25112020 - Selfish Northerners opposing restructuring, says el-Rufai

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38 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020
Rohr survives!
•Minister gives NFF marching orders
•NFF promises to beef up technical crew
By John Egbokhan
The gale of sack hanging over
the head of Super Eagles
Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr,
was yesterday, temporarily lifted
after a meeting between the
Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare and
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),
ended with President of the NFF
promising to shore up the technical
crew for optimum performance.
The NFF officials were also given
“marching orders” to hold Rohr to
the higher standards contained in
his contract.
At the showdown meeting held in
the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,
the Sports Minister who in the wake
of Eagles double-header AFCON
qualification games against Sierra
Leone, which ended in draws, had
called on the NFF to sack Rohr, told
the NFF top-shots not to wait for
Rohr to fail before taking “necessary
steps”.
According to a statement issued
by the minister’s Special Adviser on
Media, John Akanji, titled,
‘’National football team: Hold Rohr
to higher standards-Ministry,, Dare
appeared to tone down on his earlier
sack threat, when he said that
Nigerians deserve better
performance henceforth from the
Franco-German trainer.
‘“The NFF must tightly hold the
Technical Adviser to the KPIs(Key
performance Indicators) in his
contract. Thus, we cannot wait for
those conditions to come to life
before we tighten the screws or
demand higher or better
performance, else Football lovers in
Nigeria will be the greatest losers.
In this area, NFF must take the
necessary steps and actions beyond
Rohr to protect our football fortunes.
“The right of Nigerians to ask of
Government and indeed NFF
explanations for dismal
performances and football
administration cannot be simply
characterised as interference.
“NFF should be more concerned
about the failure of technical depth
and absence of a defense mechanism
which were glaring during the
encounter with Sierra Leone rather
than the rush to defend the contract
of the Technical Adviser.
“Starting now, Nigeria must
demand higher or better
performance from the technical
adviser. We can’t wait until he fails
to qualify our team for AFCON and
the World Cup before we start to ask
the tough questions. In this respect,
I charge the NFF leadership to
immediately take the necessary
steps to protect our football
fortunes’’, added Dare.
•Rohr
The Sports Minister also raised eyebrows over
the absence of home-based players in the team that
faced Sierra Leone over two legs.
Responding NFF President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick,
while giving a background to what occurred, assured
the Minister that “NFF will not shirk in its
responsibilities”.
He noted that “ few changes and adjustments as
discussed and suggested by the ministry will be
put into motion”.
Rohr to get psychologist, nutritionist for
Eagles •To accommodate home-based players
T
he much anticipated meeting between
the Minister of Youth and Sports
Development Mr Sunday Dare and the
leadership of the Nigeria Football
Federation in Abuja yesterday which
centred around the national football team,
the Super Eagles came up with some key
decisions that if implemented, could
turn the fortunes of the team around.
Addressing the meeting in his
office yesterday, the minister
declared, “I charge the NFF
leadership to immediately
take necessary steps to
protect our football
fortunes working with the
Ministry of Youth and
Sports Development.”
The minister instructed that
home-based players must be
brought into the team for all
matches involving the team,
henceforth.
“We must raise the necessary
interrogatories about the
general administration
around the team, the absence
of local content or home
based players in the team, •Chukwueze
the domestic league
development and growth,
issues of ethics, nutrition,
psychology, content and
so on.
‘’NFF should be more
concerned about the
failure of technical
depth and absence of
a defense
mechanism which
were glaring
during the
encounter with
Sierra Leone
rather than the
rush to defend
the contract of the
Technical
Adviser.’’
The NFF
President, Mr.
Amaju Pinnick,
w h i l e
providing a background to what
happened, assured the Minister
that NFF will not shirk in its
responsibilities. He said a few
changes and adjustments as
discussed and suggested by
the Ministry will be put into
motion.
Some of these changes
and adjustments include
a Super Eagles’
administrative structure
that will include a
physical trainer,
nutritionist, a psychologist
and two match readers or more, injection
of three to four home-based players into
the Super Eagles picked from the
professional league.
Real Madrid are the
front runners to
sign Super Eagles
and Villarreal attacking
midfielder, Samuel
Chukwueze.
According to reports
by La Razon Madrid
are eyeing a double
swoop for Villarreal
pair Chukwueze and
Pau Torres and are
willing to offer € 65m
(£57.9m) plus a player in
exchange. Manchester
United, Liverpool and
Chelsea are among the
clubs interested in
signing Villarreal winger
Samuel Chukwueze.
The 21-year-old has
established himself as a
regular member of the Villarreal
first team in recent seasons,
he owners of Manchester
TCity are prepared to put
together a 10-year contract for
Barcelona forward Lionel
Messi.
With his existing deal at
Camp Nou due to expire
in the summer, the 33-
year-old will be
able to hold formal
discussions with
interested clubs in
January.
Having failed
to sign the
legendary
Argentine
earlier this year,
City remain a
potential
destination for
•Messi
the attacker as
he contemplates
his next move.
