Right of Self Opinion …
With the 2030 FIFA World Cup fast approaching, Nigerian football cannot afford another cycle of missed chances and last-minute panic. The warning signs are already here, and if the Nigeria Football Federation continues on the same path, we risk another mishap on the world stage. What we need now is not more promises, but a deliberate shift in how we manage and develop the game from top to bottom.
For too long the NFF has relied on recycling a handful of familiar ex-international names for key roles. We’ve tried many of them, and the results have been inconsistent at best. The same faces rotate, the same conversations repeat, and yet our grassroots, our scouting, and our technical structure remain weak. It’s time to admit that this approach has run its course and that we need new ideas.
The real test is what ex-internationals are doing outside of boardrooms and appointments. Development is not a part-time job. You can’t give what you don’t have. We need people who are already building academies, mentoring young players, and creating pathways both at home and abroad. Football development happens daily, not only during tournaments.
That is why the name Benedict Akwuegbu keeps coming up. From his early days at St. Murumba College Jos, where he was spotted for the U-17 squad to Scotland ’89, to wearing the green and white at Korea/Japan 2002, he has lived the Nigerian football dream. But unlike many, he didn’t stop when his boots were hung up. Today he is a graduate of Nursing in the UK and a practicing professional. More importantly, he runs football academies in England and operates Benedict Akwuegbu FC franchises in Jos, directly working with young talents and shaping tomorrow’s stars.
Benedict Akwuegbu is the joker NFF needs right now. He understands European structure, he understands Nigerian grassroots, and he is already doing the work without waiting for a title. Giving him the role of Technical Director would bring fresh ideas, credibility, and a bridge between our diaspora talent and home-based players. This is not about sentiment. It’s about competence and track record.
The NFF must open the space. Nigerian football cannot continue to look like it belongs to a reserved few. The pond of consideration for ex-internationals should be expanded to include people who are actively giving back. The more qualified hands we bring in, the stronger the foundation becomes. Fresh blood means fresh thinking, and fresh thinking is what will take us to 2030 prepared.
God bless the NFF to make the right choice and choose the path of genuine growth. Appoint Benedict Akwuegbu as Technical Director now. Let him help shape the project, set the standards, and ensure Nigeria does not walk into another World Cup with unanswered questions. The time to act is now, not after another failure.
Reported for daily query by professional wordsmith & soccer fancier Chief Mike Cerutti, Ikoyi Lagos_
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