Former Super Eagles defender Juwon Oshaniwa has joined the growing calls for the Nigeria Football Federation board to step aside, arguing that years of poor administration and mismanagement have left Nigerian football in need of a major change.
Oshaniwa’s criticism comes as pressure continues to mount on the NFF leadership following the federation’s decision to establish a fact-finding committee to examine the problems surrounding Nigeria’s national teams and the wider state of the country’s football.
The former international, however, is not convinced that another committee will provide the answers Nigerian football needs.
Oshaniwa told Brila.net that the problems confronting the country’s football administration have persisted for years, pointing to what he described as “inept competitiveness, mal-administration, and mismanagement” under the current leadership.
For the former Super Eagles defender, the solution should go beyond another investigation.
He believes the current NFF board should accept responsibility and make way for a new leadership capable of taking Nigerian football in a different direction.
Oshaniwa also expressed his lack of confidence in the fact-finding committee, saying he does not expect the exercise to produce the kind of positive outcome that Nigerian football stakeholders are hoping for.
His position places him alongside a growing group of former internationals and stakeholders demanding significant changes within the country’s football administration.
The debate has intensified following the NFF’s decision to establish a fact-finding panel after a difficult period for Nigeria’s national teams.
While supporters of the committee believe it could identify the causes of recent setbacks and recommend solutions, critics argue that many of the problems are already well known.
Oshaniwa’s argument is that Nigerian football has reached a point where action is more important than another round of investigations.
The former defender was part of the Super Eagles squad that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and represented Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, giving his criticism particular weight as a former player who experienced the national-team system at the highest level.
The central question now is whether the NFF leadership can withstand the growing criticism from former players and other stakeholders, or whether the calls for a change at the top will continue to gather momentum.
For Oshaniwa, the answer appears clear: Nigerian football needs a new direction, and he believes that change must begin with the current NFF board stepping aside.
As the fact-finding committee begins its work, the former Super Eagles defender has already made his position clear, he wants action, not another report.
