The story of Nigeria’s qualification for its sixth FIFA World Cup will not be complete without a generous mention of integrated energy company, Aiteo Group. It is the story of how what looked like mission impossible, when the draws for the African qualifiers for Russia 2018 were released in June 2016, became a walk in the park.
Drawn in the same group alongside Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia, the three-time African champion – which had failed to qualify for the last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) – was not the bookmakers’ choice to qualify. But against all odds, Gernot Rohr’s team became the first African team to qualify for the World Cup even before the last round of qualifying matches were played. A 1-0 victory over Zambia in Uyo meant the last match against Algeria was a dead rubber.
The Super Eagles booked their ticket to football’s biggest showpiece in a manner that impressed their fans and confounded their critics. They were unbeaten in six matches, with four wins and two draws – scoring 12 goals and conceding just four. Nigeria also made history by becoming the first African side to go 36 games unbeaten in the world cup qualifiers, the last defeat coming on the road at Angola in 2004.
Few, if anybody, could have predicted the manner of Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup. Rohr was named Super Eagles coach in August 2016 after Frenchman Paul Le Guen rejected the job. The previous substantive coach, Sunday Oliseh, had resigned barely eight months into his stay as manager, accusing the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of contract violation, lack of support, as well as unpaid wages and benefits to his players and coaches.
Rohr took the job, saying he was ready to work inspite of the NFF’s reputation for owing salaries and constant breach of agreements by corporate bodies. By April 2017, he was being owed at least three-month salary arrears and there were reports he could walk away. The Ministry of Sport, which was noncommittal about hiring a foreign coach, could not provide a bailout. Other coaches were owed for longer months, even after the NFF had carried out a downsizing.
In the midst of the recession, Aiteo, the international energy conglomerate with investments in upstream, downstream and power came to the rescue. The company’s Founder and Executive Vice Chairman, Mr Benedict Peters, is a firm believer in sport and human capacity development.
Cognizant of the fact that few things arouse interest and passion in Nigerians like football, Aiteo came with a financial boost of N2.5billion. The company agreed to pay all Nigerian national teams coaches and other officials N500million annually for five years as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Aiteo also paid special bonuses to Super Eagles players during their world cup qualifiers. It promised N10million per goal, amounting to N50million for the five goals in the 5-1 aggregate victory over Cameroon. The donation was for the treatment of Carl Ikeme, the team’s goalkeeper, who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in July 2017.
“Our ambition is to boost the performance of the Nigerian teams and return the country to the position of dominance in African football,” said Mr Peters.
Aiteo’s intervention quietened the storm in the NFF. For the first time in a long time, national team coaches are getting paid. With Aiteo as optimum sponsors of the Super Eagles, the team could concentrate on playing football without the sweat and rancour that had become all too familiar in the past.
Rohr became the first coach to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup without complaining about salaries. The result was seen in the manner the Super Eagles dispatched their opponents on the way to getting a ticket to Russia 2018.
By the manner of their qualification, the Super Eagles of Nigeria sent a statement of intent that they are not going to Russia to make up the number. They followed their World Cup qualification with a 4-2 defeat of star-studded Argentina in an international friendly match on November 14. The spirit among the players and officials is reminiscent of 1994 when the country won its second AFCON title and qualified for its first ever World Cup.
Aiteo’s multi-billion naira sponsorship agreement with the NFF also extends to the Federation Cup, which is the oldest football competition in Nigeria. Accordingly, for the 2017 season, the prize monies for what is now known as Aiteo Cup was N25million for the winner of the men’s competition and N10million for the winner of the women’s competition. The runner-up for the men’s competition got N10million, with the runner-up for the women’s event going home with N5million.
“We will continue to underwrite the costs of organising the competition (Aiteo Cup) for the men and women’s finals, provide solidarity support for the state football associations, expenses and indemnities of match officials, support for clubs, media, branding/activation as well as prize money to winners.
“This is at the heart of our group’s social capital investment vision of bequeathing a virile and excellent soccer culture and administration to Nigerians, which besides being Africa’s best, creates economic opportunities and wealth for generations of Nigerians,” the Aiteo executive vice chairman restated.
Convinced that football is one of the greatest things to be involved in, Aiteo has taken its sponsorship of the sport to the African continent. On October 16, 2017, the company signed a deal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to sponsor the next CAF awards, where the best and the finest in African football will be recognised. It takes over from Globacom which sponsored the awards from 2005 to 2016.
By doing this, Aiteo has stepped up its sponsorship of football activities from the national to the continental level. According to Mr Peters, “more than anything, football crosses cultures and unites.”
Qualifying for the FIFA World Cup is a testimony to the foresight of Aiteo. While other corporate organisations and individuals turned their back on the Super Eagles – conveniently blaming the NFF and other sport administrators for their apathy – the energy company invested in the present and future of the game.
With more companies like Aiteo, Nigeria’s flag will fly higher in Russia than it did in the last five attempts at FIFA World Cup glory.
Onyema Dike
