By TUNDE BUSARI
I’m not equipped with sufficient data detailing Jay Jay Okocha’s knowledge in public administration and competence in management of human resources. All I know about him since his appearance at the Mauritius ’93 in the shirt of the Flying Eagles, has been his surplus skills to turn the round leather to anything on the pitch.
He touches the ball and the ball gets stuck to his feet, making it a big battle for opponents to separate them. His name and fame came from his incredibly dribbling skills rather than the figure of decisive goals he netted for the Super Eagles and clubs like Eintracht Frankfurt, Fernabahce, Paris Saint-Germain, Bolton Wanderers, Hull City, his last club.
After his exit from active footballing at the two levels, his name, his fame and his presence are still felt as though he’s still in his top form of artistry. The goodwill he enjoys among legends across the world at ceremonial matches is unprecedented in the history of any Nigerian ex-eagle-late or living. Wherever he goes, from the arrival to the departure lounge, he’s recognised and hailed with compliments exclusive for citizens of the world only.
If Okocha now says it’s time for him to perform the overdue surgical operation on our ailing Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), and he’s set for the theatre, he shouldn’t be discouraged as long as he is qualified to slug it out with other contestants.
We shouldn’t use his past few shortcomings as a player and skipper to judge the transformative NFF chairman of his dream. Let’s see how he’s going to match his words with action. Let’s see how mature he’s now to administer at that level by breaking the obstacles that insists our football can’t and won’t grow beyond this amateur league. Let’s help him serve; let’s support him and wait for what he would do differently to reinvigorate our uninspiring Super Eagles.
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Sad; so, so sad! Our support and noise here on social media may practically not count in the face of ballot where the hawks and sharks converge. Thus, Okocha needs support beyond here; Okocha needs to knock right doors to score this goal.
However, it won’t come with ease with which he dribbles and disgraces defenders and goalkeeper, especially Oliver Kahn, one of the Germany greatest goalkeepers whom Okocha traumatised and reduced to a fool in a Bundesliga fixture in 1993.
Should Kahn have the key to open the NFF door, he would rather throw it into the Atlantic than to hand it over to Okocha. But if I hold the key, Okocha is our next NFF boss.
