‘Emenalo, Mikel can reset Nigerian football’
Etim Esin was the biggest prospect in Nigerian football in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. Nicknamed African Maradona due to his abundant skills, Esin was rated as the next best thing in the Super Eagles after the retiring Henry Nwosu. He was so talented that European clubs scrambled for his services before he settled for AA Gent of Belgium.

But sadly, he could not fulfill his potential due to disciplinary issues, including a rape charge that cut his burgeoning career abruptly.

The former Super Eagles midfielder was once rated as one of the most promising stars out of Africa during the qualifying phase of the Italy 1990 World Cup, but all that evaporated when he hurriedly ran back to Nigeria from Europe to avoid prosecution for rape, a charge that was proven to be false 23 years after.

But of all his travails, one that still rankles the player once dubbed the ‘enfant terrible’ of Nigerian football is his omission from the 1994 World Cup squad assembled by Clemens Westerhof.

Year 1994 was Nigeria’s first appearance at the World Cup and like most players at that time, Esin dreamt of being among the first crop of the Super Eagles to play on the world’s biggest football stage.

But that dream could not materialise as Westerhoff rated other players above the former Calabar Rovers prodigy.

According to Esin, the omission from the World Cup team shattered his confidence and pushed him into depression to the extent that he found solace in hard drugs.

He told allnigeriasoccer.com that he could not come to terms with the disappointment and at a time contemplated suicide.

Speaking on the Play Zone podcast, Esin said: “My greatest regret was not playing at the World Cup. That led me into depression. I nearly committed suicide because I had a dream.”

He also referenced a promise allegedly made by former Pillar of Sports in Africa, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, who had assured him of a leadership role in the team before his troubles disrupted those expectations.

“Abiola promised me that if he won the 1993 election that I would captain the team to the World Cup. You know this life in a split second can just turn around. Abiola was locked up. World Cup was the only dream I had,” he added.

Esin further recalled the emotional weight of missing out on a historic moment for Nigerian football, revealing that even the late goalkeeper Peter Rufai had acknowledged his absence during the tournament.

Despite Esin’s absence, the Super Eagles enjoyed a memorable debut at the tournament, advancing from the group stage before suffering a narrow defeat to Italy in the Round of 16.

The squad’s performance remains one of Nigeria’s most celebrated outings at the tournament.

Delving into the current state of Nigerian football, especially the Super Eagles, which has missed two straight World Cup championships, Esin said the time has come for Nigeria to reset its football with the best hands available to the nation.

Nigeria failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup and also the 2026 editions even with Africa’s slots increased to 10.

Esin told BrilaFM that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) played a major role in the World Cup failure, adding: “Let’s call a spade a spade, you failed twice to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, it’s not acceptable.”

He said that country’s current football leaders have demonstrated over the last eight years that they lack the knowledge and discipline to manage a nation with as many talented players as Nigeria.

He suggested that a combination of Michael Emenalo, who is currently the director of the Saudi Pro League, and former Nigerian captain and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, to rescue the country’s football.

“We have people like Michael Emenalo who has proven that he is capable, and the experience of someone like Mikel will help our fortunes,” Esin suggested.

“Failing to qualify for two consecutive World Cups is a hammer blow and I’ve said it so many times that when you have a country as big as we do… and we’re not going to the World Cup (for a) second time in a row, the FA, the people that are running the FA should all resign,” he said.

“We have one of the best teams in Africa and we’re not going to be at the World Cup. It’s a disaster. It’s a disaster.”

He lamented that Nigeria is fast losing ground to rivals on the continent, saying: “We should be leading the way. Look at what Morocco is doing with their team, with their country. They’re growing; they’re developing and we keep going backwards time after time.”