African Football Discussion Thread {Male & Female} Current Topic: 👉 WAFCON

[Slow death]

Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher made a very annoying statement discrediting the AFCON as not a major tournament.

If the Euro's and Copa America are regarded as major tournaments, the AFCON should as well. The tournament has produced and featured world-class players that went on to become legends in the European clubs they played in. Not just Salah as an example, but we have the likes of Samuel Eto, Didier Drogba, Sadio Mane, JJ Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Victor Osimhen, etc.

There's some truth in what he said but the way he said it that's what I have issues with. Him talking down on the AFCON was the problem for me but the truth is if we have a player that achieved the same thing an African player achieved but he wins the AFCON while the other player wins the Euros, the vote will always go for the player with the Euro because we African don't value our own tournaments.



You'll see players rejecting to represent their country because they want to stay fit for the games in Europe or you'll see them not give their best when it comes to AFCON but play out their blood in the premier league or other league. We first have to value our own before others give us our accolades. But though nothing is stopping Mo Salah from winning the Balon d'or if he wins the premier league, champions league even without doing well in the AFCON.

Jamie Carragher is a terrible pundit, his statements stem from a place of ignorance and indicates racial bias. I don’t listen to his football analysis anymore. How can the AFCON not be a major tournament but the rest of the world is suppose to accept that the Euros and Copa America is a huge tournament but when it comes to an African tournament, the story changes. To hell with Jamie Carragher and his explanations.

I am African, I was born in Africa and I live in Africa

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.

But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

Unfortunately, we have corrupt and incompetent leaders. While the Europeans, despite having some corruption, are competent, the Euro has good marketing, has high-quality national teams. All Euro games are good to watch. As an African, I can't watch the AFCON games because I fall asleep, I rarely watch the games of my country's national team. But in the past, when Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt had good national teams, I watched the AFCON games. Today, our national teams are a disaster in the World Cup.

[Roseline492]

Do you think there will ever be a time when foreign players will look to come feature in our local leagues?

For me, I don't think it is impossible, but I think it is in no near future, and the reason is because even though the quality of football played in our local league can improve to the standard of what is played on the other side of the world, there will always be this mental bias towards the league.

Like you said it will be a very long time because our salary standard is very low to have a foreign players who are supposed to be paid in dollars or higher currencies so until our standards is being brought higher our leagues cannot afford foreign players, however for now to be relevance is what matters for players and to become the relevance a foreigner would like, our league is off limits to them because the only league our people usually watch that well is the African league but anything Nigeria league is not taking much serious, so that's why it will take many decades for that.

[CryptopreneurBrainboss]

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

You have some points here because I experience the same thing with AFCON games in my country Nigeria. When Nigeria is playing, the bars are always full but when others are playing you barely see anybody unless it's a tough game that's the semis or finals. But for euros, you'll see people everywhere watching and discussion like it's their continents games.

I don't blame them though because the euros have players that we usually watch every weekend playing.  We still have alot of work to do to bring African football to its peak but still that doesn't warrant anybody to look down on us.

Mo Salah winning the AFCON with his premier league performance and also a wonderful champions league performance should give him an edge for the ballon d'or assuming others don't have a wonderful season.

[Rruchi man]

Mo Salah winning the AFCON with his premier league performance and also a wonderful champions league performance should give him an edge for the ballon d'or assuming others don't have a wonderful season.

If we don't start pushing Mo Salah's name more for the Ballon d'Or, the media will not mind pushing another Liverpool candidate for the award. Gakpo and Diaz could come up.

With World Cup qualifiers ticking closer, the super eagles need qualification. The news is that our coach has some names already submitted ahead of that game, names like Iheanacho missing with concerns for the fitness of players like Osimhen and Ekong.



Read here

[Felicity_Tide]

I am African, I was born in Africa and I live in Africa

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.

But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

Unfortunately, we have corrupt and incompetent leaders. While the Europeans, despite having some corruption, are competent, the Euro has good marketing, has high-quality national teams. All Euro games are good to watch. As an African, I can't watch the AFCON games because I fall asleep, I rarely watch the games of my country's national team. But in the past, when Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt had good national teams, I watched the AFCON games. Today, our national teams are a disaster in the World Cup.

