The Super Eagles that went to the World Cup have been disbanded. A new team is been assembled with only 10 members of the 23 at the World Cup surviving the chop. Thats how the media reported the state of the Super Eagles since the unheralded and uncelebrated return of team from South Africa almost three weeks ago. Their outing at the World Cup was a disaster even though it was largely expected. The team’s performance against Argentina in the first match had unfortunately rekindled some hope. In that match even though the Argentines had been dominant to a point of embarrassment they were also actually lucky to have run away with the slim one-goal victory.  Had the Nigerian strikers not frittered away the few chances that came their way towards the closing period of that match the Eagles’ story would have turned out totally differently.  But all of that is in the archives of history now.

At the World Cup, the Super Eagles, burdened by age and average players, just simply could not fly. They were, perhaps, the oldest team in the championship if true ages are considered and the average for all the teams in the championship are taken. But football-age would not let Nigerians know how truly bad our situation is. It is only when a team has actual records and statistics of its football and footballers, thats when it can project and plan into the future.

There are many pertinent questions to be answered as the curtains are finally drawn on the World Cup experience. Where is the main source of Nigerian young footballers? How many of them are there? What are the structures in place to select the best amongst them? Where and how can they get the best kind of training that will improve upon the natural strength of the player and smoothen out his natural rough edges? How can Nigeria develop a rich pool of players in a continuous sustainable manner such that exceptionally gifted players like Okocha, Kanu, Oliseh, Adokie, Nwosu and so on will always be available? Where are the institutions that will provide the facilities for the proper training and education of these players? Yes, education is very important! How can the facilities, particularly in secondary schools, be improved, and personnel re-trained so that there will be a conscious effort to revive sports in secondary schools, but with particular focus on football? There must be a grand national plan to take football to new heights as we go into the future beyond 2010.

At the level of the Nigeria Football Federation, there must be both a medium and a long term plan. The medium is one that will ensure that Nigeria makes it to Brazil 2014. It is a quick fix. The long term plan would be to look at the World Cup of 2018 and beyond it! The vision should be clear and the road map simple and illuminated by what will be done, how it will be done, who will do it, and what the total ‘investment’ will cost.

For now lets look at whats been happening to the Super Eagles. Officially, the team has been disbanded. In reality though, there can be no such thing but most of the players from the South African experience will not return to the team. Ten of them have already been invited to start the rebuilding of a ‘new’ team.  Players will be drafted from the last under-17 team of 2009 as well as a sprinkling of players from the under-20 team and the domestic league.

Kanu has voluntarily declared his retirement from the national team. A few others will also have played their last international matches for the Super Eagles in South Africa. It will take a some time to come and some ingenious meticulous planning to have a great and completely new Super Eagles emerge from the rubble of the 2010 World Cup! But even that day will come soon!