Tough Weekend for Nigeria's Football

 


Matches did not go Nigeria way this weekend, underlying the need for a complete overhaul of the system.

Rivers United fell 1-0 in Maputo against Black Bulls in the CAF Champions League on Saturday.

This was followed by a humiliating 5-1 loss at home by Remo Stars to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the CAF Champions League first round first leg match at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.

To cap it all, the Flamingos of Nigeria got thrashed 4-1 by Canada in their opening group match in the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in Morocco.

While Morocco is leaving the rest of the African continent behind through the hosting of tournaments and providing topnotch facilities, Nigeria battle with infrastructural decay, poor administration, poor funding, government interference, and poor officiating, the league remains comatose. The recent results showed clearly.'

While South Africa qualified for the 2026 World Cup ahead of Nigeria with a largely home based side, Nigeria with an array of foreign based players struggled throughoit the qualifiers and had to sneak in to a place off place via a rule when Eritrea pulled out. The second placed teams in other groups lost the points gained with the last placed teams. This gave a lifeline to Nigeria with 17 points and Burkina Fasso with 21 points were the biggest victims losing 6 points and 5 goals in the process. 


Mamelodi Sundowns is privately owned and in serious contention in Africa but in Nigeria, government owned clubs without proper accountability hold sway. The rot is deep and is reflected in Africa club competitions.


It would now take a magic for Remo Stars to get through to the money spniing group stage of CAF Cahmpions League, while Rivers United should also get off their goal shyness to advance after losing 1-0. They must score two unreplied goals agaisnt the Mozambicans to advance.

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