Olawale Ajimotokan  in Abuja 

A former Vice-chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and Proprietor of Gabros International FC, Gabriel Chukwuma, has accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Ibrahim Gusau of bungling Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup to be jointly hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico.

Chukwuma accused the NFF President of ignoring well-meaning advice of patriotic Nigerians to engage a world-class manager for the Super Eagles to ensure qualification for the World Cup.

He lamented that rather the NFF contracted Eric Chelle, who has not won any laurels for Mali or any other team in his career.

The Gabros Proprietor derided Chelle as the coach his assistants poured chilled water on his head to revive him during the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, when it dawned on him that Mali had been knocked out of the competition.

“In short, let him get ready for another chilled water baptism because it is all over for Nigeria,” he said.

Chukwuma wondered why a football giant like Nigeria could not beat a winless Zimbabwe at home but managed for a draw, stressing that it was a big insult to President Bola Tinubu, the Senate, House of Representatives and the entire country, adding that there was nothing again to offer since Zimbabwe could not be beaten at home in Uyo.

“The Enyimba team or even Gabros, when we were playing, could easily have beaten Zimbabwe because they have stayed together as a team. On match day, the Eagles I saw were running round the pitch like “ojuju” (masquerades), playing individual football,” he recalled.

Chukwuma added Nigeria opted for defeat the day it engaged Chelle,  saying stakeholders had expected a quality coach for the team and not this Franco- Malian. 

“I even volunteered to assist in paying his salary and many Nigerians were also interested in that because  money was not the problem. But Gusau and his NFF held Nigerians in the neck. We talked and talked and suggested, but they could not listen. It is very painful that out of 9 slots given to Africa by FIFA, Nigeria will not pick anyone and will not be in a position to fight for the 10th ticket in the World Cup playoffs. Yet, our leaders are there watching and looking like “aba na anya” with no attempt to do anything. 

“The money that President Tinubu gave the football authorities to prosecute the World Cup is a pure waste. I said it earlier that it was a “dash money” to the officials as they were not going to deliver. And instead of telling the President the truth, they were deceiving him, making him to believe that they would deliver the World Cup ticket.”

On the possibility of  Nigeria qualifying for the World Cup with FIFA three points deduction from South Africa’s total haul for allegedly fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho, the Gabros proprietor advised Nigeria to stop playing football politics and forget the World Cup as Lesotho did not write any petition to FIFA. He added that even if it happens, other teams in the group will still benefit.

He charged the football authorities to forget the 2026 World Cup and rather engage a quality coach to recruit young players to train together for four years to prepare  for the next World Cup, adding that the present crop of players play individual football  and find it difficult  to score goals. “They could play for 90 minutes, with all the ball possession but lack the needed technique with which to put the ball in the net,” concludes Chukwuma.