Nigeria not a football super power – Amiesimaka

[MrVan]

By KATE OBODO

As the Super Eagles warm up to play the Black Stars of Ghana in an international friendly in London on Tuesday, former Green Eagles winger, Adokiye Amiesimaka has said that Ghana's dominance over Nigeria didn't just start today.

The former Chairman of Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt who said that Nigerians should not see their country as a football super power in the continent also wondered why they seem to focus on Ghana alone when countries like Egypt and Cameroon have better record than Nigeria.

Reacting on Ghana's dominance to Saturday Vanguard sports, Amiesimaka said, "Ghana have  always been better than Nigeria. Why do we deceive ourselves? We are not a football Super Star in Africa.  Egypt have  a better record, Ghana have  a better record and even Cameroon have a better record."

Continuing, the former Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice said, "We seem to be  so focused  on Ghana as if we beat Ghana, we will become world champions. If you look at it generally, Ghana are better organized and  they even  play better football than we do. Let's not deceive  ourselves. Some years  ago, Ghana went back to the drawing board, even though  it was not perfectly done, but there was a positive  attempt to get it done.

If you look at  the record of Ghana over the years, they have better international record than Nigeria, so why do we deceive ourselves about Ghana. By considering ourselves as their rivals, it's like we are just making ourselves happy. At every level  they are not doing badly, at the U-17, U-20, U-23 and even at the senior team level.  Although for sometime they have been battling with the age cheating problem, but generally they have international record than we do, so let us come to terms with that.

Amiesimaka who has been speaking out against the use of over-aged players for age grade competitions said " We have a lot of potential but for us to realise our potential, we have to sit back and ask ourselves questions.  What is happening to us? Why are we doing things this way? These are  questions  we should be asking ourselves instead of pretending as if there is nothing happening."

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the Super Eagles international friendly re-match against Argentina, he urged the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF  to always avoid controversy in football matters by learning to be more transparent in all their dealings.

According to Amiesimaka, "I wonder why every of their arrangement has been mired in controversy. Let us try and avoid controversy  in all our dealings. Every thing we have to do seem to be in controversy. When we are arranging to travel from point A to point B, there will be controversy over the kind of aircraft we are going to hire.

If we are arranging to play a match, there must be controversy about the venue, we are arranging to invite players,  controversy about  the flight ticket. To avoid controversy, we have to be upright in all your dealings, plan ahead and be transparent, that  is the only way out."

Vanguard