational football is been dished out to the world on the current state of African football. Today, Sunday 25th January, the final group games commences before the knockout stage. And one thing that is obvious so far is that there is no more minions in African football, and the gap between the traditional power houses and the minor countries such as Cape Verde, Guinea, Mali and Congo is been bridged fast such that we have so many drawn games- Eight drawn game so far out of Twelve played so far with seven of those 1-1 Score draws.

The painful and shocking news, as a Nigerian, is that the defending champions, who surprised themselves and Nigerians by lifting the cup at South Africa 2013- the Super Eagles, are not there to defend their title as the best of 16 African football nations are in Equatorial Guinea displaying by the 16 their football prowess at the tournament. This certainly is a new low for Nigerian football, that the Super Eagles after winning the last edition less than two years ago as the best national team in Africa, could not make it amongst the best 16 teams in Africa, when the AFCON tournament commenced January 17, 2015.

What is more troubling is that no one is taking responsibility or has been sanctioned for this dismal performance! I would have thought that Steven Keshi will throw in the Towel by honourably resigning for failing to put Nigeria amongst the best 16 teams for an Africa Cup of Nation- not even a world cup when you need only 5 teams from Africa. When, in 2011/12 Nigeria did the same thing by failing to qualify for the AFCON 2012 held jointly in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, there was a price paid by the SE coach, Samson Siasia, who was immediately after the dust settled, sacked as the SE coach. He too did not want to take responsibility by resigning; only waiting to be pushed by his employers, instead of taking the honourable route.

You wonder why in Africa, and Nigeria in particular, failed leaders do not like to take responsibility for their leadership by resigning when their actions have led to shambolic failures and caused pain to many. Marcello Lippi was the Italian national football team coach who surprised Italians and the world to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany. He was showered with praises and accolades for that feat in 2006. However he failed to get the Italian national team past the group stage which has Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia in its fold. Italy couldn't win a single match and suffered the ignominy of a loss to Slovakia in their last group match. The Italian media- online and print were very scathing of the team and the state of Italian football generally. And even though the coach wasn't entirely responsible for the poor showing, it was clear that his selection and tactics didn't do his cause any good and so he had to throw the "white towel" as their plane landed in Italy from South Africa. Coach Lippi never waited to be disgraced with a sack letter from the Italian Football Association, or "played along" hoping the criticisms would wane and their FA may just keep him to carry on because of "continuity." As recent as the last World Cup in Brazil ( Brazil 2014) the Italian coach, Cesare Prandelli also resigned from the job, when Italy also failed to qualify from their group stage for the round of 16. They did what decent and responsible managers do in all societies where accountability is the norm- take the glory for success and accept the flak, and give others the chance to make their own contribution to group objectives, when they fail to get results. It is called Leadership by Responsibility (LBR)!

But here we are in the case of coach Steven Keshi's frustrating failure to get Nigeria qualified for an African nations tournament, where minnows like Cape Verde, Congo, or average football nations like South Africa, DR Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea had qualified for but he sits tight on the perch whilst NFF mulls over whether to keep him or fire him. Why can't Keshi chose the honourable route by resigning with dignity, if any is still left. In the alternative, he should be sacked. When Keshi won the Afcon in 2013, numerous mouth-watering gifts and rewards were handed to him, more and above his salary from various governments and private corporations, so you expect that when he fails, he should get his punishment or pay the price of failure by resigning with his honour.

I am not an advocate of foreign coaches as I believe they are not so groomed for African football

despite having more technical capabilities. I would prefer a case where the likes of Sunday Oliseh, Victor Ikpeba, Austin Okocha or even Kanu Nwankwo are trained further to become first rate coaches and let them do the job of SE coach. Shaibu Amodu, has proved himself on all the occasions he was called to bail Nigeria out, and he can have a holding role whilst the likes of Sunday Oliseh are groomed to take over as coach of the Super Eagles.

Steven Keshi's continued stay as manager, after failing to qualify one of the “giant” of African football, in an African football tournament is untenable.

Tony Ishiekwene
[email protected]

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