Football

Quitting Super Eagles: Uncovering why Victor Moses takes a bow, premature departure

Published

6 years ago

August 16, 2018

Olu Emmanuel

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By Ediale Kingsley

Victor Moses is easily the best among the current squad assembled in the Super Eagles. Was the only Nigerian footballer that had a starting shirt for a World Class category B Club.

We couldn’t imagine going to such a World Cup without him. At 27 he resigns. And the situation is as emotional as it is shocking. No one saw this coming.

Moses is as important to Nigeria as Zidane was important to Madrid. Different responsibilities but same impact. No one anticipated their premature departure.

Premature mainly because of their time of announcement. At this time Moses is our Messi. And that’s why he is getting the kind of response he’s been receiving since making such public notice of his retirement from National Duties (some dude on Instagram used the F word on him)

Moses may be our Messi, but he isn’t Messi. And that’s why Ediale won’t subscribe to begging him. I am not angry with him. He has every right to be selfish. This is one of such selfish decisions and its perfectly okay.

It’s the game.

By Qatar 2022 he will be 31. Mikel and Messi were 31 in Russia 2018. What impact did they make? He is probably learning from Mikel and Echejile.

What did they get from the sacrifice to represent their Nation? Even though, Echejile actually had no business going at the first place. And that’s partly the problem.

Why go through the pain to feature in a team where you are the best and you know that means frustration for you.

When Messi had his resignation 1.0 it was in this same line of thought. Why play with people who won’t up their games to the Xavis and Iniestas of this world.

It amounts to frustration and waste of sacrificial efforts especially when other terrible realities add to the pain.

Without playing a single game in Qatar 22 I can tell you authoritatively, for free, that we will do badly.

The signs are there for all to see.

After the last shameful world cup show. The least we could do was take notes and detox by decision. Deciding to learn and develop farward.

Rather we gave to cheap politicking and shameless pranks that can see us fetch a FIFA ban.

We are doing a lot of things wrong in Football Management as a nation.

We have a terrible league management. A terrible set of administrators.

These are enough reasons to quit the National Team. At times, it is not worth it. But you keep going on. I saw a story from a blogger that narrated a scenario of NFF Headquarters staffers committing to prayer and fasting in ensuring their is a change in the NFF administration.

Some journalists felt the story was based on sensationalism. Others felt it was sponsored by the Giwa apologists. But I was more concerned with the story’s accuracy and authenticity than its craft.

Deep conversations with some of the Glass house reporters unveiled more facts:

“Are they not on monthly salaries? Is it NFF or Government that pays them monthly? What they are crying about is outrageous allowances when they go out for assignment. For example, they would claim during Maigari term estacode was $5,000, now they struggle to get $1000. Is this APC government policy not obvious about outrageous payment?

“Can they be bold to ask how the Sports Ministry have been treating the NFF Executives? If not for the sponsors, NFF could have been embarrassed with the attitude of the Sports Minister.

” But when Giwa took over for days, cash flowed and Dalung approved cash quickly. Until, we dig deep and view the politics and ego battles attached to this nonsense we will wallow in deceit.

” You think if the NFF had not manage funds from sponsors, Dalung’s mission would have manifested? The staff want NFF to share sponsors money with them when the percentage from government isn’t coming. Does that make sense?

“And this is why I said, there is politics and egos attached to this nonsense. NFF spent 95% sponsors/FIFA grants money for the World Cup, and the fight now is the $9m coming from FIFA.

“Dalung refused to release government funds, the NFF Executives are facing a lot. I am not making case for them, they have got many holes to cover and improve as well. But many things the staff knows about but yet their selfishness still cover their objectivity”

Words above in quotes is what I got from one of those Abuja journalists.

Now is this the kind of environment you want to thrive? Is this worth it?

Truth is, you may admire footballers and their take home pay. But they suffer and sacrifice a lot. Imagine leaving your beloved family for weeks and months.

And let’s not even talk about the voodooism and witch hunting within the team members.

You’ve got to ask yourself questions. Is it worth it?

The rhetorical question is what this retirement is based on.

Victor Moses has two kids and a loving wife. He rather enjoys the EPL or any future club with his family in sight. Than travelling miles to Africa in vein.

It’s a quality selfish decision. As a journalist, as much as I love to impact the NPFL I also see reasons to just go pro EPL and European Football reporting.

There are stumbling blocks in the form of wicked and selfish persons who have decided to stand as demons against our football.

And if you are looking for persons to blame. Start with the Government. From the past to the present. Who have paid lip service to offering Nigerian Football the grace that it deserves.

“The truth is there for us to see, FIFA Statutes will win in this battle and a political resolution might also follow. Why destroy the little stability achieved under this board? This board fought battles for four years even though Pinnick attention was more on Super Eagles. If they have been so much involved with the government funds by now EFCC stunt could have work, all Dalung plans to chase them off and be in charge of the FIFA $9m. We can get out of this mess if NASS passes the FIFA Act, at least we’ll be on a fresh part”.

So why have we experienced government after government, tenure after tenure of leaders who have refused to pass the FIFA Act?

We claim we love football in this nation. If we do, these are the protests we must lead. Government must hands off football. Football must totally be subjected only to FIFA Statutes and Regulations.

All the FG needs do is run the land. If we have good security, good economy, good light etc… Good business will thrive and Football is good business. In exchange, the government will gain goodwill and glory.

There’s something known as soft power. That’s what Argentina has for having Messi. That’s what Nigeria has for having Genevieve Nnaji and Rita Dominic.

Football can give us that power. But it won’t work if these politicians have it locked in the hollow of their palms.

Free football, allow Nigerian Football breathe.

Victor Moses has resigned, the little I know about him tells me he won’t come back. He’s gone for good.

So is it painful?

It is…but like he said in the divorce letter he published, “However I feel that now is the right time to step away in order to be able to focus fully on club career and my young family as well as to allow the next generation of Super Eagles stars the opportunity to step up and to flourish”.

Because we haven’t done our job well. We are in this kind of predicament.

We are a nation of millions of talents. And when one player chooses to retire, we should have replacement without sweat.

Like I prophesied earlier this season, it’s the year of the Nwakali brothers. I like the fact that one is in FC Porto. He becomes the brightest hope for Nigeria.

Victor Moses is gone. He was inspired by Mario Mandžukić. He saw the letter and decides to do his own letter. I prefer Mario’s letter, it looks like a letter I could have drafted.