You've said the truth the way it is. I saw some replies on the media, coming from ex football players, who totally disagree with what the formal Liverpool man said concerning Afcon not being a top tournament. The difference is just quality and nothing more. I don't even think it's appropriate to rank Afcon and Euros in the same category. Aside corruption, our tournament just look a bit odd in terms of presentation. Commentators getting short of words, pitch quality is only limited to few countries, TV presentation is also another thing to talk about. But those ex football players won't see these things to talk about, but they can make comparison. The truth is just too bitter, we need to do more.

And as for Mo Salah. Well, it's too early to start pushing the playing as a favorite. This is one common problem with the English Media. They just try to create a story even before it becomes an actual story. Fine, he's a favorite just like anyone else that has done well so far this season, so why even make it a big deal, thereby involving other tournament that hasn't even started. what's even the chance that Egypt will win?

So, I just think the whole international thing might not even matter, though it gives more advantage. And imo, even if salah eventually ends the season as the top goal scorer, winning both the UCL and premier league, then he is likely to win the balloon d'or, regardless of what happens in the coming Afcon.

[Promocodeudo]

I am African, I was born in Africa and I live in Africa

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.

But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

Unfortunately, we have corrupt and incompetent leaders. While the Europeans, despite having some corruption, are competent, the Euro has good marketing, has high-quality national teams. All Euro games are good to watch. As an African, I can't watch the AFCON games because I fall asleep, I rarely watch the games of my country's national team. But in the past, when Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt had good national teams, I watched the AFCON games. Today, our national teams are a disaster in the World Cup.

This is just very factual, we are facing very much corruption in Africa football and thats has been the major problem of African as. Whole, we are just after playing politics with everything, sometimes I ask myself is this how we played those days, I can rememeber when Nigeria defeated Brasil though I was not that big then I watch that match in a black and white tv, kanu Nwankwo made the highest impact in that match that led to Nigeria victory, if thing were to be as it is now, would such victory be achieved, it has become too worrisome that in selecting the people that handle things relating to sports in Africa, they are bee  appointed because of their involvement or their boss involvement in putting the government in power, not on merit, not someone that can bring the needed change to the board, it is very bad, when I think about this thongs, i feel very bad for my dear African and nigeria my country.

You even have the zeal to watch those games I don't do that because I don't want to feel very bad, it is very boring and a disaster to the fullest, everything just look like a joke, just because we have leaders that feel that national politics is all they could do and nothing should be given attention, may our creator help us because as it is things have really gone too bad.

[Futurexxx]

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

I don't blame them though because the euros have players that we usually watch every weekend playing.  We still have alot of work to do to bring African football to its peak but still that doesn't warrant anybody to look down on us.

I think that this is the key point here, their will be less interest in watching less recognize games because you hardly knows anyone in that team, unlike in Europes where you will want to watch your favorite player in the team you are supporting play, even though it's a less interesting game.
That's why I think it's more related to the club football than just the nation, because in my country majority of football fan are either supporting Madrid, barca, Man UTD, Chelsea, arsenal and Bayern Munich, so their is a higher probability of watching a game because of a single player that is playing in the team you are supporting, but in African games you hardly knows anyone from those lesser games especially as an outsider, but that doesn't mean that our competition is inferior or below the standard that is required, he can talk about politics getting into football but that has no role to play in the African nations cup because it's up to the required standard.

[Die_empty]

I am African, I was born in Africa and I live in Africa

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.

But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

Unfortunately, we have corrupt and incompetent leaders. While the Europeans, despite having some corruption, are competent, the Euro has good marketing, has high-quality national teams. All Euro games are good to watch. As an African, I can't watch the AFCON games because I fall asleep, I rarely watch the games of my country's national team. But in the past, when Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt had good national teams, I watched the AFCON games. Today, our national teams are a disaster in the World Cup.

