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Exclusive: Efan Ekoku on Nigeria's lucky World Cup qualification, the golden era & the forgotten history of African football
Former striker weighs in on key issues ahead of big year for Africa
19 Nov 2009 17:12:51
By Sulmaan Ahmad
It has been one of the most hectic weeks of international football, and perhaps the first in a long while that hasn't been widely received as little more than an unwelcome distraction from the relentless rounds of Premier League, La Liga or Serie A action.
It is a week that will be remembered for the Hand of Henry above all else, but it was a far more significant week within Africa. The carnage between Egypt and Algeria supporters in Khartoum, Sudan, showed the darker and more dangerous side of the game in the continent, but the explosion of joy in Nigeria once they booked their place at the World Cup after hitting a slump in 2006 reminded us all of what we've been missing for far too long.
"I thought we would win, but I thought Tunisia would win as well," former Super Eagles striker Efan Ekoku tells Goal.com UK. Sat in one of the many crammed cafes of London's West End, Ekoku explains that he doesn't believe Nigeria's return to the grand stage of international football is as good an omen as many of their fans might have hoped it to be.
"I think the major thing was luck, in the end, because these qualifying performances haven't been any greater than they were certainly in 2006 when we failed to qualify," he admits.
"In terms of real strength, quality and depth, I don't think this squad - or any squad since 1998 - has been anywhere near the team between '92 and '96. The consistency has not been there."
Barcelona's golden era is an exception, not the rule
After hitting such a peak, there were high hopes for African football, with the Nigerians, along with Cameroon, at the forefront of it all. It didn't work out that way. "There was a time when there was a group of very good Nigerian players who were reaching a certain age when they were just about to be reaching their prime, who were all very hungry, and who had not had the chance to make a breakthrough at club level," explains Ekoku.
"You can almost compare it to Man United, who got six or seven great players through their youth team in the early to mid-90s, and Barcelona now. It's not happened since, and they're not doing anything different, it's just a large slice of luck. Of course they have to be good enough, and determined enough.
"I think it's more a mental problem than anything else. Nigerian players were playing at some of the big clubs in the early to mid-90s. Two players at Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona, Sporting and more - it doesn't get much bigger than that.
"The pressure now from clubs is far greater than it was then, especially when considering an emerging nation - like Nigeria was in 1994 - with their first World Cup. Everybody was so desperate to be part of the squad, so for that group of players, the national team was the gateway to becoming a big star for one of the big clubs.
"Now the clubs - in terms of Champions League and Europa League matches - have almost superceded many of the big nations, as you could argue some of them have better teams than some of the big nations.
"Maybe the players' mentality has changed, they're getting much more money at a far earlier age much easier than they were 15 or 20 years ago. Still, the most determined players will always be the best. Each player individually has to find a way to marry the two together."
Abedi Pele beating Baresi & Milan to CL in 1993
While Efan's native Nigeria have not as yet lived up to their billing from the last decade, the profile of African footballers worldwide has skyrocketed over the last ten years. Ekoku, however, insists that the continent has been producing some of the world's elite for much longer.
"I don't think the African players - or footballers in general - are any better than they were 15 or 20 years ago, we're just seeing more leaving the continent, and it's become more glitzy with better worldwide coverage," he says. "The first year the Premiership formed, there were maybe three or four African players, now there are perhaps 30, so people think it's gotten much better, but I'm not sure that's the case.
"There have been lots of players in Belgium and in France for the last 25 years.
"Look back to 1990 or so, there were one or two players playing for big clubs. Abedi Pele was one of the best players in the world in the early 1990s.
"There were players in the mid-80s who, if given the opportunity, could have played for AC Milan or Real Madrid.
"All the big clubs have got bigger scouting networks now." But there is more significant reasoning for the delayed introduction of Africans to the biggest leagues the game has to offer, reasoning that extends beyond the realm of football itself.
"The French and Belgians maintained their presence more in west Africa over the last 15 and 20 years. As a result, they got first option on players from places such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, to a lesser extent Togo and Senegal as well," says Ekoku.
"They were the frontrunners, because after colonising those countries, they continued to lead social developments and give more back than certain other countries did, from that they got the opportunity to use some of the talent that was there.
"Since then, the Premier League has seen what's there and, with the amount of money they have, are able to now view Africa as a great resource, though due to work permit regulations, many of the players are still going through France, Belgium, through Holland as well, and eventually they find their way to the likes of Spain, Italy and England."
One way or another, Africa has announced itself within Europe's top leagues and clubs much the way South America did previously. With the World Cup heading to the continent in seven months, the onus is now on the national teams - such as Nigeria - to follow suit.
