NFF Lambasts, Challenges Flying Eagles Coach

Nigeria Football Febertion, NFF President Aminu Maigari, has warned Flying Eagles coach. John Obuh following reports of ‘abuse’ and ‘personal interest’ in his team selection.

Obuh’s wards were eliminated in the first round of the Cape Town International Challenge in May, and the NFF was less than pleased at the outing.

Maigari made those feelings clear. “We are really disturbed. The NFF is not encouraged by your performance in South Africa and you have to work hard and be committed to a much better output in the qualifying series for the 2013 African Youth Championship, which start this month.”

Accusations of underhand dealings had made the rounds prior to, and after the tournament, and Maigari spared no punches as he ripped into Obuh and his assistants.

“Cases of dogged pursuit of personal interests and abuse have severally come out of your camp, and we are not happy about this.

“Here at the NFF, our job, our commitment and our task is always to raise teams that will make over 160 million Nigerians happy with good performance on the field of play. You are the champions of Africa and yet, you went to South Africa and lost all three group stage matches.

“This is disheartening.

“The fact that we give all the National Teams free hand does not mean that we don’t know what we are doing. You must consider it a privilege to be involved with a project that can give joy to the generality of Nigerians,” said Maigari.

The NFF President’s meeting with the Flying Eagles’ crew came against the backdrop of the team’s upcoming 2013 African Youth Championship qualifying fixture against Tanzania, which first leg comes up in Dar es Salaam on July 28.

Maigari added: “The Flying Eagles is a team known over the decades for giving joy to Nigerians through good results. Way back in 1983, the team became the first from Nigeria to participate in a FIFA tournament. We cannot afford to backslide so terribly.”

A suitably chastised Obuh pledged that he and his team will raise a team that will do Nigeria proud not only in the qualifying series, but at the African Youth Championship slated for Algeria between 16th – 30th March, next year.