Mogaji Rotimi Alli has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigerian football, insisting that the much-needed reform of the sport cannot be a quick fix and must extend beyond the national level to the Congress and the grassroots.
The Chairman Ibadan football Council while Speaking on Wednesday in an interview with Adamimogo 105.1FM Ibadan said the reform process must address the structure, funding, organisation and personnel of Nigerian football to ensure the right people are elected into offices along the football structure.
“If you are talking about reforming Nigerian football, I don’t think it is something that can be a quick fix. We need to, because the reform to me actually should not be only at the national level. We must look at the Congress down to the grassroots, the structure of our football, the funding, the organisation, even the personnel,” he said.
According to Mogaji Alli, the reform must ensure that people with a genuine passion for the game are elected into various offices.
“People who have passion for the game, and people who, of course, played football, that would be an added advantage. But I think the passion is key. And people who have a second address. We should not see football as a source of livelihood. It should be out of passion,” Alli said.
He explained that because officials at the national level emerge from the states and local councils, a reform that runs through the entire process would leave Nigerian football better off and restore trust with the corporate world.
“Getting sponsorship has to do with trust. If the corporate body has the trust in the system, the structure and the personnel, I am very sure they will want to do business with the Nigerian football family,” he said.
Alli stressed that the current window for reform must be properly utilised.
“This cannot be a quick fix. It is something that will take a while. But what matters is that now that we have the opportunity to have a reform, it must be properly done, because you might not have this kind of window,” he warned.
On the roles of the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, Alli said he expects massive cooperation from both bodies, noting that they had listened to all stakeholders during their recent engagement in Nigeria.
“I am very sure they will go back to their various head offices to deliberate on what they have found out in Nigeria. And ultimately, because a lot of funds come from these two organisations, I am very sure they want to know and be sure that where they are putting the money, the right thing is being done,” he said.
He expressed optimism that CAF and FIFA would come up with resolutions, suggestions or proposals that would go through the whole process “so that we won’t have to call on them very soon again about any crisis in the football family.”
On the timeline for the Normalisation Committee, Alli said six months should be adequate to complete the process and produce elected boards at the various levels before the next outing.
“You know that even FIFA said that whoever participates in that process will not be eligible to apply for any office into the NFF. So that makes it easy. It is not as if somebody will go there and use it to lay a foundation for a subsequent election. So I think six months should be adequate,” he said.
Addressing the issue of accountability, Alli noted that accusations against the previous regime are still being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“I have seen accusations from the previous regime, but the point is the matter is now being investigated by the EFCC. So there is no finding yet. Nobody has been pronounced guilty. It is mere allegation and speculation,” he said, urging the public to await the findings of the anti-graft agency rather than make prejudicial statements.
On the state of the national team, Alli admitted that Nigerian football is “flat on the ground” and called for a reset in mindset.
“I believe the Normalisation Committee and those of us who are in the football shop floor who still want to be part of it should try and reset our mindset and look at ways where we can lift the game back to its position in Africa, the number one status in Africa and one of the top teams in the world,” he said.
He described Nigeria’s failure to qualify for two consecutive World Cup editions as “massive,” adding that reaching the AFCON final twice without winning was not good enough.
“The consolation is that we came close twice to winning the AFCON. But that is not good enough. It is not as good as winning the tournament. At least we can stop playing for the next AFCON and make sure we come out victorious in East Africa next year. Of course, we have to qualify,” he said.
