Much Ado About Kenya/Obama Threat!

That Barack Obama’s victory in the just concluded American Presidential election will influence the performance of the Harambee Stars of Kenya

That Barack Obama’s victory in the just concluded American Presidential election will influence the performance of the Harambee Stars of Kenya against the Super Eagles in the World Cup qualifiers is not debatable just as it would have boosted Super Eagles morale also if a Nigerian had been declared President-elect of the United States of America. But those drumming the Obama factor into our ears fail to remember that there are also Tunisia and Mozambique in that group.
Aside the fact that Obama will not join the Harambee Stars to form a 12-man playing squad against Eagles on the field when both teams meet, the preachers of the Obama factor create panic that makes it look like the American President-elect will influence the match officials to pin-down Eagles and just allow the Harambee Stars to do the scoring.
Rather than keep flying this Obama kite which could be used as an excuse tomorrow (God forbid) Eagles fail to qualify, trust the gullible nature of Nigerians, we should channel our minds and resources towards directing the NFF on how best to prepare the Super Eagles for the challenges ahead. Despite the Issa Hayatou factor and the advantage of playing the last and very crucial game of the Germany 2006 qualification fixture between Pharaohs of Egypt and Indomitable Lions of Cameroun in Yaounde, Elephants of Cote d ‘Ivoire still stole the group’s ticket to the mundial.
Good and adequate preparation, quality incentives for the players plus total support to the coaching are the keys to landing in South Africa come 2010. The Eagles have the capacity to pick the ticket just as they have the wherewithal to beat any opposition including Harambee Stars. We have all learnt enough lessons from the loss of the Germany 2006 World Cup ticket to Angola who ironically will not be part of the last lap of the race to South Africa. Creating unnecessary fears with Obama factor is like saying we have learnt nothing from our sad and ugly experience two years ago.
We shouted about the oil companies that declared their readiness to fund Palancras Negras of Angola campaign for Germany 2006 ticket, we screamed about the Jose Mourinho factor when the former Chelsea boss volunteered to assist Angola to pick the Germany 2006 World Cup ticket ahead of Nigeria et al. yes eventually Angola di pick the ticket but it must be said that we really put fears in ourselves and the Super Eagles in particular. Where were the Angolan oil companies for the South African 2010 campaign? Where was Mourinho when Palancras Negras failed to make to the final round of the qualifiers for the South Africa 2010 mundial?
Let’ leave Obama alone and concentrate on real issues concerning our preparation. The Obama factor talk is tantamount to chasing the shadow and leaving the object. Indeed it is a total distraction from our set goal as far as the World Cup qualifiers are concern. Our football has grown beyond ordinary thinking and mere wishes. We should be into the business of proper planning, strategies and execution of actions and program.
We have to believe that except we loss focus, nothing can stop us from reaching South Africa. We lost focus during the Germany 2006 campaign hence we lost the ticket. At some points we were playing politic with the games, we were talking or debating about the city to host games, we were talking about taking the games to the major cities so that all Nigerians can catch a glimpse of the national team before they fly out for the World Cup but all proved to be distractions. We took the Super Eagles made up of entirely Europe-based players to Kano with a climatic condition boiling towards 36 degree centigrade and the result of that crucial game was obvious just as it led to our exit. We refused to be focused and paid the ultimate price. That cannot happen again, not even the noise about the Obama factor will distract us. We must be in South Africa 2010 and the NFF knows this. The World Cup ticket should be Sani Abdullahi Lulu’s promise to Nigerians (football stakeholders) for his re-election, anything short of that he should forget returning back to the Glass House.