Don’t crucify Enyeama, Rufai begs Nigerians

Posted by admin Headlines, Soccer, Sports Saturday, September 22nd, 2012

Nigeria and Liberia have a score to settle when both countries meet in the second leg of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on October 13. The first leg in Monrovia penultimate weekend ended 2-2. The result has left a sour taste in the mouths of most Nigerians who have characteristically, descended heavily on both the technical crew and players of the Super Eagles.

One Super Eagles player under severe scrutiny has been goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, whose holler gifted Liberia the equaliser. Some critics have called for his relegation in Keshi’s pecking order. But former Eagles captain and first choice goalkeeper, Peter Rufai disagrees. He spoke with Jacob Ajom. Excerpts:

Coach Stephen Keshi and his crew have come under severe criticisms since the Liberia match. Some have blamed him for using match-rusty players while others have said Keshi and his men were not just getting it right. Do you share in this opinion?

Well, we are in a democratic world where everybody is free to express whatever opinion he has on any given issue. But here we are talking football. I feel Nigerians should be careful on how they criticize their teams and what they say about their players.

They should evaluate whatever they want to say before uttering such things out. It is what we say of our players that informs the way the outside world perceives them. We must evaluate what we say so as not to misjudge them before the outside world. One bad word about a particular player could destroy his career.

As for Keshi, he has been doing a great job, so far. He has the experience, both as a player who played to the highest level and as a coach. He has proven his expertise even outside the shores of this country. I know he won’t disappoint. I do not have any iota of doubt that Keshi will lead the Eagles over the Lone Star of Liberia. I am too sure of that because Keshi is equal to the task.

Enyeama

But the fear is that Keshi does not seem to have the quality of players that can carry out his plans. Most Nigerian players both home and abroad have been described as “average players”, how then can the coach do his magic?

I don’t want to agree with that assertion. You cannot say your children are not clever when you did not send them to school. The structures are not there for them to learn. That is why we must go back to the basics. The school system, where they were supposed to learn no longer serves its purpose. That is why we cannot blame them. We were up there and other nations who have the structures have caught up with us.

Now there is that pressure on us because we have remained stagnant. We are not developing the structures. It is my belief that we still have the players here. What they need are developmental programmes, the types we had in our days. The structures should be able to keep them here to mature before they start thinking of going abroad to play.

That is what we at Staruf Football Academy are trying to do. Give the kids the basics of the game, combine it effectively with academics and nurture them to maturity.

But the problem today is that, apart from the collapse of the educational structure, nobody is ready to learn. An average academy player in Nigeria wants to go and play abroad. Nobody wants to stay, learn and play here.

What is on ground to hold them down? You and I know that in Nigeria, like any other country, you must pass through primary and secondary education before you can go to the university. If there were no set down rules and standards, then, university education would have been for every Dick, Tom and Harry.

Our football structures are defective and that is why everybody wants to go and play abroad. If there were rules guiding the movement of players this would have been checked.

Vincent Enyeama has come under heavy criticisms for his error which gave Liberia a late equalizer in Monrovia. Some people have called for his outright drop from the team. What is your opinion?

No. I disagree with those calling for his sack from the team. A goalkeeper is the pillar and perhaps the most important part of every football team. He is the beginning and the end of the team. The keeper must not lose focus. But we are all humans. Because we are humans one could have a bad day. It could happen to anybody. Even me, I had my bad days. I have been in his position before so I know what I am talking about. The loss in concentration for one second could result in a slip and it is all over.

I know Keshi very well. He has no room for incompetence from his players. He is not one who will favour any player that is not good enough. He is there to ensure Nigeria gets back to where she rightly belongs in world football. Keshi wants Nigeria in South Africa and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. I don’t see anything wrong in what he is doing at the moment.

But critics have questioned his insistence on using Enyeama despite the fact that he had a season-long stay on the bench at his former French club. The coach kept using him at the expense of other more active goalkeepers.

That Enyeama was being benched by his former French coach does not mean Keshi too must bench him in the national team. The national team coaches have definitely seen something in Enyeama that has made them keep faith in him. He is still one of our best hands for now.

If anything, Keshi needed to encourage him to call off the bluff of the club coach. It gave Enyeama a sense of belonging and motivated him to better his performance as he had the national team to look up to. What most people do not know is that there is politics in football. For some reasons known only to them, some coaches are hardly impressed, no matter what one tries to do in training.

-Vanguardwp_posts