By Uzor Odigbo
A former board member of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Fan Nduboke, has flayed the decision of the country’s football governing body to exclude the South East from the cities selected across the geo-political zones for the possible hosting of the proposed 2020 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup.
The NFF shortlisted five cities, three from the South South – Benin, Uyo and Asaba, and two chosen from Lagos for the South West.
A FIFA delegation is currently in the country inspecting the facilities.
Ndubuoke, astute sports administrator and former chairman of Heartland Football Club, said the exclusion of South East was “most unfortunate, unacceptable, very questionable and above all, insensitive,” arguing that “it raises doubt on fairness, equity and sincerity of purpose in the entire bidding exercise.”
In a statement he personally signed which was made available to TheNiche on Wednesday, Ndubuoke said exclusion of the South East which has produced over 70 per cent of the national team players in all tiers of the female national football teams was not only unjustifiable but also unacceptable.
The statement reads in part: “Agreed that some parts of the country may not be favourably disposed towards female participation in sports, the South East is certainly a home for women football.
“That such a zone was not considered by the NFF and the Bid Committee is unacceptable. That the South East which has been the nation’s feeding/recruitment ground for female footballers in the country since the commencement of the women game was suspiciously omitted in the provisional choice of cities to host the proposed FIFA Women World Cup is unfair and unjustifiable.
“The South East, over the years, has produced more than 70 per cent of national team players in all tiers of the female national football teams. Same goes with clubs in the women domestic league in the country. It therefore becomes very surprising if not shocking to observe that the zone with five states and world class football stadia and solid sporting facilities was exempted in the provision of cities for the global sporting fiesta.”
Ndubuoke said beside the accomplishments of female footballers from the zone, the governors have also “shown immense commitment towards sporting excellence in the country,” arguing further that “these are factors that should have been considered while this decision of national importance is being contemplated.”
To illustrate his point, he gave the example of Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha, who recently voted millions of naira for the rehabilitation of the Dan Anyiam Stadium “to prove his commitment towards taking sports to the next level in the state in particular and the nation at large.”
“Ihedioha made it clear during his campaigns before his election into office that sports will be giving a paramount place in his administration to engage our youths gainfully and take them off the streets. This will further act as catalysts to curbing crime. With less than 100 days in office, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives has lived up to his pledges, promises and campaign vows. He is fast turning Imo State into the sporting centre of the entire South East.”
Ndubuoke said such commitments to excellence “should have been considered by the bid team constituted by the NFF while coming up with its decision or choice of host cities for the proposed sporting event.”
He, therefore, called on the “NFF and its bid team/committee to do a rethink, beat a fast retreat and make a bold u-turn in this unfair decision to exempt the South East from this “developmental project,” insisting that “you don’t deny the hen that lays the golden egg her honour of feeding even if you decide not to give her more food than others.”
