With the NFF unable to appoint a new coach for the Super Eagles less than a month to an opening 2025 AFCON qualifier, there is now an urgent need for the Federal Government to set up a Presidential Task Force (PTF) that will directly oversee the team’s qualification campaign for both the AFCON and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In mid-June, following the resignation of Finidi George, the NFF through a communiqué promised a new foreign coach for the national team.
Rather scandalously, this has yet to happen even as Nigeria are drawn in a 2025 AFCON qualifying group that has 2026 World Cup qualifying rivals Rwanda and Benin.
There is also the matter of Nigeria qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
This will be the biggest and richest ever World Cup as it will involve 48 teams with at least nine representing Africa.
All 48 World Cup finalists are guaranteed a minimum of $30 Million in prize monies as well as sponsorships.
Three-time African champions Nigeria, who went all the way to the final of the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire only in February, are now in serious danger of not qualifying for this extravaganza.
After four rounds of matches in the qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup, they are second from bottom with a mere three points from four matches.
The remaining six qualifying matches will be played from March 2025.
It is clear that administrative ineptitude and interference by the NFF cost the country the chance to also feature at the 2022 World Cup, which was a massive success in Qatar.
It is to go beyond this incompetence that a PTF has to be set up as a matter of priority.
A similar arrangement was done for the 2010 World Cup, which was hosted for the first time ever on African soil.
The PTF then was headed by then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and it included the influential Rotimi Amaechi, the Sports Minister Ibrahim Isa Bio, the NFF president Sani Lulu as well as technocrats like Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and journalist Larry Izamoje.
This PTF ensured the qualification of the country to the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa.
It also raised the much-needed cash for the team with the excess funds used to build the present NFF head office in Abuja.
The PTF will be hands-on and directly under the office of President Bola Tinubu.
It will compose of top Government representatives, both at Federal and State levels, as well as the private sector.
It will take full charge of the Super Eagles logistics, from travel to match bonuses and allowances.
The corruption at the NFF has made sure that the Super Eagles and the various national teams are now owed Billions of Naira in bonuses and allowances running back to many years.
These monies were budgeted for but were not paid to the teams, rather they found their way into private pockets.
This led to President Tinubu generously approving in January the payment of over 17 Billion Naira to clear these debts.
Sadly, most of these monies are yet to be received by the beneficiaries as at today.
In this particular case, the PTF will oversee the appointment of a new and competent foreign coach for the Super Eagles.
It will raise the money to pay for such a coach.
In the event that it secures additional funding from the corporate sector as well as wealthy Nigerians, this could be channeled to improving the infrastructure and facilities at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja.
This will include a befitting accommodation for all the national teams as part of a National Training Centre.
