In the academic sphere, it is normal to be subjected to various tests as a prelude to the real task: examinations. At every level from the primary school to the higher institution, students warm up for exams with the continuous assessment tests.
This gives them the idea of what to expect in the exams proper and also an indication of the style of the lecturer who is the examiner.
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I wrote last week about the shocking appointment of Eric Chelle by the Nigeria Football Federation as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. Interestingly, there were many other weekly sports columnists who shared the same view with me.
I recall reading the piece by former international, Segun Odegbami, titled ‘Eagles new coach: Wickedness or genius?’ and also that of Ade Ojeikere of the Nation with the headline ‘Chelle, e don shelle’.
No doubt, the coming in of Chelle, unveiled in Abuja by the NFF during the week, is a big gamble. I do not have to stress the importance of all the six games to be played this year in the World Cup qualifying series.
The last round of matches (Match Day 9) for an automatic ticket to the Mundial is between October 9 and 14 while the second round in which one team from the four best losers will pick the final ticket is slated for November.
The NFF during the unveiling stated that Chelle would head straight for Ikenne in Ogun State to join the Eagles B team preparing for the CHAN event. He was to play a supervisory role and also acquaint himself with the two assistant coaches to work with him in the Super Eagles –Daniel Ogunmodede and Fidelis Ilechukwu. Sadly, same day the new Eagles coach arrived in Ikenne, CAF announced the postponement of CHAN from February to August.
It was indeed a big blow because of the various implications of the decision. Chelle, expected to see a Nigerian team on competitive duty, has been denied this opportunity and so what could have served as a test was no longer on the cards.
The CHAN players have been released to go back to their various clubs but it is obvious that when they reassemble few weeks or months to the competition, some of these players might have left the country to pursue careers abroad. The NFF should work with the NPFL to have a law to check the movement of players anyhow. It affects the standard of the domestic league and also it is always an issue with the composition of the country’s CHAN team.
CAF should have taken the tournament to an alternative venue instead of the postponement. The continental body and FIFA always have a standby venue for all their competitions and for CAF to shift an event originally slated for last year shows how uncoordinated the Patrice Motsepe-led body is.
This a tough call because it will be the very first time the new coach will be meeting the players. There is no margin for error at this point and so Chelle needs people with deep knowledge of the Eagles stars around him to flourish. He has promised an attack-minded team and so the coaches must set up the team to score goals and keep hopes alive.
The NFF must also provide the coach with tapes of the Eagles and the country’s opponents in the Group C of African qualifiers. The tapes of South Africa, Lesotho, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Benin should be available since there is no window before the March ‘exams’ of Chelle. It is dicey but not impossible.
In September, Nigeria will play Rwanda at home and go away to play South Africa while in October, the Eagles play Lesotho away and the last match is against Benin Republic at home. Chelle’s job is cut out just as AFCON finals are held in December.
However, the forthcoming games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe are the most crucial for Chelle and the Eagles. With two wins, there will be enough time to target consolidation in September and October Match Days. NFF must offset all outstanding allowances of the players, if any, to guarantee total focus for the herculean task ahead.