As an African, I was angry with Jamie Carragher because of his comments about the AFCON. But what you have stated here is nothing but the truth. There is no comparison between European competition and what we experience in Africa. The quality in terms of play, publicity, officiating, financial rewards, infrastructure, and management cannot be compared. Although we had a massive improvement in officiating in the last African Nations Cup the quality of the games was still the same. Hopefully, corruption will be reduced, and African football will regain its past glory.

[Hewlet]

I am African, I was born in Africa and I live in Africa

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.

But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

Unfortunately, we have corrupt and incompetent leaders. While the Europeans, despite having some corruption, are competent, the Euro has good marketing, has high-quality national teams. All Euro games are good to watch. As an African, I can't watch the AFCON games because I fall asleep, I rarely watch the games of my country's national team. But in the past, when Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt had good national teams, I watched the AFCON games. Today, our national teams are a disaster in the World Cup.

As an African, I was angry with Jamie Carragher because of his comments about the AFCON. But what you have stated here is nothing but the truth. There is no comparison between European competition and what we experience in Africa. The quality in terms of play, publicity, officiating, financial rewards, infrastructure, and management cannot be compared. Although we had a massive improvement in officiating in the last African Nations Cup the quality of the games was still the same. Hopefully, corruption will be reduced, and African football will regain its past glory.

When we continue to talk about corruption, let's know that no single league is void of corruption, all the leagues have there own short coming but still strives to ensure that they project the right thing to the public and that support and publicize the good side of their leagues to the best of there ability.

Last  AFCON finals was as massive as the Euros finals by the numbers of crowd in attendance on the finals and the hype that comes with it, the league is still a work in progress but that's never a justification to making a demeaning statement that speaks down on a whole Continental football. Hopefully, this will bring attention to the African cup of nations and if the organizers are knowledgeable enough, they will ensure that this coming edition comes with everything that a standard Continental football league should carry.

[Marykeller]

Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher made a very annoying statement discrediting the AFCON as not a major tournament.

If the Euro's and Copa America are regarded as major tournaments, the AFCON should as well. The tournament has produced and featured world-class players that went on to become legends in the European clubs they played in. Not just Salah as an example, but we have the likes of Samuel Eto, Didier Drogba, Sadio Mane, JJ Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Victor Osimhen, etc.

There's some truth in what he said but the way he said it that's what I have issues with. Him talking down on the AFCON was the problem for me but the truth is if we have a player that achieved the same thing an African player achieved but he wins the AFCON while the other player wins the Euros, the vote will always go for the player with the Euro because we African don't value our own tournaments.



You'll see players rejecting to represent their country because they want to stay fit for the games in Europe or you'll see them not give their best when it comes to AFCON but play out their blood in the premier league or other league. We first have to value our own before others give us our accolades. But though nothing is stopping Mo Salah from winning the Balon d'or if he wins the premier league, champions league even without doing well in the AFCON.

Jamie Carragher is a terrible pundit, his statements stem from a place of ignorance and indicates racial bias. I don’t listen to his football analysis anymore. How can the AFCON not be a major tournament but the rest of the world is suppose to accept that the Euros and Copa America is a huge tournament but when it comes to an African tournament, the story changes. To hell with Jamie Carragher and his explanations.

Jamie Carragher is someone who hasn't won a Premier League title as a Liverpool player. His stance on AFCON doesn't count a bit. I like the way our African brothers in the person of Jay Jay and Mikel Obi, are coming after him to criticize him for what he said about AFCON.

Jay Jay Okocha has this to say about Jamie Carragher and I quote

There are some players that will say something; you just overlook it. If you look at their careers, if you look at the type of football that they played, you can understand. I mean, you wouldn’t want your son to be like Carragher. So, he can never appreciate African football or the talents that come from Africa

This is what Mikel Obi gats to say about Carragher

The Africa Cup of Nations is as big as the Euros. I’ve played in it and won it. It’s not in his f*ing place to discredit the AFCON. He sits there week in, week out, teaching and coaching people on how to win the Premier League, and he never won it!”

It is becoming clearer that we Africans are not valued. No matter how we try to prove ourselves to the world, the nationality of being an African will arise, hindering us from reaching major heights.

