Nieketen tags 2011 worst in Nigeria’s football history

By KATE OBODO

Former Super Eagles player, Peter Nieketien has termed 2011 as the worst year in the history of football in Nigeria.

The former Iwuanyanwu Nationale and Julius Berger FC player, expressed sadness over the slide in the country’s football and said that the occurrence would have been prevented, if the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF had done things properly.

According to him: “Honestly speaking, 2011 is really a terrible year for us as a football loving country. Apart from the Flying Eagles who made the country proud in the Under-20 World Cup, the other teams did terribly bad, for me it is a disaster.

While other countries will be hoisting their country’s flag in the Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea/Gabon, Nigeria will not be there. Not only that, we will also not be in Olympics both the Female and Male teams, it is so terrible and so painful.

Continuing he said, “Our failure in 2011 was not that we do not have enough materials to prosecute our plans but that we failed to plan properly and it really affected our performances in the various competitions. Now that we are getting into a new year, I think the NFF should be able to identify the weaknesses and mistakes we had in our national teams in 2011 and see how they can make amends.

The fact remains that every Nigerian knows our problem and are shying away from it. This time, if we do not plan to succeed, there is not doubt that we will be planning to fail. I believe if we start planning early and well, things will better next year but if we don’t, it may get worst.

“They should also look into the technical department and see how to make it a viable and sound, meaning that the people involved in that department should capable and are qualified, not necessarily because they are ex-Internationals .