It is ironic that FIFA the football World Governing body professes fair play but is blind to the fact that some aspects of its rules are most unfair or outright inept. How else can one sit by and allow players benefit from their deliberate and calculated wrong. In no other sport or any profession or walk of life is such an aberration possible but football. The game in hand is the match between Ghana and Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup currently going on in South Africa. It was a quarter final match. The stakes were unimaginably high. History was to be made if Ghana, the lone nation flying the entire African flag defeated Uruguay and qualify for the semi-finals. A feat no other African Nation has ever attained. What happened was a travesty of justice.
A goal bound header was deliberately prevented from entering the net by a Uruguayan striker Suarez. Correctly the referee promptly showed the erring player the red card and awarded a penalty to Ghana. All this took place in extra time. Dramatically, it was the last kick of the match after the official 90 minutes. It was actually extra time in extra time as the game remained deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes and additional 30 minutes extra time. The game was in its 121st minute. Asamoah Gyan , Ghana’s inform player missed the ensuing penalty and sent the game to the dreaded 5 penalties each. Ghana lost 4-2 on penalties. Suarez, who initially, was inconsolable weeping like a baby, turned round and celebrated. FIFA rules had protected a team whose player benefitted from his own deliberate wrong.
This is most unfair as if Suarez did not deliberately handle the ball on the goal line, then the goal would have stood. Why should an erring player be given a second chance? The point is not that the Ghanaian should have scored as that is of no moment if a legitimate goal was not prevented by cheating. My proposal is that football should take a cue from rugby, where a penalty try would have been awarded in addition to a yellow or red card in such a situation. By that method, the punishment significantly fits the offence. After all it was a goal if not for the hand ball. Ghana, and indeed the entire African continent were robbed. It’s similar to encouraging your child to steal but not to get caught. If FIFA believes this adds to the excitement of the game, maybe but at what cost. I believe the stakes are just too high for these kind of blunders.
Which brings me to the England V Germany blunder. My word what a blunder that was! Frank Lampard’s goal was wrongly disallowed just before half time and many felt the balance of play at 2-2 would have been different in the second half. No doubt Germany was a better side on the day but at least referees need to get these things right. If FIFA can sanction the use of technically advanced footballs like the new Jabulani ball which swerves like a boomerang on impact, then why can’t we have goal mouth technology?The ball travels at such high speed that the naked eye and sometimes legs cannot keep up. FIFA cannot continue to get it wrong under some primitive rule of excitement. FIFA cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time. If you have technologically advanced footballs, technology ear pieces we now see clipped to referees ears, then for the good of the game we need at least some form of goal mouth technology. It has become an absolute necessity. Maybe this can be later extended to red cards and off-side decisions. The Kaka of Brazil red card against Cote D’Ivoire and Harry Kewel of Australia against Ghana were indeed wrongly issued. Referees cannot simply continue to get these decisions wrong and simply issue a pathetic apology after the fact. (Like the worthless FIFA apology to Nigeria after Gabriel Heinze of Argentina’s lone goal). Replays later showed a Nigerian defender was fouled in the box. What good did the apology do?
More controversial is FIFA’s interference rule. They have this standing rule, which they guard jealously that Government cannot interfere with Football Federations or Associations. On the face of it this is a noble rule. But can FIFA dictate to Sovereign States especially in a situation where the FIFA rule contradicts the laws of the Sovereign State. No doubt, no sovereign nation worth its salt will allow any other law to contradict its Constitution. Clearly such rule will remain null and void to the effect of its inconsistency. FIFA cannot dictate to France. It cannot tell French Parliamentarians not to question or probe the show of shame displayed by its players and management in South Africa. After all, the entire team represents France, its people, its honour, pride and culture as a nation. The French Parliament has a duty to query the team’s lack of performance. The team includes not only players and managers but the head of the French Football Association. I endorse the argument of Messrs Jacques Remiller the French Parliamentarian when he said “It isn’t FIFA’s role to threaten French Lawmakers, we’re in a democracy and parliamentarians have the right to hear anyone they want”. “This isn’t just about football, it’s about France, it’s our honour that’s at stake” added another.
This brings me to the Nigerian debacle. Nigeria suspended its country’s participation from international football for two years due to the poor performance of the team in finishing bottom of its group and eliminated with only one point from nine. Nigeria claims she wants to reorganize her football. In medical parlance the diagnosis is correct but the prescription or treatment not so. Nigeria has attempted to side step the non-interference rule and rather than interfere and disband the NFF, opted to suspend international football at all levels. The idea is if there is no international football, then the NFF will have nothing to administer. The Nigerian Government has up the tempo by mandating the once dreaded Economic & Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to audit the accounts of NFF. Newspaper reports have it that FIFA has given Nigeria a 48 hour ultimatum to reverse her decision.
The entire Nigerian football viewing public is in no doubt that the problem with our football is the way the NFF is constituted coupled with its attendant inefficiencies and unaccountability. It is a no brainer that this self suspension will harm Nigerian football at all levels. But what has the soccer loving Nigerian public been served since 1994. Not much apart from the 2000 Nations Cup which Nigeria hosted and advanced to the final but was beaten by Patrick Mboma’s Cameroon on penalties. Some would say that if Nigeria’s Super Eagles has had no footballing joy in 16 years with all the NFF inefficiencies then should Nigeria not really and honestly take a holistic look at its football and make the necessary long lasting changes. Yes there will be collateral damage. In earnest Nigeria has not recovered from the self ban in 1996 by the Abacha Government. How can not playing improve Nigerian football? I fail to see this but sometimes one may need to take one step back to move two forward. In rugby for instance, they pass backwards in order to move forward (except when they kick the ball).
Nigeria needs football people running her football. When you have politicians or civil servants sitting tight in your football house and performing unsatisfactorily but enjoying fIFA’s protection, then I can see the frustration from Government and the general public. Something must give. In any event a country must be in a position to query how officials representing her are running her sports moreso when the country makes substantial financial contributions towards the development of the sport. Nigeria needs accountability from her football administrators. Now if after a thorough financial audit, the football house is found culpable, will FIFA insist that the members cannot be prosecuted under Nigerian laws because of FIFA Statute? I don’t think so. FIFA’s rules and statutes need a second look without sentiment and listen to the mood and voice of the football family.
The flip argument is the Nigerian Government should have given it more thought and find a more subtle approach maybe work from behind the scenes in influencing the members of new NFF Board prior to their forthcoming elections rather than direct confrontation with FIFA. We wait to see how things evolve. As they say watch this space!
Tokunbo Jaiye-Agoro Esq lives in Lagos.
The piece was written before Nigeria reversed the decision to ban international football.
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