Amaju Pinnick’s Wembley trip was a misplaced priority, says Emeka Ezeugo

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Former Nigeria international Emeka Ezeugo has blasted the President of Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick and has described his preference of watching the English Community Shield at Wembley to country’s national teams engagement as a misplaced priority.

The defender who won 11 caps for the country and featured at the 1994 World Cup staged in the U.S.A added his vioce to heavy attack via social media on Pinnick after he was spotted at Wembley watching the Community Shield, same day two Nigeria’s national teams were in crucial Olympic qualifying matches.

The said the NFF President alongside Sunday Oliseh’s acclaimed business and scouting trip respectively were in no way their jobs, but that of the professional scouts and marketing department.

He slammed the admittance of Pinnick as an Arsenal fan, saying the NFF boss was promoting the English League above that of Nigeria and at such lacked commitment and know-how to develop the country’s football.

The Super Falcons for the second time in a row crashed out of the race for the 2016 Olympics in 3-2 aggregate third round loss to Equatorial Guinea. Fortunately, the Dream Team VI qualified for the Caf U23 Championship with a 2-1 aggregate win in Congo on Sunday

“What again led to Keshi (Stephen) being fired, what reason were you given? Please refresh my mind?,” Ezeugo started on his official facebook account.

“Yesterday, Nigeria had two very crucial away matches; U-23 vs Congo and Falcons vs Equatorial Guinea Of course Arsenal vs Chelsea. Where would you rather be if you were saddled with the custody of Nigerian football?

“Amaju and Oliseh were at Wembley taking selfies and Nigeria’s teeming Arsenal fans and other knuckleheads are seeing no misplaced priority here. They went scouting. Custodians scouting? So Nigeria don’t have professional scouts in their ranks yet? Very soon Nigerian newspapers will publish UEFA scouting License of their chosen candidate to justify trampling on due process.

“Nah today ‘nyash dey back’? Football has moved on way beyond the 70s and 80s, the game has moved on way beyond being an Arsenal fan, EPL fan and bragging about being a season-ticket holder of an EPL team. Those who have no business running the game are left with the custody of football and the media are so cool with that. And you know that football will continue to deteriorate.

“Any Nigerian that is not greatly concerned doesn’t know the significance of football in our country and will never know that football is the sole global brand of our country, can toy with and always treat football affairs like child’s play. And child’s play it is.

“What happened to priority? English Premier League mania. Trust my countrymen and misplaced priority. None of them can name 10 players in the local league but they can name 100 in English Premier League. Ain’t that something. My people never cease to amaze not only me but themselves as well.

While criticising the media silence over the NFF’s faulty hiring of Oliseh, he accussed the nation’s football body of negligence to the plight of the Super Falcons in regards to installing a substantive coach.

“Still wondering why they are the custodians of the game and why the game is so advanced? You will be stupefied by the way Cameroun will be disqualified and Falcons will head to the Olympics and become Olympic champion.

“Watch out for this American wonder coming your way. And once the appointments of Falcons coaches are taken seriously, our highly short-changed great players will become World Cup winners as well. Let’s continue lying to ourselves. It’s the only thing we know how to do well. Okon served on interim basis till our girls were disgraced in the World Cup and the assistant was allowed to continue the show of shame because Niger Delta is running the show at the FA.

“Oliseh was brought straight on board with no regard to due process and protocol trampled upon because we’re wired to do everything with sentiments while the media continued snoring and abdicated their role of arbiter because their interest are being taken care of by the grossly inept custodians,” he concluded.

But the NFF President defended his presence at Wembley and had clarified that he was in London for a business trip to finalise some sponsorship deals for the country and appealed for understanding.

“Hello all, no doubt I am an Arsenal fan but I will never relegate my calling at NFF for Arsenal. When Arsenal was playing against Manchester some months ago, I was on the road to Ibadan to watch 3SC against Rangers,” Pinnick responded via his official twitter page.

“My vision about my mission in NFF is clear and by God’s Grace, we shall get there. I came into London for meetings with a consortium of would-be sponsors, some requested to see the Head Coach.

“Aside that, there are a lot of global politics going on and if Nigeria must be accorded her pride of place in global football politics, then we must participate at the highest level. I appeal for your understanding and prayers, nothing good comes easy,” he cleared.