E
rstwhile Super Eagles Coach, Christian Chukwu, has stated that it could be difficult to stay on the success achieved in sports in 2013, if Nigeria fails to do the things necessary for it to consolidate.
Speaking to Nigerian Pilot against the backdrop of the past year and what the country needs to do in order to surpass the success it recorded in 2013, Chukwu said sports administrators would have to go the extra mile in order to raise the necessary funds needed to run sports in 2014.
According to him, Nigeria has done well in football and other sports, but efforts towards consolidating on the gains of football in 2014 should be geared towards aggressive sports marketing by the authorities that be.
‘’The 2013 was a good year for the NFF. This was because we restored peace in the federation we won the Africa Cup of Nations, we won the FIFA U-17 World Cup, qualified for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil and our girls are doing well in their various qualification matches. What else can we say?
‘’These are good achievements, and that is where we are going to have pan acid test this year. Since we have achieved all these in 2013, how are we going to consolidate on these gains? If you ask me, I would say we need to do aggressive sports marketing. The marketing department of the NFF should rise above mediocrity and source for funds to finance the national teams in their quest to making the country proud. Funds could be a hindrance to achieving success in 2014, if we do not engage in aggressive marketing.
‘’We also need to sustain the peace that reigns in the federation now, so as to move our football forward,’’ Chukwu concluded.