England Manager Gareth Southgate was regretting the loss of Alex Iwobi to Nigeria a few days ago, we all remember the multi-nationality team that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, yet Africa’s top talent is still out there and taken away because the authorities that be are busy chasing shadows. Imagine that Presnel Kipembe played for the DRC in U-20 level before switching allegiance to the French. Cameroon watched indifferently as Kylian Mbappe opted for France, Breel Embolo, Yvon Mvogo, Didier Moubandje and Maxine Poundje chosed Switzerland, today Brian Mbeumo, who plays for Troyes in France and Evan Ndicka Obitte of Eintracht Frankfurt are currently being called up by the French to play for their U-20s, Jules Olivier Ntcham is a French U-23 International, Dimitri Oberlin and his family made mockery of Cameroon when he was called up by Seerdorf and Felix Eboa Eboa and Adrien Tameze are still on the fence on which country to play international football for. Fousseni Diawara the assistant coach of the Malian national team called the parents of Moussa Dembele of Lyon for a possibility for him to play for the country of his origin Mali, but the strikers father simply laughed off any such prospects.
The reasons for this are many, poor organization of our football and an unbelievable amateurism in the way our football and national teams are managed. Offices and responsibilities are handed to friends and family and most often even to adventurers with a clear mission to enrich themselves to the detriment of the our beautiful game and the pride that our football brings to us.
The scouts, if any, are more impressed with their offices than the actual job they are paid to do and rather join in dubious deals to enrich themselves.
With 42 points, Holstein Kiel are currently fifth in the German Second Bundesliga, with two potential Indomitable Lions, Frank Evina on loan from Bayern Munich and 18 years old defender Yann Aurel Ludger Bisseck on loan from FC Köln. While the Cameroon authorities have taken note of Evina and are doing little or nothing to get him, little or nothing is known about Bisseck.
On November 26, 2017, Bisseck who currently has a German nationality became the youngest German player to make his debut in the German Bundesliga, for FC Köln against HSC Hertha Berlin. He became the second youngest player ever debutant in the Bundesliga behind Turkey’s Nuri Sahin.
This two youngsters are developing at Holstein Kiel under the tutelage of Tim Walter like many other potential African players who finally turn their backs on Africa because of our negligence and amateurism in managing our football. We prefer to run after them when they are no longer needed by European countries or when they have completely lost all what use to make them good players, like Cameroon did for Paul George Ntep and Charles Itandje some time ago.
It is time for Africa to create an enabling environment for our football and footballers so that we can attract our best and rival with the best. If the French could win the world with a team made up mostly of Africans then Africa can win the world if we organize ourselves better and attract our best.
Muambo Edward.
