Former Super Eagles striker Peter Ijeh has called for a complete break from the past in the ongoing reform of Nigerian football, insisting that previous administrators of the Nigeria Football Federation should not be allowed to return.
Ijeh believes the current crisis presents Nigeria with an opportunity to start afresh and introduce new ideas into the administration of the country’s football.
According to the former international, returning to the same individuals and approach that previously governed the game would defeat the purpose of the reform process.
“We cannot afford to go the same route again. We need a new start,” Ijeh said.
He argued that those who previously had the opportunity to manage Nigerian football must take responsibility for the current situation rather than being handed another opportunity to influence the direction of the game.
Ijeh therefore urged the authorities and stakeholders to give new individuals an opportunity to contribute to the rebuilding process, stressing that fresh leadership could bring the ideas, innovation and different approach required to move Nigerian football forward.
The former striker’s position comes amid the ongoing restructuring of the NFF following the resignation of the former leadership and the establishment of an interim arrangement to oversee the next phase of the process.
With stakeholders debating the composition and direction of the proposed new structure, Ijeh believes the priority should be to break away from the old system and create a genuinely new beginning for Nigerian football.
