AKPOBORIE: ‘ GHANA IS NOT OUR PRIORITY FOR NOW!’

Former Eagles Star, Jonathan Akpoborie Plays Down The Relevance Of London Friendly


We are already into the second half of the year. How do you think Nigerian football has fared so far?

You know the last time I spoke with you, I said we’ll have to wait and see what happens as the year unfolds and so far, I can’t say there have been significant improvements. There are still crises which are yet to be resolved and which are affecting the development of the game. The lack of stability is also not helping the board of the NFF to really settle down to run the game. Our local league has not fared much better either and our various national teams have continued to struggle on the international scene. Football cannot thrive in the midst of instability and that’s why it is important for all the stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the crises rocking our football for the game to move forward.

Talking about stability in administration, a new Sports Minister, Yusuf Suleiman was recently appointed by the government. Do you think he can find solutions to the crisis threatening to engulf Nigerian football?

I hope the government just didn’t appoint the new Sports Minister with political motives as it usually does in the past. Sports should not be seen just like a past-time because it needs to be run by professionals. I don’t know anything about the new Sports Minister as a person but I want to believe the government is well-informed enough to have appointed him to oversee the affairs of our sports and make things better. As regards finding solutions to our football crisis, the minister as the government representative, must be ready to put his foot down as regards the laws governing the administration of the game. Right structures for the development of the game at all level must be put in place.

The much talk-about rebuilding process of the Super Eagles has commenced with Samson Siasia in charge of the team. Do you think he has done well so far?

Siasia has started well but there is still a long way to go before we can have the desired team. The Super Eagles have played a couple of matches and they have done well so far. Some new players are being brought into the team and gradually, things are beginning to take shape. So far, the NFF and the coach seem to have struck a good understanding as I have not heard Siasia complain that he has not been given free hand and necessary assistance for him to succeed. I can only hope the momentum is sustained, especially as we are getting to the crucial stages of the Nations Cup qualifiers.

Talking of the crucial stages in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, Guinea presently lead our group with just two games to go. Do you think Nigeria can still qualify, considering the Super Eagles poor form which has seen the team pick just one point in two away fixtures?

We have to remain optimistic. It is going to be difficult no doubt, but it is not impossible for Nigeria to beat Guinea to the ticket. The NFF and the coaching crew have to identify and find solutions to the issue concerning why the Eagles have not been doing well in away fixtures. It could be down to inadequate planning or improper selection of players for such games as the case may be. But whatever it is, we must be able to identify the problem and correct it. It is good that the team has been winning their home games because that will give the players a boost in confidence. What remains is for the players to raise their game when they are playing away, because other African countries consider it a very big deal if they can beat the Super Eagles.

The Super Eagles will be playing against the Black Stars of Ghana in an international friendly next week in England. How are you looking forward to the game?

Ghana have always been one of our biggest rivals which makes any game against them explosive. But for this particular game, I think the objective should be for Siasia to use the game to try out some other players who could be useful to solidify the Eagles. There is nothing at stake in the game for now except pride and I don’t think it is really that important if we win or lose. What is really important is to secure the qualification ticket for the Nations Cup and we should only use the Ghana game to prepare for the game against Madagascar. Nigeria cannot afford not to be at the Nations Cup and I wouldn’t mind us losing to Ghana to achieve that.

Siasia has recalled Osaze Odemwingie to the Super Eagles squad. How do you see the development?

It is a very good development and I’m happy that the NFF took steps to rectify the situation. At this stage, the Super Eagles cannot afford to get distracted because they need to be at their very best to wrestle the ticket from Guinea. I salute Siasia’s courage and I think Osaze too must have learnt his lessons. Now, everyone can focus on the crucial task of ensuring Nigeria qualify for the Nations Cup.

The U-23 team will not be playing at the All Africa Games in Mozambique after losing to Ghana in the qualifiers. Don’t you think it is time Nigeria try and put a stop to Ghana’s dominance?

Like I’ve said earlier, Ghana are a very good side and we can’t always beat them. We’ll win some and lose some against them. For now, they are enjoying a good run against us but if we work hard and put our house in order, we can go on to record more successes against them. It is painful that the Dream Team lost out in the All Africa Games qualifiers but that is the pointer to us that we must work harder and improve the squad for the Olympics.

Some Nigerians are already calling for coach Austin Eguavoen’s sack. Will you support the call for his removal?

I wouldn’t subscribe to Eguavoen’s removal just because the Dream Team failed to qualify for the All Africa Games. We should not be in a haste to remove coaches as past experience have shown that it can be counter-productive. The coach should be allowed to continue building his team and I believe the team has the potential to qualify for the Olympics. Even Ghana have lost out in the Olympics race and the Dream Team only lost to them on away goals rule. That shows that the Ghanaians were just lucky. Eguavoen has been with the team for some time now and I think it would be better to encourage and assist him rather than start all over again with a new coach.

Some people are also calling for coach Uche Eucharia’s sack following the Super Falcons poor outing at the recently concluded Women’s World Cup. What is your take on that?

I was in Germany during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and I was opportuned to watch the Super Falcons’ first two matches. I saw a Nigerian team that was physically and mentally strong but were naive in certain aspects of the game. To put it more bluntly, the tactical aspect needed for the Falcons to excel at that level was missing. Coach Eucharia did her best but like her predecessors, her best wasn’t good enough to see the Falcons beyond the first round. However, I can’t place the whole blame on the coach because we need to look inward and assess our women’s football development programmes. Currently, our female league is no longer running - where do we expect the players and their coaches to develop? Are we also taking steps to retrain our coaches? Those are questions the NFF need to answer.

The Flying Eagles will be flying Nigeria’s flag at the U-20 World Cup kicking off in Colombia next week? What are your expectations from the John Obuh-led team?

Like most Nigerians, I will be expecting a good outing from the Flying Eagles. Coach Obuh has spent a good time assembling his team, sourcing players from the local league and abroad. The NFF have also done well to ensure the team have a feel of European football, courtesy of the training tour they’ve embarked upon. Aside that, the team will be going to the FIFA Championships as the African champions which should further boost their confidence. Personally, I believe the team has the potential to get to the semi-final and anything below that would be unacceptable.

Thanks for talking to us.

You are welcome.