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Jefferson Ndhlovu
Special Correspondent
NIGERIAN Emmanuel Dennis, the inform Watford striker, has been ruled out of AFCON 2021 tournament due to start on January 9 and not by his choice but by the abuse of a stupid and ludicrous technicality.
Appalling by its application if you asked me.
Compassion and respect for the greater good of the player who showed willingness to represent his country should have prevailed. It is an opportunity any football play dreams of… Representing one’s country.
It is sad and demoralising for both the player and the fans. The AFCON tournament deserves the best players available to grace the showpiece. But the desperate and egoistic stubbornness by a respected coach and his employers pulled the middle finger on the continent. And denied our beautiful and important tournament that talent.
This saga all started when the former English Premier League-winning coach with Leicester City, Italian Claude Ranieri, who now manages Watford, went public about a nonsensical mishap in the Nigerian communication camp. Common sense should have been applied.
“The email didn’t arrive at the right moment. The national team has a time to send a pre-call. They didn’t respect the days, and I want to see.’’
“The email arrived late. They have a time when they need to send a pre-call; if they don’t send it, we can choose,’’ these are the words attributed to a seasoned coach, Ranieri.
I found this rant by Ranieri crass and gross. He can hide all he wants, but it is only logical to conclude that, he intended to insult the Nigerian Football Association, sereptiously labelling them incompetent.
Africa continues get to be treated as an outcast in virtually everything it does.
Am not even sure why FIFA included that stupid clause of writing to the club for release of the player. It was purely targeted at the African players period. For all purpose and intent, this issue of club and country war is fought time and again with African countries.
We hardly hear of this noise elsewhere. Yes, I appreciate, it was meant to curtail cheating especially from players who might not be called to their national teams. Fact is, the contract of employment is between the club and the player. And not the club and country. To leave the matter of releasing a player between the club and the country, with the player only left with one choice to comply, is equally unfair.
A player must be willing to decline his or her availability to represent their country. Not to be forced by some FIFA clause that might punish the club for failure to release the particular player.
The only time a player gets exclusivity to decide is when one declares retirement from international football. But that’s some snobbery.
The mere fact that Dennis had been named in Nigerian provisional squad and he never reacted to the contrary, is enough testimony to a caring coach that my player is now torn apart. He wants to go to this tournament. Letter or no letter, it’s a conversation a coach of the status of Ranieri should have picked up with Dennis.
Am not a football coach nor competent enough to understand what goes on in preparing a team for a matches. Though I know any human being to have a shot at succeeding needs to have the heart and mind into that particular assignment. Once conflicted, trouble looms. When is this debate going to end regarding African players? When it’s time for their national duties.
If these players are really that special and not just financial tools, why don’t these big leagues lobby their association to suspend the leagues for that month, when AFCON tournament is being held?
Qatar had bid to host the World Cup 2022 and they won it. Suddenly, the traditional law book for hosting that iconic tournament was shredded. All to suit the weather conditions in Qatar as it did not suit playing under those conditions. And the season in the big leagues will be suspended around that time. Just to accommodate an emerging financial powerhouse in Qatar.
Africa has argued time and again amongst themselves regarding the hosting of tournament due to weather. Some regions have bad weather during the June/July season and vice versa the January/February. It, therefore, should decision made by CAF not by anyone outside the continent.
Doesn’t this border on the fringes of disrespect and ill-treatment for the continent of Africa? It is sad and demeaning that come time to host this tournament, they issue of club versus country pops up even during the so-called FIFA sanctioned matches. It is really a hustle to get these players to represent their respective countries.
I thought CAF has good numbers in that FIFA membership gravy train, why can’t they make use of the numbers to demand for greater accommodation of Africa in the family of football.
The other continental tournaments are held when most of the so called major leagues have gone on break. That’s their choice and has to be respected.
Years ago, this continent still produced top top talent. And the tournament was still in January and February without any friction. Until, the English Premier League realised that they were missing out on the top talent that went to countries like France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands etc., all because they were looking down on the continent. The moment England opened the doors to more previously overlooked players from Africa, trouble started.
When one reads major sports outlets, regarding that tag of war on players it mostly involves English Premier League players. Why does the English Premier League want to bully the continent indirectly.
Africa is now being told to reconsider when to host their tournament. And the only reason the continent is suffering, it’s because the continent assumed poor and unable to keep its best talent on the continent.
It should be agreed that Africa may appear poor now but it will never be the case forever. Eventually, it will find the formula to improve. At that point the travel for top talent to go and play in Europe won’t be about the money.
Qatar is not a great footballing nation. No disrespect, though it’s a fact. But they have the damn loads of cash and therefore able to force FIFA to organise a tournament which traditionally has been held in June/July period to November/December.
I bet if it was Africa, they were just going to withdraw that bid. And give it to one of the powerful nations.
French born Ivorian Sebastien Haller was livid after journalist Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf asked him if he was going to the AFCON tournament.
“This question shows the disrespect for Africa,” Haller was blunt in his response.
“Would this question ever get put to a European player ahead of the Euros? Of course, I am going to the AFCON.”
When a legendary English player in Ian Wright compares this to racism some would say he is taking to too far. But he is not too far from that fact.
Online Reporter