Onigbinde, Chukwu advise Pinnick on path to football growth

Amaju Pinnick. PHOTO: BBC

Former Super Eagles handlers, Adegboye Onigbinde, and Christian Chukwu have handed re-elected president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick, nuggets of information on how to return the sport in the country to status quo ante.

While Adegboye advised Pinnick to give a lot of attention to developmental programmes, Chukwu believes that he must up his game and do a lot more to improve the domestic league, which fortunes have dipped. Pinnick bagged another four-year term at the federation’s elective congress, which held held in Katsina State.

Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Onigbinde stressed the need for Pinnick to start programmes with long-term benefits for the country instead of looking for quick-fix solutions. “Development usually should come before competitions. A teacher will not come into a class and give his students a test without teaching the students the subject. Development has its procedure, and when we are not developing, then what are we assessing? I wish Pinnick the best of luck in his new term in office,” he said.

Chukwu on his part counselled the NFF president to resolve the crisis that dogged his first term and work for better days. “Pinnick should try as much as possible to make amends with the people he offended and let our football be the winner for it. He did some good jobs in his first term. I am not expecting him to be excellent in everything, but there are areas he needs to improve upon.

“For instance, in the international stage, Pinnick did well by playing the politics of the game, as he ensured that we now occupy certain positions in CAF and FIFA. But back home, he needs to do a lot more to improve our football. I am sure he must have learnt his lessons. “He should try to bring the league back to where it used to be in the past. We have talented footballers here. He should let the home-based players be the majority in the national team.