• Morocco Has Set A Tough Benchmark, Says Gara-Gombe
Former chairman of Gombe United Football Club, Ahmed Shaibu Gara-Gombe, says the rapid decline of Nigeria football, particularly at the age-grade level, is worrisome. He advised the country to borrow from Morocco’s football development pathway, which has seen the North African country rubbing shoulders with the world’s best countries in the game.

A few weeks ago, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles were embarrassed out of FIFA U-20 World Cup, losing 4-0 to Argentina in the round of 16 in Chile.

It was followed by another embarrassing result from the camp of the Women U-17 team, The Flamingoes, who crashed out from the FIFA World Cup after two defeats to Canada and France.

Before then, the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria (U17 team) were knocked out from the WAFU tournament by Ghana, just as the country failed to qualify for the CHAN competition. These are championships Nigeria dominated from 1985-2015.

The Young Atlas Lions of Morocco won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile by defeating former champions, Argentina 2-0.

This is coming three years after the Kingdom became the first African country to get to the semifinals of the senior World Cup in Qatar.

Gara-Gombe told The Guardian, that for Nigerian football to improve like Morocco, the Federal Government and Nigerians must ensure that ‘jobless people’ with no verifiable source of income do not come near the nation’s football or manage any other sport.

“Morocco started their football revolution programme in 2015, but were obstructed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gara-Gombe said. “But they had a plan and carefully developed it across their regions. It was marshalled by a silent achiever, Fauzi Lakdjer, who is Morocco’s Minister of Finance and president of the Moroccan Football Federation at the same time.

“Lakdjer is also the owner of RS Berkane Football Club from the Oriental region, known as The Orange City. Berkane is one of the largest producers of Orange in the world.

“Imagine when the president of Morocco football, Fauzi Lakdjer was doing all these for Morocco as a Finance Minister, the man in charge of Nigerian football then was busy mismanaging every single kobo we received from FIFA or other sponsors. He goes to Morocco almost every time and he is always with Lakdjer.

“But while Lakdjer was busy developing Moroccan football, our man was busy politicking on how to get elected or occupy positions in CAF and FIFA.

“Lakdjer as Finance Minister won’t belittle his dignity to go after money from FIFA, CAF or sponsors. Nigeria should encourage people who can bring money into football and other sports, but not those mismanaging and stealing from the system,” he stated.

Gara-Gombe said that the RS Berkane Football Club owned by Lakdjer has an excellent facility bigger and better than NFF’s Head office and Nigeria’s FIFA Goal project put together.

“Apart from the contribution from Lakdjer, Morocco’s Football Revolution programme is under His Royal Majesty, King Mohammed V. They developed their infrastructure for football and other sports, train and retrain their coaches and other technical officials, and they have regulated sports academies. There are competitions at all levels, from kindergarten to senior levels.

“They operate a transparent sponsorship and support programme from the government and corporate institutions. Morocco has one of the best organised football leagues in Africa.

“Morocco has laid a solid foundation for their football, and it is clear their achievements are unprecedented. You saw what their senior team did at Qatar 2022 World Cup, their performance at CHAN, AFCON, CAF Champions League and now gradually they are coming stronger in youth football.

“So, when I hear of the likes of Aliko Dangote, Orji Uzor Kalu, Dewumi Ogunsanya, Henry Nzekwu, Tilewa Adebanjo, Odunlami Kola Daisi and Kunle Soname being tipped as president of the NFA, I said yes, these are people who have already made it in life, and they will not come to NFA to steal our money. They are coming to add value.”

He urged Nigeria to invest in infrastructure, which he described as critical to any development the country desires.

“Imagine that in the whole of Nigeria, only Uyo and Abeokuta stadia are qualified to host CAF matches. Even the National Stadium in Abuja, which was built with N85 billion of tax payers’ money by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo regime was downgraded by CAF to level 1, meaning it is not qualified to host FIFA or CAF organised matches.

“In Morocco, every major city has a world class stadium. As at today, about five African countries, whose home stadia did not meet CAF standard, are playing their home matches in Morocco.

“Every major city in Morocco has a FIFA/CAF standard stadium, Rabat, Casablanca, Fez, Tangier, Oujda, Berkane, Agadir, Kenitra, Ifrane, Mohammedia, Dakhla and many others,” he stated.

On the Moroccan league, Gara-Gombe said: “The league produces champions and fantastic players, not the type that are produced through match fixing, boardroom points, referees compromise, etc.

“Who is the sponsor of the league in Nigeria today? All major sponsors have run away due to corruption. Nigeria can never be like Morocco, unless some people are sent to prison.”

He said that it is unfortunate that Nigeria, which won the maiden FIFA U-17 World Cup in China in 1985, is struggling to qualify for the World Cup 38 years after.

“That means something is wrong somewhere. It is because we have poor transition from generation to generation, as well as poor or non-existing development programme. When last did we have a CAF coaching programme? That gap will continue to hunt us because the rest of the world will not wait for us.”

He said that the Nigerian league will continue to struggling until the managers decide to face reality and do the right things.