Rommy Ezeonwuka, Managing Director of Rojenny Stadium and Games Village Oba, near Onitsha has blamed the inability of the Super Eagles to qualify for Qatar 22 world cup on poor management.

Ezeonwuka who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Wednesday said Nigeria’s qualification to the Mundial would have amounted to the country reaping where it did not sow.

The Super Eagles managed a 1-1 draw with Black Stars of Ghana to give the visitors an away goal advantage on Tuesday having played a barren draw with them in Accra in the first leg.

Ezeonwuka described the game as “lacklustre, lacking in bite and excitement,” noting that they were not psychologically prepared to trade tackle on the world stage.

He said the idea of inviting individual players doing relatively well outside the country without building a team could not return Nigeria to the status of a serious global competitor in football.

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“The crashing of Super Eagles was a disaster foretold, the NFF killed the local League and killed the academy.

“The federation doesn’t want to invest, they refuse to sow money and time to build a time; all they do is invite players from wherever they like and gather them to play as a national team.

“Such players cannot make a team, they will play for individual glory; that is what played out yesterday. The NFF tried to reap where they did not sow, they were just interested in the appearance fee and not national glory.

“Look back to 1993, players in that U-17 team that ruled the world in Japan were camped here in Rojenny for more than two years and we have some of the most disciplined players like Kanu Nwankwo, Babayaros, in that team,” he said.

Ezeonwuka said it was in the best interest of Nigeria that the country did not qualify as the outing would have been more disastrous.

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He said preparations for the next world cup should commence immediately with serious player scouting, identification and grooming to avoid the temptation of going for other ‘already made’ players they knew nothing about.

“Nigeria can raise three teams that can beat any team in the world. All we need is to get the best and invest in them, shun the federal character sentiment or quota system, stop the imposition of players on coaches and be patient to grow a team.

“We shouldn’t depend on food-is-ready players, players that we don’t have their history, we invite them all because they are Nigerians.

“Our failure to qualify is painful but there are lessons, we have to look inwards and plan ahead,” he said. (NAN)