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In the wake of the bungled appointment of a manager for the Super Eagles some days before the 2025 Africa Nations Cup qualifier, an advocacy group known as the Coalition of Sports Men and Women, COSMEW has called on President Ahmed Tinubu to do something urgent in the sector.
The advocacy group under the guidance of former Nigeria internation, Harrison Jalla says the call on the president has become necessary as Nigeria’s football hopes are in jeopardy following the collapse of the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) foreign coach initiative.
“The decision to pursue a foreign coach has been criticized and it’s now a disaster, with implications for Nigeria’s World Cup 2026 campaign as well. The NFF’s troubles began three months ago when Coach Finidi George was forced to resign. Since then, the Federation’s reluctance to appoint an indigenous coach has drawn widespread criticism,” Jalla stated.
On August 27, 2024, the NFF announced German coach Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles in a surprise move. However, Labbadia’s track record—failing to last a year at Stuttgart and Hertha Berlin and holding no national team experience—has raised concerns.
The situation worsened when the NFF reportedly mismanaged the contract negotiations with Labbadia, leading the German coach to withdraw from the position at the last moment. The NFF’s handling of the situation has sparked outrage, highlighting the dysfunction within the organization.
COSMEW have also targeted Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, accusing him of failing to address the growing issues within the NFF. Despite being in office for over a year, the Minister has been described as ineffective in overseeing the sports ministry and its related bodies.
In response, the coalition of sportsmen and women is coming together to combat the mismanagement and corruption in Nigeria’s sports administration, calling for an end to the involvement of politicians in the sector.
The nation now faces uncertainty as it prepares for the upcoming Africa Nations Cup qualifier, with the prospect of missing out on both the Nations Cup and the World Cup becoming increasingly real.
