Odegbami Calls For Sustainable Football System After NFF Leadership Exit

Former Nigerian international Segun Odegbami has called for a proper administrative and developmental structure in Nigerian football, saying the country cannot achieve consistent success by merely changing those in charge.

Odegbami made the remarks on Channels Television’s breakfast programme earlier today, August 28, following the resignation of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Ibrahim Gusau and several members of the federation’s board.

The former Super Eagles captain welcomed the leadership exit as an opportunity to clean up Nigerian football but warned that appointing another set of administrators would produce the same results unless the underlying problems were addressed.

“In the past almost 30 years or so, we have tied ourselves into a knot,” he said.

“We have removed, one way or the other, the people on the board and we might as well just say, ‘Look, let’s get a new set to go on,’ but we’ll get the same results.

“Football is a sport that everybody is an expert in. Everybody has an answer, and everybody is right.

“The answer lies in unknotting this complicated situation that we have, that is not making things clear, so that everybody can have a clear idea of what we need to do to move forward.”

Odegbami argued that football-loving technocrats should take up leadership positions in the game instead of political appointees. He also called for a sustainable system that would consistently develop players and strengthen Nigeria’s national teams.

Reacting to Gusau’s claim that he was leaving Nigerian football better than he found it, Odegbami said the outgoing NFF president might have recorded some achievements.

“I’m sure he believes what he says, and if you look at the issues that he’s talking about, yes, he has achieved some level of success,” Odegbami said.

“But as far as the man on the street is concerned, if your team does not win on the field of football, you have lost. That is the only measure for success or failure of a sport like football.

“You have to have a production line, a seamless production line, so that every year, as Brazil has done, they have always gone to the World Cup.”