However, I like how African brothers and sisters who have made their impact in the world known, are coming out openly to speak out on any wrongdoings or saying against Africans so that that won't repeat itself.

[Justbillywitt]

There's some truth in what he said but the way he said it that's what I have issues with. Him talking down on the AFCON was the problem for me but the truth is if we have a player that achieved the same thing an African player achieved but he wins the AFCON while the other player wins the Euros, the vote will always go for the player with the Euro because we African don't value our own tournaments.



You'll see players rejecting to represent their country because they want to stay fit for the games in Europe or you'll see them not give their best when it comes to AFCON but play out their blood in the premier league or other league. We first have to value our own before others give us our accolades. But though nothing is stopping Mo Salah from winning the Balon d'or if he wins the premier league, champions league even without doing well in the AFCON.

Jamie Carragher is a terrible pundit, his statements stem from a place of ignorance and indicates racial bias. I don’t listen to his football analysis anymore. How can the AFCON not be a major tournament but the rest of the world is suppose to accept that the Euros and Copa America is a huge tournament but when it comes to an African tournament, the story changes. To hell with Jamie Carragher and his explanations.

Jamie Carragher is someone who hasn't won a Premier League title as a Liverpool player. His stance on AFCON doesn't count a bit. I like the way our African brothers in the person of Jay Jay and Mikel Obi, are coming after him to criticize him for what he said about AFCON.

Jay Jay Okocha has this to say about Jamie Carragher and I quote

There are some players that will say something; you just overlook it. If you look at their careers, if you look at the type of football that they played, you can understand. I mean, you wouldn’t want your son to be like Carragher. So, he can never appreciate African football or the talents that come from Africa

This is what Mikel Obi gats to say about Carragher

The Africa Cup of Nations is as big as the Euros. I’ve played in it and won it. It’s not in his f*ing place to discredit the AFCON. He sits there week in, week out, teaching and coaching people on how to win the Premier League, and he never won it!”

It is becoming clearer that we Africans are not valued. No matter how we try to prove ourselves to the world, the nationality of being an African will arise, hindering us from reaching major heights.

However, I like how African brothers and sisters who have made their impact in the world known, are coming out openly to speak out on any wrongdoings or saying against Africans so that that won't repeat itself.

That guy deserves whatever that's said to him. He shouldn't have said that the way he did it. He knew fully well that there will be backlash from the people. The Mbappe he is making reference to, don't they have African root? Well I don't blame him, he has his mouth and he can say whatever that comes out of it. Maybe he thought he would say whatever he wants and Africans will keep quiet without coming for him. I like the way Jay Jay Okocha put his own. Lol

[Pokapoka124]

I am African, I was born in Africa and I live in Africa

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption. AFCON is not at the same level as EURO. Here in my country, I have never seen many people in bars watching AFCON games. They only watch my country's games and then leave.

But when there are Euro games, there are TVs everywhere in my country and lots of people are watching. Hotels and restaurants create special packages in which people pay and have VIP access to watch Euro games, with good food and wine. But they don't do that for AFCON.

Unfortunately, we have corrupt and incompetent leaders. While the Europeans, despite having some corruption, are competent, the Euro has good marketing, has high-quality national teams. All Euro games are good to watch. As an African, I can't watch the AFCON games because I fall asleep, I rarely watch the games of my country's national team. But in the past, when Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Egypt had good national teams, I watched the AFCON games. Today, our national teams are a disaster in the World Cup.

One of the biggest challenges facing African football is corruption and bribery which often influence team selections, administrative decisions, and overall management. This has hindered the development of the sport as deserving talents are sometimes overlooked in favour of those with connections. However, corruption also exists in European football, there have been many cases of referees and officials collecting bribes in some European leagues. I think the major difference between our football and theirs is that European football benefits from better infrastructure and investment, making it more competitive on a global scale.

For African football to rise and compete at the highest level, we must first address the issue of corruption, and invest in grassroots development, invest in infrastructure and media coverage of our competitions.