Officials have
put together a 10-
year plan, one
which would see
Messi represent
Real Madrid, Liverpool,
Chelsea, Man Utd fight
for Chukwueze signature
Man City draw up 10-
year plan for Messi
making 37 La Liga
appearances in 2019-20 and
featuring in all but one of their
matches so far this term.
Manchester United are
thought to view the Nigeria
international as a possible
alternative to Jadon Sancho,
while Chelsea, Liverpool,
Wolverhampton Wanderers,
Everton and Leicester City
have also been credited with
an interest.
Man United are considered
the biggest rivals to Madrid
for his signature, although
Villarreal are thought to be
holding out for his full €80m
(£71.3m) release clause to be
triggered.
Chukwueze has scored 13
goals and assisted 12 more in
90 appearances for the Yellow
Submarine.
New York City FC after
a spell at the Etihad
Stadium.
Messi will also be
offered the chance to
take on some sort of
ambassadorial role at
one of City Football
Group’s club in
China, India, Japan
or Australia.
Despite his
c u r r e n t
unhappiness at
Barcelona, the
player will
likely be
offered
fresh
terms
over the
coming
months.
•Ramos
eal Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane
R has been handed a huge boost
ahead of his side’s Champions League
showdown with Inter Milan in San Siro
after Casemiro was cleared to make the
trip. The Brazilian has been absent after
testing positive for covid-19 but was
given the all-clear to rejoin the squad
in time for the pivotal clash against
Antonio Conte’s Serie A side, who have
their own personnel issues as a result
•Casemiro of the virus. Karim Benzema will be a
huge loss for Zidane though after the
Frenchman failed to shake off a muscle
issue he picked up in the defeat at
Valencia.
Zidane will be missing several other players in Milan
including captain Sergio Ramos, who remains sidelined
with a hamstring injury he suffered during Spain’s historic
6-0 victory over Germany. Álvaro Odriozola, Fede Valverde,
Luka Jovic and Éder Militão are also unavailable.
Madrid are third in Group B and two points ahead of
Milan after a pulsating 3-2 victory over Conte’s side at the
Alfredo Di Stéfano before the international break. Shakhtar
and Borussia Mönchengladbach occupy the knock-out spots
and meet each other in Germany.
ollowing the withdrawal
Fof Togo as host country,
the Flying Eagles will now
begin their U20 AFCON
qualifying campaign on
December 6 at the Stade de
Gaulles in Cotonou, Benin,
against Cote d’Ivoire. The
match will kick off 4pm local
time.
The U20 AFCON WAFU B
zonal qualifiers were
originally billed to begin on
November 18 in Lome, Togo,
but the tiny West African
nation pulled out citing
Coronavirus concerns.
The Flying Eagles second
Group B match in Benin will
be against perennial rivals
Ghana on December 9.
•Lukaku R Madrid
e a l
beat Inter Milan
without having to
face their star man
Romelu Lukaku
and Spanish media
are talking up the Belgian striker
as the difference-maker ahead of a
crucial meeting in Milan tonight.
Zinedine Zidane’s side got their first
win in Group B by beating Inter 3-2 in
the Spanish capital. Goals from Karim
Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Rodrygo
secured victory in a tight affair.
But Lukaku, Inter’s goal-machine,
is set to be reinstated for matchday
four in the Champions League and
his head-to-head with Real forward
Mariano was the key talking point.
Mariano Diaz has been far less
effective than Lukaku, netting just
once this season. But with doubts over
the fitness of Karim Benzema he may
lead Real’s attack at the San Siro.
Inter boss Antonio Conte had
Ivan Perisic slot in for Lukaku in
Casemiro back
for Inter clash
Flying Eagles begin U20 AFCON
qualifiers against Cote d’Ivoire
Acoaches
thletes
have
and
reacted with
trepidation following
suggestions the 2020
National Sports
Festival will be
postponed again due
to a second wave of
coronavirus
infections.
The Presidential
Task Force on the
Covid’19 Pandemic
New hosts Benin are in
Group A along with Togo,
Niger and Burkina Faso.
The U20 AFCON qualifiers
will end on December 19.
Benin will also stage the
U17 AFCON qualifiers next
year.
Edo 2020 suffers another
postponement
was said to have
informed the
Edo State
government of a
l i k e l y
postponement
and a new date
set for early next
year between
February and
March 2021.
Edo State
d e p u t y
governor, Philip
Shaibu confirmed the
development.
“ Let’s forget about
having the Festival this
year , not because we
are not ready to host but
because of the logistic
issue raised by the PTF.
“If they are not going
to give us the green
light. It is definitely not
going to hold,” said Hon
Shaibu.
Champions League:
Zidane worries over
free-scoring Lukaku
without Ramos
Madrid but it didn’t bring
about the same returns
that the Belgian can
provide.
But a lot has happened
since the sides played
each other in Spain.
An injury to captain
Sergio Ramos on
international duty has left
Zidane exposed in
defence, his fears only
heightened by the return
of Lukaku, who has seven
goals in Serie A already
this season.
Real Madrid have lost
seven of their last eight
Champions League
games without Ramos in
the team.
The heavy defeat by
Ajax in the 2018-19
season stands out, as does
last season’s reverse away
to Manchester City and
this season’s home loss to
Shakhtar.