Eagles’ Job Bribery Scandal: Name Culprits, Former NFF Chieftain Challenges Eriksson
No fewer than 10 athletes of the School for the Deaf in Kogi State, have qualified for the Special Olympic World Games, slated for Germany in 2023.
The 10 athletes emerged winners in various categories of the sporting competition at the 2022 National Games, Special Olympics Nigeria, held at Confluence Stadium, Lokoja.
Speaking after the event, the state coordinator, Special Olympics Nigeria, Coach Abiodun Anifowose, said the competition was designed for people with intellectual disability (ID).
He explained that the body normally had one or two programmes to celebrate every year, but due to COVID-19 pandemic a lot of the games had been cut off.
He said that they were able to organise the 2022 National Games, where 10 athletes from both Mopa and Lokoja School for the Deaf, qualified for the Germany 2023 special olympic world games competition.
He emphasized that today’s program was to show to the world that ‘’there is ability in disability; people living with different abilities.
‘’You can see the excitement, the joy and the strength the participants have put into these games.
‘’In the Special Olympics, everybody is a winner, and the spirit of oneness is what we have truly shown today. ‘When everybody comes together as a family after this game, we have a cycle of friendship together with hugging, handshakes, and wishing one another the best in the next game.
Also speaking, Hon Husseini Kabiru, special adviser to Governor Yahaya Bello on disability matters, solicited support for the special children to bring out the best of their abilities.
Former first vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chief Amanze Uchegbulam, has rubbished the statement by the former England coach, Sven Goran Eriksson in his book, where he said that the officials of the Nigeria’s football body demanded to take half of his salary before giving him the job of the managing the Super Eagles at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The Swedish football coach said in his book that he was in the race to lead Nigeria to the first World Cup on African soil – South Africa, but his refusal to ‘play ball’ was the major reason why he missed the opportunity.
But, reacting to the allegation by the former Manchester City manager, Uchegbulam, who was one of the top four powerful officials of the Sani Abdullahi Lulu-led NFF board, challenged the Swedish coach to name the culprits.
“It is very important I put things in proper perspective. I was the first vice president then. Because we had chequered the journey to qualifications for the 2010 world cup, President Goodluck Jonathan’s government set up a Presidential Task Force with then Governor Rotimi Amaechi as Chairman. Other members include Segun Odegbami, John Fashanu, Austin Okocha, among others while Patrick Ekeji was the Secretary.”
“Some of us resisted the interference which landed us in trouble. Our executive committee decided to settle for Amodu who qualified us for the World Cup, but the Government never wanted that. The PTF interviewed some foreign coaches and later settled for Lars Lagerback who took the Super Eagles to South Africa.”
“The outcome is now history. Lulu’s Board never wanted a foreign coach and consequently, didn’t interview anybody. I am sure Eriksson may be referring to the PTF led by Rotimi Amaechi, not the NFF Board then. We didn’t interview any foreign Coach and there is no where anyone in the board could have interacted with him. I challenged the Coach to further by name those that made the request from him,” Uchegbulam stated.