What’s your impression about the Kano Pillars team?
I’m very impressed; I watched them against Kaduna United. Although they only won the game 1-0, in this match against Sunshine Stars they have raised their game. Pillars are up to it, but to play in the continent is a different ball game. For us to assess them well for the CAF Champions League, they have to start playing friendly matches outside Nigeria; in the west coast here, against weak and strong teams. When they beat the weak teams, it gives them more confidence to face the strong teams and have an idea of what the Champions League will be like.
Have you seen any players in Pillars that are of such quality as to play in continental championships?
Pillars have good players, but like I said the only way to assess them is when the team starts playing friendly matches beginning in West Africa. Then, we can begin to rate them properly.
Most people who don’t watch Nigerian football league matches live don’t believe that the standard of play is high. What is your impression of the League generally?
With the Super Eight that I have seen the standard is high, but not all the teams play good football. We must learn to support our own League; we can’t be all fans of Manchester United, Arsenal and the other European clubs without talking about our own teams. Nigerians can name all the players of a European team, but can’t name five players of Pillars, for example. When we were playing in Nigeria fans trooped out to watch Bendel Insurance, NNB, Rangers and Iwuanyanwu Nationale, but it’s unfortunate that it is no longer like that these days.
CAF has created an African Nations Championship for home-based players and Nigeria has appointed Okey Emordi to coach the home-based Super Eagles. Can our local teams replenish the team?
For this Super Eight competition, I have seen four or five Kano Pillars players and three or four players of the Sunshine Stars. There are good players in FC Abuja. Although they are still inexperienced they are good for the national team, maybe not at the high level now. If they get the necessary exposure in the home-based Super Eagles they will be ready for Super Eagles. I don’t want to give out their names now, but if these players and others at the other clubs like Rangers and Sharks keep their heads low and remain focussed, with time Emordi will have players to form a formidable home-based Eagles that can compete for shirts in the main Super Eagles team.
In what ways do you think the standards of the Nigerian League should be improved generally?
First, players have to feel comfortable and the fans have to control themselves. Football is not a do-or-die affair. Referees are human beings; you don’t overreact when they make mistakes. There should be a peaceful environment for teams to win away matches without violence. In our days at Insurance we would go to Enugu and beat Rangers without problem. And ACB or Rangers would go up north and beat Plateau United without any problem.
On the part of management, they should ensure that players get their salaries regularly. When a player gets his salary at the end of the month, he will give 100 percent on the field of play. Because corporate bodies are not supporting football at the moment except for Globacom and a few others, sign-on fees may be paid instalmentally, but let the salaries be paid regularly.
The condition of the playing pitches must be addressed. For example, look at the pitch of the Sani Abacha Stadium where we are now, it’s bumpy. Whenever the teams want to play from the rear, it disturbs the flow of the game, it makes it difficult. Corporate bodies should come in the area of building standard facilities to help the game here.
Education of the players is also very important, they have to be reasonably educated, though not necessarily by going to the university, to understand the techniques and tactics the coach is imparting to them. You see coaches going to the touchline to shout instructions to players every now and then: it is not necessary if they are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
We have to start this education from the youth level, in the academies and in the feeder teams. Development and education should go together.
