30th June, 2011
Nigeria’s drop from 39th to 41st position on the latest FIFA ranking released yesterday has become a source of worry to stakeholders in the nations’ football.
FIFA and CAF’s instructor, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, believes the latest drop should be a wakeup call to salvage the dwindling fortunes of soccer in the country. The former Super Eagles’ coach opined that the misfortune is caused by lack of a genuine developmental programme for the game in the country.
Onigbinde noted that while concentration is on the senior national team, effort should be geared towards ensuring that other national teams do not lag behind in their respective international competitions.
Nigeria is not taking part in the ongoing Mexico 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, while the Nigerian ladies are struggling to raise their heads in the on-going women’s World Cup in Germany. Even the Eagles’ chances of playing at the 2012 Africa Nations Cup is hanging in the balance. Samson Siasia and his star-studded team are second to Guinea, who are the group leaders, in the qualifying series.
Though Nigeria maintain their fifth position on the continent, Burkina Faso jumped seven places to overtake Nigeria and are now on the fourth position on the continent.