Why I am silent on 2022 World Cup failure – Galadima

A former chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima has said his silence over the recent failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2022 World Cup is caused by the national assignment he is performing presently.

The Chairman of Kano State Sports Commission and Patron of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) is the chairman of the 10-year Football Development Master Plan committee constituted by the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, in November 2021.  

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The committee also has Mr Yemi Idowu as Vice-chairman, Chief Segun Odegbami, Sunday Oliseh, Musa Amadu, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, Ade Ojeikere, Emmanuel Babayaro among others as members.

It is saddled with the responsibility of drawing up a blueprint for the development of Nigerian football.

When our reporter approached Galadima to get his reaction to the recent failure of the Super Eagles, he said “Let me start by saying it is difficult for me to comment on this issue because right now I am heading a committee appointed to design a master plan for football in the country.

“So, at the moment, I don’t have a personal opinion because the committee is supposed to come out with recommendations on how to reposition Nigerian football in the next 10 years.

“Therefore, it is pretty difficult to make a comment on this issue because it might send a message that may not be good enough for the assignment that I am carrying out at the moment. So, please bear with me.

“Whatever I say may be misinterpreted to mean the position of the committee and that will not be good enough. We have to wait till the report is submitted to the government.

“We are almost done with the job, that is why it will be very difficult for me to make any comment at this time,” he reiterated.

It will be recalled that after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the first time since their debut in 1994, the veteran sports administrator who was then the chairman of the NFA was quoted as saying that it was not Nigeria’s birthright to qualify for every World Cup.

Although his comment didn’t go down well with many Nigerians, Galadima maintained his position as he repeated the same thing in an interview with Daily Trust in November 2011.