CHAN Eagles’ loss: Gombe faults NPFL’s leadership, calls for reform

By Ezurike Ugochukwu 

Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe, former Chairman of Gombe State Football Association, has expressed disappointment over the African Nations Championship, CHAN Eagles’ 4-0 loss to Sudan, attributing the team’s poor performance to the Nigerian Professional Football League’s (NPFL) decline.

Gombe blames corruption and poor leadership in the past, particularly during Amaju Pinnick and Shehu Dikko’s tenure, for the current state of Nigerian football, expressing his disappointment and frustration.

According to Gombe, the loss was expected due to the team’s poor preparation and lack of confidence in the technical crew. He emphasized that Nigeria’s football development process should have surpassed Sudan’s, making the loss unacceptable.

Hon. Gara, a former Adviser on Sports to Governors of Kano and Gombe States defended the current leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), attributing the decline of Nigerian football to long-standing corruption and poor governance under past leaders like Amaju Pinnick and Shehu Dikko.

He noted that Pinnick’s tenure was particularly detrimental to Nigerian football and questioned his appointment as Chairman of the National Sports Commission.

Gombe also criticized the influence of wealthy individuals and match agents in the league, alleging that coaches’ selections are often influenced by financial factors.

The veteran sports administration called for reforms in the league administration, emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and a focus on developing young players.

The CHAN tournament, exclusively for home-based players, was meant to showcase the strength of Africa’s domestic leagues, including Nigeria’s NPFL.

However, the tournament has indeed exposed the glaring weaknesses of the Nigerian Professional Football League’s poor player development, technical deficiency, tactical naivety, and lack of competitive edge plaquing the country’s sports administration.