Another trial for NFA

Another trial for NFA

By Clem Oluwole

A couple of Saturdays ago, I wrote in this column, praising the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) for enforcing its anti-hooliganism rules when Calabar Rovers’ supporters beat up the players of the Works Golden Stars of Kano in the just concluded National League Division Two.

And last Friday in Ibadan, supporters of IICC Shooting Stars decided to flex their muscles by taking the association’s law into their hands. They beat up the players and officials of the Water Corporation of Ibadan and damaged a number of vehicles some of which belonged to spectators. The offence of the Water FC? Oh, well… they had the temerity to beat the all-conquering local rivals, the IICC.

Right now, all eyes are focused on the NFA. Nigerian soccer followers are waiting to hear what penalties the association will mete out to the IICC. The NFA was quick to come down on the Calabar Rovers whose supporters went on rampage. In fact, the Rovers’ supporters will be anxious for the verdict of the NFA more so that four soccer thugs were even nabbed at the Ibadan episode.

I was amused the other day when I overheard some distant supporters of the IICC consoling themselves at the Jos Township Stadium when the Shooting Stars were loosening up for the National League encounter with The Nigeria Standard FC of Jos. One of them summarized the episode this way: “The NFA should mind its own business. After all, it is one association that owns the two clubs.”

In absolute support, another one chipped in with this Yoruba adage: ‘Ko si nto kan Olorun nibi ejo san aaya; eranko ni san eranko je,’ meaning ‘Nothing concerns God if a snake bites a monkey; it is an animal that bites an animal.’

In other words, the NFA should not feel concerned about the Ibadan incident because IICC and Water belong to the same parent association. That sounds fine. But in a society where the law is no respecter of anybody, a father cannot kill his own son and get away with the crime simply because he gave birth to him. The law must take its course.

When the NFA promulgated the rules, I did say in this very column that it should enforce them without fear or favour. This is an opportunity for the supporting public to know how fearless and fair the NFA is. By enforcing the rules on the IICC, believed to be very influential, the NFA would be doing Nigerian soccer a world of good. For, in future, no club’s supporters would dare rub their hands on the edge of the association’s sword, the fact that the National League is gliding to a close notwithstanding.

Talking about IICC’s supporters reminds me of the punch-up at the Jets-Bendel National League match played in Jos on Wednesday. The incident resulted from a penalty kick awarded against the Bendel Insurance who were leading by 2 – 1 after being one goal down at the interval. And typical of some Bendel Insurance players, they took the referee on and I was amused to see them kicking and punching the poor guy around. And before the security men knew what was happening, the referee had received a couple of blows heavy enough to put even Smokin’ Joe Frazier out of the ring for months. The poor referee controlled his temper in spite of the fact that he was armed with a deadly weapon… RED CARD. To show the red card to about four or five players in such a tense match was unimaginable. I am sure by now the referee’s report is lying on the NFA’s desk in Lagos. The NFA should do something to bring sanity to the rank and file of this great but indisciplined club before they carry this bare-faced unsportsmanlike banner to the continental scene.

Sam Garba remembered

On Tuesday, July 31, it will be exactly a year that this soccer loving nation lost one of its football legends, the late Sam Garba Okoye. Until his untimely death, the late Sam was a Principal Football Coach with Plateau Sports Council. He lost his life in a motor accident along Lafia – Akwanga road late July, last year, while on official duty.

Shortly after his death, some fantastic ideas were conceived by the Plateau Sports Council under Mr. R. O. A. Shonekan who was the Director of Sports until May, this year… that was 10 months after the tragic incident. The council had planned to play some memorial matches to raise fund for the family of this soccer legend. Hundreds of T-shirts were printed by the council and these were to be sold at the memorial matches. These matches ought to have been played before the 1979 soccer season kicked off in February, this year… seven months after his death.

It is said that a prophet has no honour in his homeland. I have just believed that. Even his obituary was not published in the papers by the council after stopping the deceased’s family from doing so.

The late Sam played for Kaduna and Plateau teams in his days. He even risked his life for playing for Plateau while residing in Kaduna because soccer followers in Kaduna strongly felt that he was committing treason by so doing.

But just this week, the Kaduna State Coaches Association presented a giant silver cup in memory of the late dribbling machine to the Kaduna Football Association. This cup is to be competed for annually by a champion club of Kaduna and a champion club of Plateau.

By allowing Kaduna State to take the lead, the Plateau Sports Council has done some incalculable damages to Plateau football. We should all be ashamed.

Kaduna State coaches did not jump the gun. They simply seized the initiative.

The question is: When will Plateau State Sports Council wake up from its reverie?

(Culled from Saturday Commentary, first published on July 28, 1979).