[EarnOnVictor]

Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher made a very annoying statement discrediting the AFCON as not a major tournament.

If the Euro's and Copa America are regarded as major tournaments, the AFCON should as well. The tournament has produced and featured world-class players that went on to become legends in the European clubs they played in. Not just Salah as an example, but we have the likes of Samuel Eto, Didier Drogba, Sadio Mane, JJ Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Victor Osimhen, etc.

There's some truth in what he said but the way he said it that's what I have issues with. Him talking down on the AFCON was the problem for me but the truth is if we have a player that achieved the same thing an African player achieved but he wins the AFCON while the other player wins the Euros, the vote will always go for the player with the Euro because we African don't value our own tournaments.



You'll see players rejecting to represent their country because they want to stay fit for the games in Europe or you'll see them not give their best when it comes to AFCON but play out their blood in the premier league or other league. We first have to value our own before others give us our accolades. But though nothing is stopping Mo Salah from winning the Balon d'or if he wins the premier league, champions league even without doing well in the AFCON.

Jamie Carragher is a terrible pundit, his statements stem from a place of ignorance and indicates racial bias. I don’t listen to his football analysis anymore. How can the AFCON not be a major tournament but the rest of the world is suppose to accept that the Euros and Copa America is a huge tournament but when it comes to an African tournament, the story changes. To hell with Jamie Carragher and his explanations.

I am African, I was born in Africa and I live in Africa

We have to accept that African sports are not developing to the same level as European and Latin American sports because there is a lot of corruption.

Let's take it easy at this juncture, bro, we should not be relating everything to corruption, corruption is everywhere, there is much of it in European football and even FIFA which is the governing body of it. This is not to exonerate Africa from corruption but to look elsewhere as the cause of the low development in continental football.

Are you telling me that the time European football started was the same time African football started? Are the sponsorship interests and funding the same? These are what we should look into among many other factors and not always blame it on corruption and bad leadership, this is not a national economy, it's football.

[Pokapoka124]

Mo Salah winning the AFCON with his premier league performance and also a wonderful champions league performance should give him an edge for the ballon d'or assuming others don't have a wonderful season.

If we don't start pushing Mo Salah's name more for the Ballon d'Or, the media will not mind pushing another Liverpool candidate for the award. Gakpo and Diaz could come up.

With World Cup qualifiers ticking closer, the super eagles need qualification. The news is that our coach has some names already submitted ahead of that game, names like Iheanacho missing with concerns for the fitness of players like Osimhen and Ekong.



Read here

I don't think that will happen. Even if we don't push his name, his performance on and off the field makes him a serious contender for the prestigious individual prize and no Liverpool player can surpass him in the race.
Erick Chelle has drawn his player list and a notable absentee is Kelechi Iheanacho. I think it’s reasonable as his form has dipped and he has struggled for playing time. Victor Osimhen and Ekong have been pivotal to Nigeria's success. I just hope they will be able to recover very quickly and also in time to help the team in these crucial qualification matches.

[Roseline492]

As an African, I was angry with Jamie Carragher because of his comments about the AFCON. But what you have stated here is nothing but the truth. There is no comparison between European competition and what we experience in Africa. The quality in terms of play, publicity, officiating, financial rewards, infrastructure, and management cannot be compared. Although we had a massive improvement in officiating in the last African Nations Cup the quality of the games was still the same. Hopefully, corruption will be reduced, and African football will regain its past glory.

Irrespective of non standard of our football but our officiating side is very perfect and handled by the professionals, we have not actually had issues on that sector, so nothing will ever have a negative influence on any officiating officials. Though you are right about Europe having a good infrastructure and other advance technology than African league but that doesn't justify the reasons why our league should be discarded, already they are more than us on those things and we cannot compete with them but only be contemplated with what we have and hope for the best.

[Antotena]

Irrespective of non standard of our football but our officiating side is very perfect and handled by the professionals, we have not actually had issues on that sector, so nothing will ever have a negative influence on any officiating officials. Though you are right about Europe having a good infrastructure and other advance technology than African league but that doesn't justify the reasons why our league should be discarded, already they are more than us on those things and we cannot compete with them but only be contemplated with what we have and hope for the best.

