Super Eagles Will Be Great Again! – T. B. Joshua

In Africa, Nigeria has been known as a great nation in sports especially football. Having conquered the continent at different times and after several attempts, Nigeria finally qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 1994. The Nigerian team known as the Super Eagles managed by a Dutch, Clemens Westerhof, went ahead to top their group which included Argentina, Bulgaria and Greece.

Nigeria defeated Bulgaria 3-0, lost 1-2 to Argentina and reached the second round after a 2-0 victory over Greece. In the second round, the Super Eagles were within minutes of qualifying for the quarter finals until their opponents, the Italians, scored to take the game to extra time and eventually won.

The Super Eagles not resting on their applauded exploits at the mundial in 1994, went ahead to win the men’s football event at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA, beating Mexico, Brazil and Argentina in the process. Nigeria’s Super Eagles only came close to winning ways after many years in 2013 African Cup of Nations. The team managed by former National Team Captain, Stephen Keshi, beat Burkina Faso in the finals to win the African Cup of Nations.

Since achieving the feats in 1994, 1996 and 2013, the Super Eagles appeared not to be in the reckoning again as Africa’s powerhouse. At different times, teams that once dreaded the Super Eagles had beaten them and denied them opportunities to fly the Nigerian flag at the international stage. This became a source of worry to many of their darling supporters and sports analysts.

According to Prophet T. B. Joshua, “One of the greatest legacies anyone can leave behind is the development of people’s skills”. Looking at the dwindling fortunes of the Super Eagles, it was obvious that there was something wrong with Nigeria and development of skills. The football administrators must have ignored the development of skills which had given room for the emergence of the great football players that achieved those feats in the previous years.

Prophet T.B. Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, believed that the Super Eagles of Nigeria can be great again and return to winning ways. To achieve that purpose, he believed that the administrators should focus strongly at the grassroots in order to discover the future stars for the Super Eagles to soar again.

It was his passion to see Nigeria shine again at the international level that made the man of God to set up My People Football Club. He was said to have been moved by the plight of talented young footballers whose gifts were lying dormant due to lack of exposure and resources.

My People Football Club, though undergoing reorganization presently, since its inception has transformed countless young footballers. Not only has it produced players plying their trade in the best leagues in the world, it has produced players who had represented Nigeria at the World Cup. My People FC has remained a nursery for great stars of the future; especially those brought up in impoverished homes that otherwise would not have had opportunity to have their gifts discovered.

Prophet T.B. Joshua through My People Football Club has attracted several foreign scouts to Nigeria in search of fresh talents. The likes of Ogenyi Onazi, Sani Emmanuel, Yakubu Azeez, and many others who had been part of the national teams at different times were products of this grassroots effort by the man of God.

For the Super Eagles to be great again, the man of God is therefore challenging football administrators in Nigeria to focus more attention on development of skills at the grassroots in order to discover more talents for the national teams. He equally urged well meaning Nigerians to invest in setting up of football academies, as he believed that the rebuilding process must start across board if we must achieve the target of getting our national teams to once become forces to be reckoned with at the international stage.