By Jacob Ajom
As you are reading this, coach Salisu Yusuf would have since resumed in the Super Eagles camp, preparing for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers between Nigeria and Liberia on the one hand and Cape Verde on the other. Coach Salisu has been reinstated as Super Eagles assistant coach and head coach of the home-based CHAN Eagles.
By reinstating disgraced coach Salisu Yusuf as Super Eagles assistant coach and head coach of the home-based Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation has again proved that it is not in tune with global standards in the administration of football.
The NFF has demonstrated its lack of principles and by its conduct, admitted to accommodating people of questionable character in running of the national teams. Salisu’s reinstatement only confirmed the rumoured existence, within the football house, of a powerful cabal that had all along been pushing for his pardon and eventual reinstatement.
For those who don’t know, Salisu Yusuf was head coach of the CHAN Eagles when he took the team to a WAFU tournament in Ghana. While there, a Ghanaian journalist, Anas Aremeyaw who was investigating corruption in African football, led a sting operation. Anas Tiger Eye Investigation team caught up with the Nigerian coach. Posing as players’ agent, the ‘agent’ offered Salisu $1000(US Dollars) in order to field two of his players in the Super Eagles squad. Yusuf accepted the offer and went ahead to do the ‘agent’s’ bidding. The sordid drama was captured on camera which was later relayed on the BBC global network.
This led to Salisu’s suspension by the NFF. The matter was referred to the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the NFF which found him guilty after he admitted to having accepted the money as a ‘gift’ but not as bribes. Swiftly, the NFF slammed a one year suspension on him with a fine of $5000. Salisu has since served the suspension, which elapsed in 2019. The NFF readmitted the coach into their fold. He was sent on a short rescue mission to Rangers International Football Club of Enugu in their abortive CAF Confederation Cup campaign. Believing that Nigerians forget easily, the football house did the predictable by reappointing him.
Why did the NFF insist on having Salisu back in the technical crew of the national team despite his tainted personality? Is he the most competent coach in Nigeria, as the NFF technical committee wants us to believe? Is good character no longer necessary when recruiting a coach for a football team? What manner of leadership can a corrupt coach impart in the youthful players? And, as an African adage goes, “Can a leopard change its spots?” What is the guarantee that Salisu, if tempted with dollars, will not fall again?”
In case the NFF has forgotten, there are a lot of precedents they could have drawn lessons from in dealing with the Salisu issue. In 2016, Sam Allardyce was swiftly dismissed after he was found wanting as national team manager of England. Allardyce spent just 67 days in office and led England to only one match before his sudden departure.
What did he do? Just like in Salisu Yusuf’s case, a newspaper investigation claimed that Allardyce offered advice on how to “get around” rules on players’ transfer. He was also alleged to have used his office, as England manager, to negotiate a deal worth 400,000 pounds to represent a Far East firm. Caught in the act, Allardyce admitted his fault and took a walk as he and the FA mutually agreed to part ways.
After his sudden departure an FA statement said, Allardyce’s conduct was “inappropriate,” adding, ”he accepts he made a significant error of judgment and has apologised.”
The statement continued, “This is not a decision that was taken lightly but the FA’s priority was to protect the wider interest of the game and maintain the highest standard of conduct in football.
“The manager of the England men’s senior team is a position which must demonstrate strong leadership and show respect for the integrity of the game at all times.”
Allardyce succeeded Roy Hodgson following England’s disastrous performance at Euro 2016 in France and with that episode, he became England’s shortest serving full-time manager in history.
If England’s example is too far, in neighbouring Ghana, a former FA boss and one time CAF and FIFA executive boards member, Kwesi Nyantakyi left office after the same Anas Tiger Eye investigation team released a video that alleged he collected money ($65,000) from undercover reporters for shopping. Although Nyantakyi denied the allegation, the world football ruling body FIFA slammed a 90 day suspension on him. He resigned from both Ghana, CAF and FIFA seats even before the suspension elapsed. That was honourable.
Back home, former Nigeria coach, Samson Siasia is still serving a FIFA ban after he was found ‘guilty’ of what FIFA termed as ‘match fixing” although he appealed.
In August 2019, FIFA announced that Samson Siasia was found guilty of accepting an offer to receive bribes in an attempt to manipulate the outcome of matches. The investigation concluded that the coach breached Article 11 of FIFA’s Code of Ethics which led to his ban and financial punishment.
Siasia’s punishment was reduced to a 5-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sports which also dismissed the fifty thousand Swiss Francs fine he was ordered to pay. CAS justified the reduction of the life ban to 5 years and its decision to cancel the fine as excessive punishment on a man who had not carried out what he was accused of, nor enjoyed any pecuniary benefits from the alleged offence.
What baffles this reporter is that Siasia was abandoned like an orphan by this same NFF that is pampering Salisu who admitted collecting money to fix players in his team.
Samson Siasia, with his records in the annals of Nigerian football, is a giant. Apart from his personal exploits as a player, in 2005, he led Nigeria to win a silver medal from FIFA U20 World Cup, in 2008 Nigeria won Olympic Silver in football with him as coach and another Olympic Bronze medal in Rio 2016 Olympics. Siasia has had stints with the senior national team as well.
This is not an endorsement of Siasia’s indiscretion, if he actually committed the offence, the emphasis here is on why, under similar circumstances, he was abandoned by the NFF that is now romancing with a disgraced coach. One had thought the NFF’s indifference towards Siasia was on moral grounds but the latest action by the football house shows that they are no saints after all.
The NFF should, as a matter of necessity, reverse the decision on Salisu Yusuf in order to bring back respect, integrity and honour to itself in the eyes of members of the public and the larger football community.
Should he be allowed to stay, the ugly picture will put the reputation of the Nigerian game to question. The stain will linger and the effect on the Nigerian football architecture could be damaging. A very bad precedent indeed.
The post Salisu Yusuf: Why he must not be allowed to stay as Eagles coach appeared first on Vanguard News.
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