It has been one of the most hectic weeks of international football, and perhaps the first in a long while that hasn't been widely received as little more than an unwelcome distraction from the relentless rounds of Premier League, La Liga or Serie A action.
| Bet: | Returns: | Nigeria £10.80 | Draw £70.00 | Namibia £190.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Nigeria £10.83 | Draw £70.00 | Namibia £210.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Nigeria £11.40 | Draw £70.00 | Namibia £190.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Nigeria £11.50 | Draw £65.00 | Namibia £105.00 |
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It is a week that will be remembered for the Hand of Henry above all else, but it was a far more significant week within Africa. The carnage between Egypt and Algeria supporters in Khartoum, Sudan, showed the darker and more dangerous side of the game in the continent, but the explosion of joy in Nigeria once they booked their place at the World Cup after hitting a slump in 2006 reminded us all of what we've been missing for far too long.
"I thought we would win, but I thought Tunisia would win as well," former Super Eagles striker Efan Ekoku tells Goal.com UK. Sat in one of the many crammed cafes of London's West End, Ekoku explains that he doesn't believe Nigeria's return to the grand stage of international football is as good an omen as many of their fans might have hoped it to be.
"I think the major thing was luck, in the end, because these qualifying performances haven't been any greater than they were certainly in 2006 when we failed to qualify," he admits.
"In terms of real strength, quality and depth, I don't think this squad - or any squad since 1998 - has been anywhere near the team between '92 and '96. The consistency has not been there."
Barcelona's golden era is an exception, not the rule
After hitting such a peak, there were high hopes for African football, with the Nigerians, along with Cameroon, at the forefront of it all. It didn't work out that way. "There was a time when there was a group of very good Nigerian players who were reaching a certain age when they were just about to be reaching their prime, who were all very hungry, and who had not had the chance to make a breakthrough at club level," explains Ekoku.
"You can almost compare it to Man United, who got six or seven great players through their youth team in the early to mid-90s, and Barcelona now. It's not happened since, and they're not doing anything different, it's just a large slice of luck. Of course they have to be good enough, and determined enough.
"I think it's more a mental problem than anything else. Nigerian players were playing at some of the big clubs in the early to mid-90s. Two players at Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona, Sporting and more - it doesn't get much bigger than that.
"The pressure now from clubs is far greater than it was then, especially when considering an emerging nation - like Nigeria was in 1994 - with their first World Cup. Everybody was so desperate to be part of the squad, so for that group of players, the national team was the gateway to becoming a big star for one of the big clubs.
"Now the clubs - in terms of Champions League and Europa League matches - have almost superceded many of the big nations, as you could argue some of them have better teams than some of the big nations.
"Maybe the players' mentality has changed, they're getting much more money at a far earlier age much easier than they were 15 or 20 years ago. Still, the most determined players will always be the best. Each player individually has to find a way to marry the two together."
Abedi Pele beating Baresi & Milan to CL in 1993
While Efan's native Nigeria have not as yet lived up to their billing from the last decade, the profile of African footballers worldwide has skyrocketed over the last ten years. Ekoku, however, insists that the continent has been producing some of the world's elite for much longer.
"I don't think the African players - or footballers in general - are any better than they were 15 or 20 years ago, we're just seeing more leaving the continent, and it's become more glitzy with better worldwide coverage," he says. "The first year the Premiership formed, there were maybe three or four African players, now there are perhaps 30, so people think it's gotten much better, but I'm not sure that's the case.
"There have been lots of players in Belgium and in France for the last 25 years.
"Look back to 1990 or so, there were one or two players playing for big clubs. Abedi Pele was one of the best players in the world in the early 1990s.
"There were players in the mid-80s who, if given the opportunity, could have played for AC Milan or Real Madrid.
"All the big clubs have got bigger scouting networks now." But there is more significant reasoning for the delayed introduction of Africans to the biggest leagues the game has to offer, reasoning that extends beyond the realm of football itself.
"The French and Belgians maintained their presence more in west Africa over the last 15 and 20 years. As a result, they got first option on players from places such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, to a lesser extent Togo and Senegal as well," says Ekoku.
"They were the frontrunners, because after colonising those countries, they continued to lead social developments and give more back than certain other countries did, from that they got the opportunity to use some of the talent that was there.
"Since then, the Premier League has seen what's there and, with the amount of money they have, are able to now view Africa as a great resource, though due to work permit regulations, many of the players are still going through France, Belgium, through Holland as well, and eventually they find their way to the likes of Spain, Italy and England."
One way or another, Africa has announced itself within Europe's top leagues and clubs much the way South America did previously. With the World Cup heading to the continent in seven months, the onus is now on the national teams - such as Nigeria - to follow suit.
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