Victor Ikpeba cautions on Normalization Committee setup

Former Super Eagles attacker Victor Nosa Ikpeba has called for critical thoughts on the idea of a normalization committee as the battle for control of Nigerian football continues.

Ikpeba believes that those calling for a change are about taking a road that could derail the entire system rather than create a quality and smooth transition that benefits Nigerian Football.

The former African Footballer of the Year, who was responding to reporters’ questions in Lagos over the weekend, said, “Well, I will respond to your questions like this. I can understand this feeling of despair because the Super Falcons failed to qualify for the World Cup. It will be their first time missing the FIFA event, and of course that World Cup just ended in the USA without the Super Eagles.

“But there’s this popular saying that we should not throw away the baby with the bath water. And this is what I am driving at.”

The footballer nicknamed the Prince of Monaco said his concern is that the system does not get overheated in a way that it affects other national teams.

“We are about to start the qualifiers with the U-23 Eagles heading to the Olympics. We still have the junior women’s teams heading to the Olympics, and these are the feeder teams to the Super Falcons. What we do with the junior teams matters a lot.

“Who is going to head such a normalisation committee, which in the first place is not necessary as there is no fight within the NFF and the election.

“Let’s not go into things that can worsen the situation and leave us drifting for the next one, and the other aspects of our football then suffer. We can improve the NFF and hold a credible democratic election without resorting to extreme measures.”

The Super Falcons’ elimination, coupled with other defeats suffered by Nigeria national teams, has forced many Nigerians to speak up against the NFF leadership.

Going with such statements is now a rumour that some top officials of the National Sports Commission (NSC) are planning to see President Bola Tinubu to brief him on setting up a Normalisation Committee to run the NFF affairs for three months.

The unverified account suggests that the committee is being planned to replace the NFF Elective Congress already scheduled for next month in Lafia, Nasarawa State.