Nigeria’s junior and senior national football teams have been performing rather poorly of late. The Super Eagles have qualified for the African Cup of Nations, AFCON, which will be hosted by Cote D’Ivoire from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

But the 1-1 consecutive draws against little-fancied footballing countries such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe have cast a long shadow of doubt over Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 World, which will be jointly hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. This poor run of form has, naturally, shifted attention of many concerned Nigerians to the suitability of the Manager of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, to take Nigeria to the tournament.

The calls for his sack are rising to a crescendo. Peseiro is in the final six months of his contract which will end after the AFCON. Whether he is retained or not after may not result in any dramatic turn of fortunes for the Eagles because the weakness is also evident in our senior, female and age-group national teams. A systemic malaise cannot be cured by the mere sack of a foreign coach. The NFF and sports administration in Nigeria need a total overhaul.

There is a particular need to strengthen our national teams with a strong dosage of home-based talents. The unhealthy emphasis in the use of foreign-based players for every qualifying or even friendly international match must be addressed. The home-based players have always been the engine room of most of our successful national teams at male, female, junior and senior levels.

We can count the number of foreign-based players who helped us win any major international competition on our fingers. The bulk has always been local talent. Indeed, the late Stephen Keshi won our last AFCON trophy with mostly local players.

The reasons for the successes of our home-based players are many. They are raw and hungry to raise their careers to international standards. They are motivated by the exposure because it is often a stepping stone to career promotion.

On the other hand, the foreign-based invitees already feel accomplished and are home to give back. But they also avoid risks. They know that a serious injury could devastate their career prospects. When the worst happens, they would be abandoned, as experience has shown.

The NFF must design a strategy for robust talent scouting, especially in our leagues and playgrounds. We are convinced that Nigeria has enough talent at home and overseas to dominate football in Africa. A good mix of foreign and home-based players under the right kind of coaches will take Nigeria back where we belong in football.

The Eagles’ poor run of form must end. Beyond just the coaches, the NFF must also be made to pay a price for failures of our football.

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