NFF Will Revive Nigerian Football

Aminu Maigari, President of Nigeria Football Federation NFF, in this interview with Francis Achi in Abuja, narrates the challenges facing Nigerian Football, the poor position of the country on FIFA ranking and the security challenges in Kaduna ahead of the game between the Super Eagles and Rwanda in June amongst other issues.

The football federation has a lot of projects to carry out in the national teams and we understand that the federal government is yet to release fund. How is the board coping?

We are doing well. You see, in the course of administering football in Nigeria, we have to do everything humanly possible to see that our national teams perform well in international competitions and qualifying matches. We want Nigeria to remain a strong force in the world.

I must express our appreciation to the Federal Government for funding football. The government has been funding sports, not just football alone. Our President, Goodluck Jonathan is very passionate about football and we really thank him for the support the government has given to football.

However, on our own part, we are doing our best to get the process of funding through sponsorship, endorsement and other marketing strategies. We are of the strong opinion that Nigerian football still remains a strong brand and the Super Eagles are still one of the strongest teams in Africa. So, with time, most of these processes will start yielding the desired results of adequate funding of football activities by the corporate bodies. We are already getting positive response from some organisations that are ready to partner with the NFF in this regard.

Nigeria is now 60th in the World based on the latest FIFA ranking, which came as a rude shock to Nigerians. What are you doing about the situation?

My greatest desire regarding the Super Eagles or let me say Nigerian football in general is to take our football to higher heights, where it would be respected globally.

Nigeria is a great football playing nation and you said, it’s very shocking and painful that Nigeria is now 60th in the world. We don’t know how FIFA is doing it. Nigeria was around fourty, then fifty and now sixty in the world.

The NFF will not relent in seeing that the country’s football is developed to the standard expected of it r among the comity of nations. And, I’m sure our country will be highly rated by FIFA sooner than later.

We know that our football is facing a very difficult time at the moment. That’s why we are experiencing a sharp drop in the quality of our football. It happened to some countries in the past and they were able to come out of the setback.

So, the NFF believes that if the Super Eagles play more friendly games, these will surely bring out the best in the team during competitive matches. I must say that the friendly matches the team played recently showed that Nigerian football will bounce back very soon. We in the board of NFF will continue to do what will revive the game and ensure that no stone is unturned to raise the quality of our game and hopefully, the ranking of the Super Eagles by both CAF and FIFA will improve tremendously.

This is the essence we are organising the friendly games for the senior national team. As I said earlier, we are having some difficulties here and there, but we have started well by employing a very credible coach and efficient assistants and they are doing well.

Nigeria played five matches without conceding a goal before the match against Egypt. And we deployed a strategy to catch them young. Nigeria is blessed with many great footballers and if we give them the opportunity, especially the players in the Nigerian League, things will get better and this is the process we are right now. We have started and the result we are getting is very encouraging.

Despite the bomb blasts which have killed many Nigerians in Kaduna recently, theNFF still plans to take Nigeria’s next Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, you think that’s a wise decision?

I can say Nigerians that all is well with the Nations Cup qualifiers we want to play in Kaduna. We are in touch with the Kaduna state government and we know that this is not the first time we are taking international matches to Kaduna.

We have enjoyed the facilities in the state, and the good people of Kaduna have given the NFF and Nigerians their support. Also, his Excellency, Dr. Patrick Yakowa, the governor of Kaduna state has been a great pillar of support to the football family in Nigeria and it will be unfair if we take the match outside the state when the governor and people of Kaduna have assured us adequate security.

I don’t have any fear about the ability of state government to provide an adequate security for our team and the visitors during and after the match. You see this issue of insecurity is a global issue and not just Nigeria alone.

Going by what is happening all over the world, Nigeria is a better place. The government is up and doing, trying to bring violence to a zero level. We Nigerians should work hard and keep praying for this country, but I will like to assure the soccer loving Nigerians that Kaduna is safe and will be peaceful for our games.

The Super Eagles have played some matches away this year and the matches were not shown Live for Nigerians to watch, including the last game between Nigeria and Egypt in Dubai. What is NFF doing about this?

It is part of what I said earlier that the NFF is in the process of getting adequate sponsorship of our national teams and once we are able to get this done, the problem will be solved.

It is very disturbing, but we from the board of the NFF are doing everything to continue the process of getting sponsors that will partner with the federation to televise our matches Live for millions of Nigerians to watch.

Hopefully, we will go into a contractual agreement with the Nigeria Television Authority NTA and African Independent Television AIT, for them to have a working synergy that will be able to televise the matches involving the national teams of Nigeria to the living rooms of Nigerians to watch.

Back in 1994, Nigeria was rated 5th best team in the world by FIFA, but it’s a different story today, what is your vision for Nigerian football?

My vision for Nigerian football is to impact positively on the development of our football and I pray that before I leave office, Nigerian football will be in a good position on FIFA Ranking, a situation that will make every Nigerian proud of our national teams.

As a football governing body, the NFF is really concerned about developmental football. We want to catch them young, make all our national teams, both men and women to be very formidable.

If Nigerians look at the players that were drafted from the local league to the Super Eagles, they will agree with me that things are getting better in our senior national team. I think that Nigerians are very happy with the performance of the Eagles in their recent international friendlies and we know with time, all our efforts will yield positive results and Nigerian football will rise again.