Uncertainties in football and war in basketball

In Nigeria, football is the number one sport and that is nothing new. Anything related to gambling is always a big topic throughout the country.

When the national team is on duty, there is unity because the entire country will stand still behind the team. This covers men’s and women’s teams, including age group and senior national teams.

However, in recent times there have been many uncertainties surrounding the beautiful game loved by many enthusiasts in the country.

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The Nigerian Football Federation has sent a petition to FIFA regarding the eligibility status of some DR Congo players to participate in the World Cup play-off against Nigeria, which was lost on penalties. FIFA, during the week, opened the accreditation process for the last intercontinental playoff billed for Mexico.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo will almost certainly participate in the competition and Nigerians are still waiting for the same football body to remove the Democratic Republic of the Congo and replace it with Nigeria, but this is uncertain.

Furthermore, the African Women’s Cup of Nations is originally scheduled to start on March 16, but the host city is unsure.

It was originally scheduled to be held in Morocco, but following AFCON’s defeat to Senegal in the final, the Moroccan government has been signaling that WAFCON may not be held in the North African country.

South Africa has expressed interest in hosting the competition despite the short time left before the event, but the Confederation of African Football has yet to issue a verdict at the time of writing. Whatever happens, suspense is unnecessary because football is supreme.

In Nigeria’s domestic league, Enugu Rangers are now top, while Rivers United, with three games left, remain favorites to win, just as Ikorodu City were surprisingly beaten 4-0 by Bendel Insurance.

So much uncertainty, just like the former champions; Enyimba, Kano Pillars and defending NPFL champions Remo Stars are fighting for security in the elite table of the national league. However, the situation is different with the basketball family.

Basketball in Nigeria has been in crisis for the last 20 years, if not longer. The successes recorded in the game during this period are due to the tenacity of the athletes and administrators, who put in so much effort just to prove a point.

Musa Kida, president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation, has never lost a women’s basketball game on the continent. During his tenure, D’Tigress won the AfroBasket five consecutive times.

This is comforting. The same cannot be said for the men’s team. The sponsorship agreement for the women’s league has had Zenith Bank as a pillar for 20 years, but the men’s league had problems with the previous administrators and that was reflected in the results published on the continent.

Unlike the women, the men’s league has been involved in a crisis of sorts and they have not been able to prove themselves on the continent despite some stars in the NBA.

I’ve been covering sports for the past 30 years, including basketball. Unfortunately, crises have always been a major issue in basketball administration.

From sponsorship to operational issues and the day-to-day running of the sport, it has always been problematic.

Normally, the term of the NBBF Board is supposed to end on January 31, but as I write, there is controversy over when the next elections would take place.

The elections that brought Musa Kida on January 30, 2022 were attended by officials of the International Basketball Federation and sworn in, but somehow, the Ministry of Sports confirmed another election, which was held simultaneously in Abuja. An interim body was created, but in the end, the ministry endorsed Kida on October 6, 2022.

Between January and October, Nigeria participated in an international event under the supervision of the ministry, but Kida did not participate.

On paper, the term of the Kida board of directors expires on October 6, 2026, as that was the date that the Ministry of Sports, under Sunday Dare, gave for the expiration of the term.

Aspirants, stakeholders and others in the basketball family are already singing different tunes about this development.

It is important to note that the Osun and Ekiti gubernatorial elections will be held in August 2026 as they are off-cycle elections.

Therefore, if the NBBF, under Kida, was recognized in October, elections can only be held at the same time after four years.

Others can say what they want, but the truth is that the meeting did not operate on the same day or time as other federations. Basketball stakeholders must come together to find a way forward for the sport.