By Akinwale Kasali
The Conferment of Officer of the Federal Republic, OFR, on former Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick has generated reactions among sports loving Nigerians who questioned the rationale behind the award on the seasoned sports administrator.
Most importantly, some football enthusiasts insist that the former NFF boss is underserved of the prestigious award, citing his failures as the boss of the nation’s highest football governing body, particularly the failure of the Super Eagles of Nigeria to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Others are angry with his leadership style, alleged arrogance, and high handedness, stressing that he doesn’t merit the coveted national honour bestowed on him.
Michael Anakwe, a Sport analyst, faulted the decision of former President Muhammadu Buhari to honour Pinnick, describing the action as rewarding failure.
He said, “It is disheartening how we treat things with levity. In saner climes, Pinnick would have resigned after the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for such global showpiece, rather, he waited for his tenure to elapse before leaving the saddle. It is that same person you are honoring shows that we have lost it as a nation as we celebrate mediocre”.
For Seun Femi Towobola, another sport analyst Pinnick did not take Nigeria’s football to the height expected of him as a seasoned administrator of the round leather game.
According to him, “Despite the misimpression created about his person and tenure, through biased criticisms and unrestrained reactions to differences in perspectives or boardroom politics, the government saw through it all, knew better and has now been moved to confer on him the fourth highest national honours, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic.
“It is an award well deserved and I wish him well in his future endeavours”.
In his own reaction, Paul Obioha, said Pinnick administration wasn’t the only one that failed to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup, going down memory lane, he said the leadership of the NFF in 2006 also failed in qualifying Nigeria for to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
He said, “We should stop castigating or blaming the Pinnick administration, it has performed brilliantly well. Under his watch, the nation’s football enclave enjoyed successes in all ramifications. It is an honour well deserved. We don’t need to be hypocritical.
“If you could recall that the NFF leadership in 2006 after the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the World Cup said that going to the World Cup isn’t Nigeria’s birthright, and heaven didd not fall”, Obioha stated.
Pinnick was the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for two terms, before handing over to the incumbent NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau.
But his terms was rocked by series of attacks from those who believe that his performance was below expectations, his opponents almost frustrated his bid into CAF and FIFA positions.
But characteristic of him, he braved the odds against him, and went ahead to reposition Nigerian football, according to his supporters, who claimed that Pinnick may not have delivered 100 Percent for the National Team, the Super Eagles, they say witnessed some achievements under him as NFF boss.
Under him, the Super Eagles made it to the Russia 2018 World Cup; the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015, 2019 and 2023, in a row as well as the 2019 AFCON, in which the Super Eagles finished with a bronze, and the 2021 edition.
Nigeria also won laurels such as champions of the Chile 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup; bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympic football event; champions at the 2014, 2016 and 2018 Women Africa Cup of Nations; the triumph of the U23 and U20 in Senegal Africa Cup of Nations; the 2018 WAFU U17 Championship; and the Rabat 2019 Women’s African Games football tournament at which the men’s team also had the silver.
The country also finished with silver medals at the 2018 African Nations Championship; the 2017 and 2021 WAFU U17 Cup; the 2016 and 2018 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations; and bronze in men’s football at the 2015 African Games.
According to his citation, the award was conferred on him for achieving financial autonomy for the NFF through sponsorship marketing and partnership building with the private sector and brands, from zero to almost 80 percent, as confirmed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, a global leader in accounting and auditing.
This was hallmarked not only by Pinnick’s ability to bring back ace kit company, Nike, to the sponsorship of Nigeria football, but the fact that the Super Eagles jersey for the 2018 FIFA World Cup broke world record in global demand and sales, thus putting the Nigerian national team in the hearts of global fans.
This was confirmed by CNBC, a leading American cable network news:
“…you can find soccer fans worldwide proudly displaying their country’s jerseys — but you’d be hard-pressed to find a team kit as in demand as that of Nigeria’s Super Eagles…Prior to its official June 1 release date, Nike had already received 3 million pre-orders for the jersey…That sets a new pre-order record for an African team and even some of the biggest soccer clubs in the world. To put that into perspective, top-three soccer club Manchester United sold the most jerseys globally in 2016, with 2.85 million sales, ” CNBC said.
His other achievements include significant sponsorship from top brands such as Nigerian Breweries, Air Peace, Cadbury, MTN, Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Aiteo, Coca-Cola, Revolution Plus and Premier Lotto.
These milestones were achieved, some say, despite his turbulent tenure as NFF president.
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