They were compact, free flowing, attacking and defending as one unit. The team was flawless and a marvel to everyone that watched them including the FIFA officials.
How can such a beautiful product come from Nigeria? A country that has been known not to get anything right because of pervasive corruption, ethnicity and crass disdain for the national patrimony. How come the boys were so disciplined, organised and goal oriented. For once, the nation got it right: from the conception, planning and execution, everything was done properly.
Our understanding was that from the beginning, it was made clear that there will be no short cut route. Only those within the approved age bracket were allowed to pass through the screening. More noticeable was the fact that, no player that has featured in our professional league competition was allowed to take part. Majority of them were picked from academies and schools sport competitions.
Principally – and this we must note- the players were picked based on their individual performance: no quota system was involved in the selections. If you are good, you are in. So we find a mixture of Christians, Muslims and traditionalists. Southerners and Northerners, all properly bonded in love towards the common goal.
There was an uncommon determination by every individual to make his own contribution to the whole. Where or when one makes a mistake, another puts himself on the way to salvage the situation. Such was the bonding that, they all looked like children of the same parents, it is indeed worthy of commendation.
We must appreciate everyone responsible for bringing this to pass. The officials of all kinds: coaches, NFA and importantly, the government of Cross-River state which provided an enabling environment and facilities for their training and camping.
What is the over all implication of the Eaglets victory? It is basically that, there is no height we cannot attain as Nigerians if we are ready to allow merit to reign in our selection of representatives.
We must also note the calibre of coaches on the Eaglets bench, such ex-internationals like Manu Garba, Nduka Ugbade and Emmanuel Amuneke who have distinguished themselves in past age grade competitions. So let us allow professionalism to thrive in our national endeavours and it won’t take time for the world to take notice of this country.
Nigeria is a sleeping giant, it requires the right calibre of leadership and professionals to stir it from its sleeping position. Our roads can be made to be smooth and free flowing if our FERMA officials assigned to road supervision will do their job properly by using budgeted funds to fix road patches instead of conniving with contractors or diverting monies into private pockets.
Power will flow when the present owners chose to do the job professionally, by first, treating the consumers as their customers.
Modern marketing management requires that the consumer or customer is factored first in all the planning of the corporation, so if they choose to add correct value that will be in line with consumers demands, the people will respond by paying their bills promptly, even if the consumption cost goes up.
It is therefore imperative for the new owners of the defunct PHCN to first think of how they can provide efficient services to the consumers. They should not be in a hurry to jerk up prices, at least, in the next six months.
How wonderful will it be if our politicians will for once, allow true democracy to take place in line with the people’s wish, if all the political parties- I mean all – will allow true representations in all stages of their structure, the unnecessary bickering and heating of the polity will become a thing of the past. Let the people’s voice be heard through their legitimate representatives.
The lessons of our Eaglets victory are innumerable and can be extended to almost all aspects of our national life: discipline,co-operation, hard work, merit and goal attainment. If only the country can truly unite as one, with each region bringing in its own area of comparative advantage to the centre without any form of animosity.
If only we can appoint people – competent graduates employment without recourse to their state of origin, religion or tribe. It is possible – the Eaglets victory has proved that – It is now left for those in positions of authority to put proper structures in place.
And talking about structures, I mean structures of merit. The officials of the team have laid foundation for the next generation to build upon. It is a matter of replicating the paths used by their predecessors. Let merit determine selection in all aspect of our national life.
This brings us to the question of what happens to the all conquering Eaglets? Some have said that they should be kept intact and be made to graduate together to the senior levels. This will not be possible as some of them will soon be pursuing their individual interests.
Some will opt to further their education instead of a profession in soccer, others may lose form and not be able to keep pace up to the senior level. I tend to agree with the position of my brother and friend here, Richard Okotie, that no successful under-aged team has succeeded in taking all its members to the senior level wholesale all over the world- whether in Brazil, Germany, Spain, et al. Along the line, some of them do not measure up to standard at the senior level.
So what is to be done? When a method has been tried and tested with good result, it is important that we master and retain it.
The Spanish, German and Brazilians have done it consistently through the years. Let merit be our basic guideline for selection and also, the sports authorities must be ready to provide all the support for such endeavours to thrive at all times. Do this for all categories of our national teams, including the ladies and we shall be recording repeated successes.
Next is to identify those amongst them with the potentials to go further in their footballing pursuit. Give them the necessary follow-up support, like a thorough scrutiny of their contract papers with clubs and linkages to coaches and institutions that will properly supervise their blossoming.
In all, the growth of the players in the profession should be paramount and not the selfish interest or greed of agents who abound everywhere, always on the prowl to take advantage. Identify such players in the group now and begin to groom them for future successes. That is how it is done in the advanced world.
