The decision to limit the number of foreign born players in the senior national team of Nigeria as announced by a member of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Elder Paul Bassey hasn’t gone down well with a lot of football loving Nigerians.
Speaking yesterday, Paul Bassey said the committee has forwarded a proposal to the NFF on the above subject following the failure of Nigeria to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Some bizarrely claimed the high number of foreign base players cost Nigeria the ticket after the 1-1 draw against Ghana in Abuja.
Reacting to the pronouncement on popular WhatsApp group NSSP, Babatunde Akinbinu went heavily against the proposal which is in every form discriminatory. Below is his take on the issue.
We Journalists should be ‘calming’ down. Please. We are part of this shame.
In the middle of all that is said now – WHICH IS WHY I STOUTLY REJECT THE NEGATIVE OBJECTIFICATION OF *ANY* NFF ELECTED OFFICER – one of the most iconic Sports Journalists in Nigeria history, Paul Bassey, who is a member of this group, addressed the press and said that foreign-born and raised Nigerians should be RESTRICTED from representing Nigeria.
You don’t understand the depth of that. I can swear that he has grandchildren or grand neices or nephews who are born or raised abroad. He is saying, as the MOUTHPIECE of the much-criticised Technical Committee of the NFF, that such relatives of his should be artificially screened from representing his open people.
I do not want to think that it is not his personal opinion, as it resonates with the MAJORITY of members present at that meeting. I do not think he would address the press on same, of that release didn’t embody his mindset.
I am however extremely sure that he cannot tell the press same if he were to be interviewed on the same subject anywhere outside Africa. You see the double standards?
The Selecao would beat Nigeria any day and any where – at least as of yesterday. Why?
What does the birthplace of a human being have to do with the professional responsibility of the person? Football is a PROFESSIONAL activity, handled by pure professionals.
President George Weah of Liberia’s son plays for the United States National Team! Gosh!!
This archaic, if not clannish mindset of ‘where was a person born’, should embarrass all of us.
Dr Babatunde Akinbinu.
