Ruled by ignorance Pt 1

How did we come to a pass this sorry?

That our football is run by men who seem not to have the foggiest idea of how to do the job they are supposed to, and stick their foot in their mouth each time they open that particular orifice?

How does one explain this week's comments by both our Secretary General Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Assistant Secretary General (Technical) James Peters.

BTW, I kid you not. That is James Peters official designation, as opposed to the former title of Head, Technical Department. Why use two words when four can do, eh? With brackets to boot. Thats our NFA for you.

Anyway, to what I was talking about. I'll start with Ojo-Oba. Our good friend (he calls himself a 'creation of the media' but I digress.

On his return from China where he had gone to witness the FIFA Women's World Cup draws, Ojo-Oba insulted our collective sensibilities by claiming that theteam's Head coach Ntiero Effiom had no business in China as the draws were a 'purely administrative matter'

In that case, maybe Ojo-Oba might want to explain to us what the other national coaches were doing there? Or maybe they have usurped the administrative functions of their various FAs perchance?

Draws are meant to give coaches a chance to assess the opposition managers, speak to those they are likely to organise friendlies with, check out facilities for their teams like hotels, training pitches, playing pitches, distances, meals etc.

At the same time, it gives organisers a chance to get media quotes from the coaches and players (those who can attend).

Let me tell Ojo-Oba in case he does not know. At a draws ceremony like this, people like him are not the draw (pun fully intended). It is the players and coaches who are the media draw, as we want to know their thoughts on the teams in their group and their expectations etc.

The following countries had their coaches present at the draws: Germany, Japan, England, USA, Sweden, Norway, Australia, China (ok, they are the hosts I concede), and Denmark.

For those who werent present, the people who went there to perform administrative tasks like Argentina and New Zealand (both represented by their respective Heads of Women Football) and Korea (represented by their youth team coach), all spoke on the draw.

Our friend Ojo-Oba did not say anythin to the press about Nigeria's chances or expectations even. Makes you wonder if he went there at all.

If Ojo-Oba had told us that money was the problem, it would have been understood. But to say the coach had no business at a World Cup draws is taking the biscuit.

I feel embarrassed for him.

I feel even more embarrassed for the coach who let himself be tossed around like this. These are the kind of situations where he should at least make a case for himself. he would have learnt more, and made quite a few contacts by being at the draws than by sitting at home waiting for the NFA to 'approve' his 'programme'.

Shame.