Albert King, the legendary blues guitarist and singer, once sang in his song Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven with lines that reflected a deep truth about human nature: “Everybody wants to laugh, but nobody wants to cry. Everybody wants to hear the truth, but yet, everybody wants to tell a lie. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” These words resonate with the idea that people desire better outcomes but are often unwilling to face the tough realities or take the necessary steps to make things happen. This mirrors the concept of “belling the cat,” which involves having the bravery to lead in difficult situations, even when others agree but are reluctant to take action.
This reluctance to step forward and lead can be seen in many areas, including Nigerian football. For years, Nigerian football coaches have been underappreciated and used by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as interim solutions when foreign coaches, who are often given preferential treatment, leave their posts or fail to meet expectations. Coaches like Festus Onigbinde, Paul Hamilton, Shaibu Amodu, Stephen Keshi, Augustine Eguavoen, Sunday Oliseh, and Samson Siasia have all been appointed as temporary fixes, never receiving the same permanent contracts or favorable conditions as their foreign counterparts.
These Nigerian coaches are often too quick to accept the role of “Super Eagles Coach” without negotiating better conditions or salaries, only to later complain about being unfairly treated when they are owed wages or dismissed without ceremony. This is a cycle of injustice, where the coaches agree to less, perhaps for the prestige, but are ultimately exploited by the system.
Like Albert King’s song implies, people may want the benefits of change but are often hesitant to make the bold moves necessary to bring it about—whether in life or in Nigerian football.
