Babangida’s Sack: Dalung Blast NFF
Solomon Dalung, The Minister for Youth and Sports[/caption]
The Minister for Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has lashed the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) over its decision to terminate the appointment of the Personal Assistant of Super Eagles head coach, Tijani Babangida.
Dalung was not happy that despite his efforts to end the crisis between the NFF and the embattled Oliseh, the federation allegedly went ahead to sack Babangida.
Recall, that Babangida was sacked by the football federation, following coach Oliseh’s YouTube rant few weeks ago, as the NFF claimed the former Super Eagles winger did not play his role as a P.A to the coach.
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The minister blasted the NFF, calling the decision an ‘unnecessary ego fight’ which could jeopardise the teams upcoming 2017 African Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against the Pharaoh’s of Egypt.
He however, urged everyone to remain calm ahead of the crucial games next month.
“Our problem in this country is that we have too much pride, sometimes we go out of our way to massage our egos, and there is a whole distinction between national interest and personal pride. I see the NFF’s reaction as trying to assert self-pride.
“That decision too is not in the interest of our national team especially as we seek that bond to beat Egypt. Football is a national asset and every stakeholder should see it in that way, against the background of personal feelings or interest. Leadership is all about taking decisions and sacrifices for the interest of all especially in the area of sports.
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“The sack might however have minimum effect on the psychology of the technical crew and coaches because we are still working hard to ensure that we bridge whatever gap that decision might have brought to the team”, Dalung added.
The Super Eagles host Egypt at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on March 25, before travelling to the North African nation two days later for the return fixture.