Infrastructure comes from investment and how does this happen, the encouragement comes from the people. Look at other major leagues and people thag turn up for games? In Africa, people don't go to watch this matches live until they reach either Quarter final, semi finals and final games. People prefer to watch in the comfort of their home and by that, they are only enriching the sport channels and not the stadium and hosting countries.

When Euros, Copa America and other major continental leagues are playing, more than quarter of Africa migrants goes there to watch. They buy tickets and buy visa to travel to this country, that's how these countries makes money to build infrastructure so other to make people comes back but here in Africa, they don't comes because of insecurities and some other reasons. We need to put this things in orders before we can see boost in our infrastructures.

[Zigabel]

Like you said it will be a very long time because our salary standard is very low to have a foreign players who are supposed to be paid in dollars or higher currencies so until our standards is being brought higher our leagues cannot afford foreign players, however for now to be relevance is what matters for players and to become the relevance a foreigner would like, our league is off limits to them because the only league our people usually watch that well is the African league but anything Nigeria league is not taking much serious, so that's why it will take many decades for that.

Salary standard been low is as a result of the investment and the attention giving to our local league football,  I don't think it gets the amount of needed support that will enable  it the affordability to scale  higher salary scheme for its player and so we get the kind of salary we see that they are been paid which isn't enough to brings in foreign players not even our International stars to start with.

If we get more persons becoming interested in our domestic league,  investing in it and also having intrest built in it so well that they get goo fan base who turn up to stadiums to see the games, they will be able  to generate good fu ds enough to scale up the game and make it even as attractive as that which is seen in other International leagues.

[Davidvictorson]

As an African, I was angry with Jamie Carragher because of his comments about the AFCON. But what you have stated here is nothing but the truth. There is no comparison between European competition and what we experience in Africa. The quality in terms of play, publicity, officiating, financial rewards, infrastructure, and management cannot be compared. Although we had a massive improvement in officiating in the last African Nations Cup the quality of the games was still the same. Hopefully, corruption will be reduced, and African football will regain its past glory.

Corruption is everywhere even in those European leauges but you know what they still fund their football. If African football which includes, the small leauges, the national teams, and their sport federations gets as much funding as their european colleauges, we would do amazingly extraordinarily well. And where corruption thrives, harsh punishments needs to start being meted out on those involved.  Lastly, in my estimation, I want a new glory for African football and not past glory.

[Huppercase]

Like you said it will be a very long time because our salary standard is very low to have a foreign players who are supposed to be paid in dollars or higher currencies so until our standards is being brought higher our leagues cannot afford foreign players, however for now to be relevance is what matters for players and to become the relevance a foreigner would like, our league is off limits to them because the only league our people usually watch that well is the African league but anything Nigeria league is not taking much serious, so that's why it will take many decades for that.

I'm not sure if it's mandatory for national team to py huge amount of money for players to come play for there national teams. It's normal and in fact compulsory to pay them but they can't get paid the way they get paid in their respective clubs, they are playing for the nation because it's their home country, it's something they do for passion and for the award but they don't have to do it free and it doesn't mean the amount has to be large like their club block money.

Over the years, the change in government has affected our local currency and it's something even the players should have understood. If they don't come back for national games, atleast they do come back for season holidays and Christmas and they see the situation of the country, it's the fault of Nigeria federation that the value is down but I know with time as salaries of every ministry is been increase, even the sport ministry will increase to meet the rising cost of things in the country.

[Rruchi man]

~

Erick Chelle has drawn his player list and a notable absentee is Kelechi Iheanacho. I think it’s reasonable as his form has dipped and he has struggled for playing time.

I think it is very important for the new coach to select players that are based on merits and not based on name or old glory because the games that are upcoming are very important games and games that we cannot afford to lose. If Victor Osimhen is not fit for the game, the coach should drop him. It should be essential for the new coach to build a team that can function with or without any particular player.

Talking about players, I wish that New Manchester United player Dorgu was playing for Nigeria instead of the Danish national team.