But for the sports politicians in the conference hall of the Confederation of African Football(CAF) and sport journalists, including this reporter, the heated debate about which country should host the 2010 Africa Nations’ Cup was enough to drive away the cold. In contention were Angola, Nigeria, Libya, and Equatorial Guinea. Of the four countries, only Nigeria met the CAF requirements to host the championship. Apart from meeting the requirements, the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo had sent a passionate plea to the CAF executive, pleading that Nigeria will be 50 in 2010 and hosting the championship will be an icing on the cake of the golden jubilee celebration.
But all these, and letters of support from ten governors in Nigeria who wanted their states to host, fell on deaf ears as Angola won the right for 2010, Equatorial Guinea for 2012, and Libya 2014.
To compensate the best candidate that lost the election, CAF asked Nigeria to host the 2009 U-17 FIFA World Cup. Huge outrage greeted the decision. Is Nigeria progressing or regressing? After hosting the U-21 in 1999, the next should be the main World Cup.
Nigeria wanted to host the Nations Cup that will bring the best of Africa to Nigeria, like Eto, Drogba, etc, not a developmental championship. But as it is always the case in Nigeria, those in the corridors of power, who stand to make a lot of personal gain, if we host the competition carried the day.
Budget problemBut the championship soon ran into difficulty. The LOC led by Manasara Iloh, a key in actor in the COJA organised Abuja’ 03 All African Games, that is yet to balance its account books six years after the game, presented to the then minister of sport, and chairman of National Sport (NSC) Abdulraham Gimba a budget of N37 billion to host the championship.
Again, general outrage greeted the budget. Gimba believed that hosting the U-17 with such a colossal amount is a huge waste; he recommended that the Federal Government should reject the hosting right.
Pronto, President Umar Yar’dua in one of those rare momonts, when he chose to identify with the people wrote FIFA that Nigeria could not host the championship because of the huge financial cost. He sent Gimba to FIFA to inform Blatter.
Yar’Adua in reverse gear
Renowned for reversing himself at the speed of lighting, the President bowed to pressure from FIFA, CAF and sport contractors. The budget of N37billion was reviewed to about N9billion. State governments, FIFA and the private sector pledged to join hands with the Federal Government.
Renowned for reversing himself at the speed of lighting, the President bowed to pressure from FIFA, CAF and sport contractors. The budget of N37billion was reviewed to about N9billion. State governments, FIFA and the private sector pledged to join hands with the Federal Government.
No sooner had the flame died than the issue of Nigeria’s readiness to host the championship resurfaced. FIFA’s inspection team,
monitoring work on stadia and other related facilitie had harsh words for Nigeria and Nigerians each it visited. Those who feel insulted by the comments of the leader of the FIFA delegation, Jack Warner, whose country Trinidad and Tobago used cricket pitch and other sub standard fields when it hosted in 2001, called on the government to call off Blatter’s bluff and tell FIFA to take the championship elsewhere.
monitoring work on stadia and other related facilitie had harsh words for Nigeria and Nigerians each it visited. Those who feel insulted by the comments of the leader of the FIFA delegation, Jack Warner, whose country Trinidad and Tobago used cricket pitch and other sub standard fields when it hosted in 2001, called on the government to call off Blatter’s bluff and tell FIFA to take the championship elsewhere.
As at today, only two- Lagos and Abuja- out of the six or seven centres is ready. Ijebu Ode, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Calabar, and Warri are far from being ready for a championship slated for October.
The debate is on: Will we be ready? Will FIFA cancel the hosting right ?
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