Corruption is killing Nigerian football-Taju Disu

 

Former Super Eagles defender Tajudeen Disu has swelled the list of ex-international players castigating the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)  for the national team’s absence at the 2022  FIFA World cup in Qatar.

 

 

Disu, in a chat with Sports Joust, blamed Godfatherism, bribery, and corruption as the major reasons football is dying in Nigeria. The situation could get worse if nothing is done to solve these problems.

 

“How do you expect football to grow in a country where coaches and players don’t get paid, and those that are receiving peanuts are coaches that got the job through their godfathers in the Ministry or NFF,” he fumed.

 

Disu added: “Majority of the coaches doesn’t have integrity. They receive brown envelopes from their godfathers to help them include unqualified players in their team to the detriment of other quality players ahead of major international competitions. They are all stooges.”

 

The former National Bank FC of Lagos and Abiola Babes FC of Abeokuta player said until players are selected on merit for national assignments, the Super Eagles, Flying Eagles, U 23, the Golden Eaglets, and all the female national teams will not make any meaningful impact at the world level.

 

“If Stephen Keshi and Amodu  Shuaib, who served Nigeria meritoriously, could be owed salaries up till this day, you can imagine what the coaches who are willing to help revive soccer in the country will go through if they’re given a chance to be in charge.” he continued.

 

Sven-Göran Erickson, a former England manager, recently said he declined to accept the Super Eagles job because some NFF officials demanded that he ceded a portion of his salary to them before giving him the job.

 

All efforts to get the Nigeria  Football Federation’s (NFF) reaction to this story proved abortive as the NFF communication director Demola Olajire’s phone was permanently switched off.