Ex-international, Dr. Felix Owolabi, (MON), has stressed the need for a peaceful atmosphere in Nigeria’s football administration for the nation to record appreciable success in the round leather game in 2015.
The former Shooting Stars’ prolific left-winger is disappointed that the Super Eagles will not be at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea to defend the trophy they won in South Africa two years ago when the tournament kicks off on the 17th of this month.
He cited the crisis that rocked the leadership of the nation’s football administration last year as a major factor that contributed to Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the continent’s biggest showpiece.
“We pray for a peaceful atmosphere in Nigeria’s football administration in 2015 for our football to move forward. Let’s stop fighting and work in one accord,” the fire-brand winger, popularly known as Owoblow advocated while pointing the way forward for Nigeria’s football in a chat with Saturday Sun Sports.
“We must learn from our past, particularly, the lessons from our mistakes in 2014. We can’t achieve success in crisis. That’s why Nigerians will not watch the Super Eagles when the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Equatorial Guinea this month,” he regretted.
Owolabi who is popular for his robust stance on issues bordering on Nigerian football called on all aggrieved stakeholders to close ranks and support the current leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in the interest of the nation.
“Time has come for every aggrieved stakeholder to lay down arms and support the people in charge of our football administration at the moment. Everybody cannot be there at the same time.
“The more we criticize; the more problem we create. Those who are not in the NFF board today should give the people there good advice for them to succeed, and wait for their turn. We need a peaceful atmosphere because we achieve more when there’s no crisis.
The former board member of the Nigeria Premier League called for a well articulated agenda that would capture the hopes and aspirations of football loving Nigerians to be drawn up by the leadership of NFF while those that have the capacity to drive the visions to reality should be involved in the implementation of the agenda.
“For us to achieve better results this year, we need to draw a well articulated agenda that would capture the hopes and aspirations of football loving Nigerians and then look out for those with that have the capacity to effectively interpret the visions and engage them to execute the programmes while we back their efforts with prayers for the desired success,” Owoblow stated.
The ex-international would, however, not be dragged into the debate as to whether Stephen Keshi should continue as the coach of the Super Eagles after failing to qualify Nigeria for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations sceduled to kick off in Equatorial Guinea on the 17th of this month.
“I don’t want to comment on that issue because I’m neither a board member of the Nigeria Football Federation nor a member of the Technical Committee. Those are the people that should decide whether or not Keshi should remain as the coach of the Super Eagles.
“I was misconstrued when I faulted the exclusion of Sunday Mba and Ikechukwu Uche from the Super Eagles during the Nations Cup qualifiers.
“We all saw the role Mba played at the Nations Cup in South Africa two years ago when we won the trophy. And Ike Uche has been Nigeria’s most reliable striker in recent times, so I did not see why both players were left out of the Eagles while Nigeria struggled to qualify for the Nations Cup. I almost became a lone voice in the wilderness and I was perceived by many as Keshi’s enemy.
“The NFF and the Technical Committee should decide whether they want Keshi to continue as the head coach of the national team or not. I only hope they decide on time so that we can start to get our groove back in time,” Owoblow concluded.
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