Lack of support from the Nigeria Football Federation was responsible Segun Odegbami’s failure to meet the requirements for the FIFA presidency, ex-international, Adokiye Amiesimaka, has said.
Amiesimaka told the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Lagos that Odegbami, his former teammate, in particular was not fully involved in mainstream football administration in the country.
He said: “Odegbami never ever had the full support of the NFF.
“And Odegbami should have known that he was not going to get their full backing and of course it was not going to be possible for him as an individual to run around and get the kind of support from the other national associations as he needed, for him to be a serious contender for FIFA presidency.
“You need to start at home.
“You are not a member of the NFF.
“You are not the head of the NFF and then you think you will get up and be FIFA president?
“Some ambitions, I think, are just overstated.
“That’s my view, with due respect to my friend, Odegbami.
“You know he is good enough to be the FIFA president, but then the process of being FIFA president he did not think about it, he did not take care of that process.”
Amiesimaka also advocated the overhaul of the NFF so as to bring about effectiveness in football development and administration in Nigeria.
He said: “I do not have any problem with the individuals that are running our football now, let me make that point clear.
“(Amaju) Pinnick is my friend.
“Christopher Green is my very good friend.
“But the system is wrong, the system is faulty, the system is walking on its head.
“First and foremost, we need to have a proper football governing body.
“We need to have a properly incorporated football governing body.
“Every other thing will fall in line.
“That is the starting point.
NAN.
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