Football is big business – not in Nigeria. Why? We have refused to head-hunt people who can do the job. If we must achieve excellence and meet the objective requirement for the rapid development of our sports industry, then we must broaden the finance base of the industry and create the right conditions for private sector funding and investment in sports.

We must accept that there is the need for us to have the political will to make sports a big business, which inevitably will create the platforms to employment. We need to cultivate business concerns to embrace sports, but with a caveat – transparency and accountability.

There is the need to create enabling environment for business concerns to key into sports patronage – first to change the way it is run in Nigeria; and then to get Nigerians to know that sports help increase the country’s G.D.P as seen in other climes.

Is sports all about funding and administration? Not exactly. Without the athletes and the coaches, no sports events can be held. Athletes and coaches form the fulcrum on which sports thrive.

We have this sinister manner of throwing up figures in the sporting world here in Nigeria without interrogating them to find out if such projects justify such expenses. Indeed, when staggering figures find expression in the media, they end up being the truth. Sadly, these wrong flyers in the media in Nigeria become reality to such an extent that coaches we pay as much as over $50,000 couldn’t guide the Super Eagles to the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States of America (USA).

Already, another of such slaps on our faces is in the media suggesting that Nigeria are preparing to pay $75,000 to an unnamed Super Eagles manager? I ask, what for? Typical of such idle flyers is the stoic silence from both the NSC and the NFF chieftains over the veracity of such reports. Do you pay such figure to a manager who couldn’t qualify Nigeria to the 2026 World Cup through the one game against DR. Congo. DR Congo beat Nigeria in the CAF World Cup play-off final on November 16.  The game ended 1–1 after extra time (DR Congo won 4–3 on a penalty shootout).

DR Congo advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs, while Nigeria missed qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Our coaches have shown us how far apart they are with the country’s ambitions, leading to the failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Having failed to take the Super Eagles to the Mundial, it is only proper for the gradual search for a new coaching crew of our current dreams.

Whereas, the real soccer nations recruit truly big coaches and pay them well such that they earn their respect from the players they pick for such countries’ international competitions such as the World Cup, Nations Cup, Olympic Games etc. The multiplier effect of recruiting these big coaches rubs off on the teams they handle when it comes to getting grade A international matches based on such managers’ savvy in coaching and their current achievements.

It is from such big games that these countries get to recoup some of the cash used in getting them ready. Of course, if such activities get massive public traction, it is easier for the countries’ FAs to leverage on their teams’ new trajectory through marketing, advertising and corporate sponsorships which translate to massive cash to develop the game holistically without having to go cap-in-hand to their countries government as we have in Nigeria today.

These big soccer nations have perfected their acts in recruiting coaches that it does not take donkey years because of the transparent manner in which the departing manager was chosen. The English FA easily picked Thomas Tuchel to replace Gareth Southgate. Tuchel is a German football manager who has won major domestic and international trophies across Europe’s top leagues and was appointed head coach of the England Men’s National Team in 2025.

According to report in the media: ‘’During his 20-month stint as Chelsea manager from January 2021 to September  2022, Thomas Tuchel won three major trophies – the UEFA Champions League 2020–21, UEFA Super Cup 2021 and FIFA Club World Cup 2021 (won in early 2022).’’

Tuchel’s individual feats as captured on the internet include:

So, you can see how Tuchel was chosen based on transparent and verifiable indices known to everyone at the press of your telephone’s or gadgets’ buttons. No guesswork. No letters, cards, phone calls from people in government through their lickspittles. No rocket science, with the transition swift and yielding results.

Need I waste space highlighting how Brazil picked Carlo Ancelotti? Carlo Ancelotti is from Reggiolo, Italy. Thomas Tuchel is from Krumbach, Bavaria, Germany. Imagine an Italian handling Brazil and a German as England’s senior team’s manager. These two examples, I dare say, kick in the teeth the naive postulation that no country has won the World Cup with a non national? Yes, no foreigner has. But shouldn’t this fable as I have chosen to call it be challenged like the Brazilians and the English are doing for the good of the game in the different countries?

Offering our coaches big packages wouldn’t translate to improvement in the way the Eagles play because they cannot offer what they don’t have technically. We must quickly return to the root of the game to start afresh with the right mentality, if we must catch up with others.

With very little competitions being organised at the state levels, nothing happens at the grassroots. Structures meant to discover talents become moribund and funds meant for the local government areas are either been misappropriated or spent on funding meetings that have produced no results.

In the past, several primary and post primary soccer competitions were held. In fact, prominent citizens sponsored competitions either in their names or on behalf of the kings of the local government areas. Indeed, the state FAs sent their coaches routinely to teach the games masters or physical education teachers the rudiments of the game. These re-trained personnel then teach the kids. Such programmes were not restricted to soccer. All other sports got the same treatment, depending on the plan for such catchment areas.

I recall being introduced to cricket for the first time on January 27, 1972 as a class one student in Government College Ughelli. This orientation didn’t start with using the conventional cricket bats and balls, but played using jute mat on concrete pitches. At GCU, we improvised with carved wood as bats and empty tins of milk served as the balls. God help you if the edge of the tin cuts your fingers or your palms while trying to catch it. But it was fun and GCU became famous for playing cricket in the old Midwest and Bendel states. Don’t ask me what the practice is today. Indeed, at GCU, we knew the sports kits to come with every term. I digress!