Nigerians Call for Patriotism, Not Selfishness — Beating Algeria a Must, Says Gara-Gombe

By Ado Salisu

The Former Chairman of Gombe Football Association and two-time Chairman of Gombe United Football Club, Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has cautioned Super Eagles players to uphold professionalism, discipline, and patriotism, warning them against selfishness and actions that hold the nation to ransom.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Gara-Gombe expressed displeasure over the conduct of some players who, he alleged, embarrassed the nation by boycotting training in Morocco over demands for bonuses and unpaid allowances.

The former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Stakeholders Forum described the players’ actions as unpatriotic and driven by greed.

“It’s unfortunate and painful that this crop of Super Eagles players are so greedy, unpatriotic, and silly,” Gara-Gombe said. “Why do they always choose to embarrass Nigeria whenever they get the opportunity to represent the country abroad, just because of peanuts as bonuses?”

He lamented that some of the players lobby and beg for invitations to the national team but later turn around to disrupt camp activities over trivial allowances.

“These players get free food, free tickets, and still hold the nation to ransom over bonuses. It’s shameful,” he added.

The former Special Adviser to the former Governor of Kano State noted that tournaments like this are global platforms where nations seek positive media image, but the Super Eagles’ attitude was tarnishing Nigeria’s reputation.

He recalled that after their World Cup qualifying match against Tanzania, the team had nearly two months before the playoff with DR Congo in Morocco — a period during which they could have raised any concerns about bonuses.

“Instead of focusing on training, they chose to boycott sessions over unpaid allowances,” he said. “Now, when we have a crucial match against Algeria, they are still misbehaving.”

Drawing comparisons, Gara-Gombe cited Morocco’s star player Hakim Ziyech, who earns over one million euros monthly at PSG yet plays for his national team without demanding allowances.

“Moroccan players value their national colors. But our own players want to hold Nigeria to ransom. How much is the bonus compared to what they earn monthly in their clubs?” he asked.

He also questioned the leadership of team captain Wilfred Ndidi, suggesting that he was not the first captain to lead such protests.

“Sometimes, what is legitimate can be asked in the wrong way, which makes it illegitimate,” Gara-Gombe said. “If they like, let them boycott the match against Algeria — but they should remember that if they lose, Nigerians will not forgive them.”

He urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to focus more on developing local players rather than depending on foreign-based ones who show little patriotism.

“Nigeria can form a strong team from the local league. Look at South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt — most of their players are home-based,” he stated.

Gara-Gombe warned that lack of discipline could ruin the players’ future careers, turning them into “sorry sights and beggars” after retirement.

“Even when given opportunities as administrators, some of them fail woefully. This is total nonsense and unacceptable,” he concluded.