‘Blame NFF for Flying Eagles, Supersand team’s defeat to Senegal’

• Esu says Lobi Stars’ fall in Kenya not a surprise
Veteran coach Godfery Esu is putting the blame of the two defeats suffered by Nigerian national teams at the hands of Senegal on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles were humiliated 6-1 by their Senegalese counterparts in the final of the CAF Beach soccer in Egypt a few days ago. And on Sunday, the nation’s U-20 side, the Flying Eagles, lost 2-0 to Senegal in the final of the 2018 U-20 WAFU Cup at the Stade Municipal de Lome, Togo.

The defeat to Senegal in the WAFU U-20 final came, while Nigeria’s flag bearer in the CAF Champions League, Lobi Stars, were being hammered 3-1 by their counterparts in Kenya.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, Esu said that the NFF should be blamed for ‘poor’ preparation of various national teams to competitions. “The NFF is not always bothered on how teams got prepared for international competitions. What NFF officials are after is bragging with the trophies so that Nigerians will think they are working. It is sad that Senegal could defeat two of our national teams in the final of two different competitions within three days. It speaks volume of how Nigerian football is being managed at the top level,” he stated.

Esu, a former coach of Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Julius Berger of Lagos also blamed the NFF for Lobi Stars poor start in the CAF Champions League saying: “The way NFF ended the NPFL and hand picked Lobi Stars as the winner was scandalous. This is the effect because Lobi Stars are not the true champions of our league. I was not surprised by the 3-1 defeat in Kenya.”

It would be recalled that Senegal dominated play in the WAFU Cup final against the Flying Eagles in Lome on Sunday, with Sagna Amadou scoring the opener for Senegal two
minutes after the break, while Youssouph Badji made it two in the 69th minute.