In terms of footballing achievement in the year 2017, Nigeria as nation is still celebrating World Cup qualification and the resurrection of her most popular sport.
However, some unforgivable scandals have rubbed off on the image the country, players and fans at large having built a credible image in the blossoming year.
Here are the three major scandals that rocked Nigerian football in 2017
1. FIFA sanction
The entire nation was in shock when the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) announced that the Super Eagles fielded an ineligible player against Algeria on the last match day of the Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier and have awarded maximum points to the North Africans to taint the unbeaten record in their group.
Nigeria who had already qualified in the penultimate game against the Zambians courtesy of a lone strike by Alex Iwobi used the last away game against the Raba Maja tutored side in building the confidence of players left on the bench in other matches.
Shehu Abdullahi in action for Nigeria. Photo: TheNFF
Albeit, if the Super Eagles had not won the deciding match against the Chipolopolo and the axed was wielded on the team, then a complicated issue would have ensued as the Group D pairings with Argentina, Iceland and Croatia would come under serious threat.
Shehu Abdulahi who is the suspended player in question did not have any fault in representing his dear country but the officials who were unprofessional in their duties could be carried away with Nigeria sixth qualification at the showpiece.
Although the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have come out accept the blame for the embarrassment it has brought to the nation but until today no disciplinary action has taken place against the offender.
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2. No match day balls against South Africa
Back in June, Nigeria played an AFCON qualifying match against rivals South Africa and the federation did not provide any match day ball for use. The Bafana Bafana crew volunteered to offer their training balls for the match and labelled it so as to indirectly shame Nigeria the more.
Shehu Abdullahi contest the ball with a South African player. Photo: The NFF
To compound the woes, the Super Eagles fell 0-2 and the South Africa commentator even went further to question Ahmed Musa’s age when he was brought on in the second half and nothing was said or done about it.
On the home front, officials pretended as if nothing happened probably because they felt that a World Cup qualifying match should be given prominence over any other international engagements.
3. Alleged assault of a referee by FC Ifeayi Ubah players
The Nigeria Professional Football League in many years have witnessed crowd disturbances, players attacking referees and match-fixing scandals yet the talking points of 2017 was when three players of billionaire club, Ifeayi Ubah FC assaulted a referee in a league match against Niger Tornadoes in Lokoja.
Ngoma Luamba, Elu Wilson and Isaac Loute were all given 12 match bans after allegedly attacking the match official. Six of their teammates including; Stephen Eze, Adeleye Olamilekan, Micheal Egbeta, Uchenna Godfrey Jnr, Douglas Nkrumah and Kone Soumaila were also suspended for their involvements in the fracas.
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Team officials, Chidi Nworgu and Adrika Obiefuna were also a receiving end of the law with 19 touch line bans.
With advancement of modern day football, the Nigerian version should not be plagued with such act of unprofessionalism.
It should be a thing of the past even as Ifeayi Ubah was punished for a sum of a million naira for pitch encroachment, players and officials should be enlightened on how to control their temper ahead of the new season so that such actions will be project a bad image for our professional league.
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Source: Sports.naija.ng