Ben Akwuegbu: The Man With The Potential To Fix Nigeria Football

By Okechukwu Eze, Abuja.

One of the greatest exports of Nigeria to the outside world is sports, especially football. In many occasions, Nigeria has held the world spell bound with its football artistry, talents and enviable performances. Global football power houses like Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico etc have all been victims of the merciless and ruthlessness of the West African giants.

At the global Under 17 level, Nigeria has won the Cup 5 times; the most by any country in the world. Nigeria’s U-17 World Cup belt began in the maiden edition in China in 1985. Then in Japan 1993, South Korea in 2007, UAE in 2013 and Chile in 2005. The Golden Eaglets were Runners-up 3 times; 1987, 2001, 2009 so apparently, no country has more U-17 titles than Nigeria.

At the U-20 level, Nigeria may not have won the World Cup yet, but they’re Africa’s most consistent team at that level. The country has participated 13 times, first in 1983; emerging runners-up twice in, 1989 where it lost to Portugal and 2005 when it lost to Argentina in Holland. Nigeria also won bronze in 1985 and emerged quarter finalists thrice in 1999, 2007, 2011. Nigeria is 8th globally, with 93 points from 65 games and 1st among African teams, with 26 wins, having appeared 18 times and won the trophy 7 times (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2015). Nigeria was runners twice and bronze medalists thrice.

At the Under 23 category, Nigeria still remain the most successful African U-23 team in Olympic history; having won Gold, Silver and Bronze at several times.
In 1996, Nigeria became the first African team to win Olympic football gold, beating Argentina 3-2 in final, after a famous 4-3 extra-time win vs Brazil in semis. In 6 appearances, Nigeria has 3 medals in a record 22 games, winning 14, with 3 draws and 5 losses.

On the Super Falcons, the true Queens of African football has a record 10 titles. That’s the most by any nation, across any continent. At the FIFA Women’s World Cup level, Nigeria has played in every edition since 1991.

Further up the ladder, the Super Eagles of Nigeria is Africa’s most consistent World Cup team, even though it’s still chasing that quarter-final breakthrough. In 6 appearances (1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018), Nigeria’s best result is reaching round of 16 on 3 occasions, winning the most World Cup matches (6) by an African team and scoring the most goals (23) by an African team.

But all those fantastic statistics have come crashing down. The glorious ways of Nigeria football have kissed the dust, so much so that Nigeria, most recently fail to even qualify for the world cup finals. Both male and female teams! How is the mighty suddenly fallen like packs of cards? In France 98, Nigeria beat Spain 3-2. But between then and now, Spain has won the world cup twice ( in South Africa, 2010 and the last edition co hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada.

The quality of the team’s play fallen, Coaches tactical discipline dipped, player’s selection all down to the highest bidder by football agents, administrave dexterity went to all time low, leaving the nation with its football fans in tears. All weeping, without consolation. Football, Nigeria’s greatest unification factor, the common denominator of happiness for kings and vagabonds, the politicians and the people, christians and moslems, men and women… vanished. Just like that! No way.

The question is what really went wrong. Why has the mighty fallen? Lesotho coming to beat Nigeria, Rwanda troubling Nigeria, Zimbabwe sizing us up. Not Cameron, Ghana or Egypt anymore. But Cape Verde, South Africa, Eswantini and Sierra Leone. Nigeria losing our on the world cup terrain, with Fifa increasing African qualifications to ten teams. No, whatever happened was terrible. Indeed, very terrible!

The people got pained,the government got pained. And the government, the ultimate sponsors of the national teams welded its longest sticks on the administrators of our football. Those who run the scheme, those who saw personal enrichment with the resources to develop our football as their common patrimony. And the Board came crashing. Damn the consequences,if any… after all we pay the pipers,so the tune must be on our terms,the government seems to tell everyone. And yes, the government is right. Billions of naira given the administrators, yet the coaches aren’t paid, players bonuses not paid, nothing.

Now,that the phase is over come the hardest part. Find the most appropriate, suitable and credible man to steer the ship of the Federation back from slumber. Do the right thing or return to the level you were before the recent “revolution”. And now, only one name is in everyone’s mouth for the job. Name is Benedict Akwuegbu, Nigeria’s former attacking sensation who wrote the country’s name in gold in Austria, playing for AK Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga years ago.

While politics and godfatherism have defined Nigeria Football Federation elections for 20 years, everyone tired with the status quo; players, agents, and fans wants Benedict Akwuegbu to simply become Nigeria’s Football President. The man they called “The B52” during his Super Eagles days is no longer just scoring goals, available records show that he’s now fighting for the players’ welfare off the pitch. And he says he’s ready for the biggest job in Nigerian football.

Akwuegbu played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and had a 15-year career across Austria, Belgium, China, Poland and the UAE. So, the stakeholders are pretty sure he knows what it means to sleep in bad hotels, to chase unpaid bonuses, and to watch talent waste away with no structure.

“As a player, I suffered. As an administrator, I’m making sure the next generation doesn’t,” he once said.

That lived experience is what separates him from career administrators who have never kicked a ball. Unlike many ex-internationals, Akwuegbu went to school after football. He’s a nurse, practicing in the United Kingdom at the moment. He has seen the fame attached to the game, and has come close to death, watching the dying and reviving those living in his recent exploits. Ben also runs three football clubs in Nigeria , and has helped talents get into the murky terrain of professional football in Europe. And legally!

Ben, a prominent member of the Players Football Association of Nigeria (PFAN) headed by former international winger, Tijjani Babangida has a combination of football experience, management and administration of football creamed with an University Degree in Nursing, obtained in the United Kingdom. With the above indices, it’s not right to consider him as an outside force as he was four years ago, when he contested election into the office of the president of the Nigeria football federation.

With the federal government, CAF, FIFA and most ex international players in the country pushing for good governance and fans demanding accountability, the “player-administrator” profile is gaining traction. The big man may not be the most political candidate, but he might be the most capable. He understands the players mentality and pains. He understands the business. And he has nothing to lose by changing the system.

For a federation that has spent a decade in crisis, maybe that’s exactly what Nigerian football needs. The government shouldn’t miss out on this.