Former international, Etim Esin, has described as shameful the fact that the Super Eagles won’t be in Qatar for the 22nd edition of the World Cup, which commences on November 20.
Esin, who marked his birthday on Tuesday, said the appearance of the third-time African champions in Qatar would have been the best way to celebrate his birthday anniversary with his friends and well-wishers.
“My birthday would have been sweeter if the boys had qualified for the World Cup, which begins this weekend. But it is regrettable that we won’t be part of the World Cup mood when citizens of other countries are looking forward to watching their players perform against other countries.
“The situation is even worse when one remembers that we lost out to a rival country that does not have the pedigree and the number of quality players available to us during the CAF World Cup qualifying round.
“I think it’s high time that the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) puts its house in order so that the right persons can be in charge of running football in the country. The retired players have the experience and other endowments to make running of football work in this country,” he said.
The former AA Gent and Lokeren FC of Belgium midfield maestro wondered how long it would take for the country to get things right. He said: “The problem is that we allow people with little or no knowledge in football administration to continue to put us in this mess to the extent that a country like Nigeria, will not qualify for the World Cup. I must confess that what is happening to us now is disheartening.”
“Can you imagine how sweet it would have been if the country had qualified for Qatar with an indigenous coach? This is exactly what has happened now because local coaches will handle all the African countries going to Qatar for the first time.
“It is unfortunate that Coach Augustine Eguavoen failed to be part of the history in Qatar. Cameroun, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and Ghana will be coached by their indigenous coaches and I know that someday, we will surely get there,” he stated.