Sports: Afcon2015: Chukwuma Confident Eagles 'll Pick Ticket If...

By Eddie Akalonu Gabros International FC chairman, Chief Felix Chukwuma has expressed optimism that Nigeria will qualifier for the 2015 African Cup Of Nations in Morocco despite falling behind Republic of Congo and South Africa with just two matches into the campaign. He has also absolved Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo of complicity in the rounds of crises in the Nigeria Football Federation,NFF. Super Eagles will qualify for the Cup of Nations but Stephen Keshi should open the door to the best players into the team. We are right now behind South Africa and Congo because Keshi did not use our best players. Players such as Ike Uche and Obafemi Martins who were left out of those encounters, have been in top form, whereas, certain players Keshi included in his squad are mere passengers. So, if Keshi is to stay on as Eagles coach handling the qualifiers, he must use our best materials,” he said. Asked to explain this comment on Keshi, the former Nigeria Football Association vice chairman responded “Keshi should not have been retained after winning the Nations Cup in 2013. He no longer has hunger to achieve more. Records have shown that countries dispense with coach soon after winning top laurel as the Cup of Nations. So, it was wrong for NFF to have kept him on. Results from CHAN 2014 in South Africa and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil simply buttress the point I'm making immediately after 2013, Afcon NFF should have dropped Keshi for another coach simply because he has nothing more to prove.” Returning to the crises in NFF, Chukwuma, said Tamuno Danagogo can issue directives to the body and demand for explanations from the hierarchy of the body because government funds it full-time. “The minister is government's eyes and ears in departments under him. He therefore, has right of access to NFF in a bid to ensure accountability and transparency in it's operations. This to me is not interference because if government has been pumping billions into that department, government as the “sole sponsor” here can inquire into how such monies are being spent,” he said, adding “ anybody who calls that interference is just not serious. There is no way people cannot be asked to explain what they do with public money entrusted in their care. The bottom line is, people don't come straight to the point. Talk of interference by the minister are mere gimmick. Chris Giwa emerging as NFF president is the issue. I have never met him but I will still stand by Giwa to execute his mandate because he is a genuine lover of football and an investor. That is the dream myself and other genuine club owners who have invested personal and family fortunes want to come true. In fact I want to use this opportunity to call on stakeholders to re-affirm Giwa when the Congress holds and do away with those who have for years held football hostage,” he added