Adisa wants ex-internationals to handle football administration

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper’s trainer, Amusa Adisa, has advocated that former football internationals should be given the opportunity to handle football administration in the country.

Laying credence to his suggestion, Adisa said the game could best be managed by those who once participated in the game, while lamenting the downward trend the nation’s football has been which remains the only unifying factor among the multifarious tribes.

Speaking to The Guardian in Ilorin, on the state of the nation’s football, the former goalkeeper with the defunct IICC Ibadan in the 70s said he does not see reason why the running of the country’s football should be given to non sports’ enthusiasts both at the state and the federal levels when the nation can boast of the likes of Chief Segun Odegbami, Christian Chukwu, Henry Nwosu and Garuba Lawal and many others.

He said as of recent that the abundance of talents in the country are being wasted due to the alleged “unfortunate insensitive nature” of many of those appointed into managerial offices to such gifted individuals.

“We managed for instance Vincent Enyeama very well when we were opportuned to serve in the capacity of Eagles goalkeeper’s trainers. Those who were before us and even after us did the same thing because they were once goalkeepers.

“Besides, tell me any ex-Nigerian football player appointed as Super Eagles coach who failed. Chukwu put in his best, Shuaibu Amodu and Stephen Keshi both of blessed memories laid legacies that are too difficult to fill.”

Adding that, “despite all these, nobody seems to be looking our ways. We keep on falling in FIFA rankings everyday without us lamenting it. It is only in Nigeria where football is not lucrative and we are not bothered.

“Coaches are running away from managing our once glamorous national teams. We should do a rethink and bring back the likes of the Odegbamis, and Chukwus to be our football administrators in Nigeria if we must take the sport to its enviable heights.”

Adisa, who retired a few years ago, as the Head Coach of University of Ilorin Football team, believed that our football “if properly managed” should be able to finance itself in a country like Nigeria to the exclusion of government’s finances.

He commended Samson Siasia, who despite administrative lapses, led the nation’s Olympics men’s team to a heroic victory over the Japanese counterparts in his team’s first group match on Friday.

Adisa urged however Siasia to work not only for the nation but his future as he could be the first indigenous coach in Nigeria to win the much coveted Olympics soccer gold medal.