Nigeria hasn’t qualified for World Cup since I left Sports Ministry — Dalung

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has defended his record in office, insisting that Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup since his exit from the ministry is evidence of what he described as his strong performance.

Dalung made the remarks in an interview with Trust TV published on Wednesday, while responding to questions on whether he performed well as minister.

“I left records in the Ministry of Youth and Sports that nobody has been able to beat. Since I left the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nigeria has never qualified for the World Cup,” he said.

Dalung, who served as minister between 2015 and 2019, said the Super Eagles’ qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia was achieved largely under his watch without the heavy structures that had existed in the past.

“I went, they were not there. I qualified them in 2018 as a minister alone, when before you qualify, you use to have a presidential task force with a budget of N10 billion.

“But single-handedly I qualified Nigeria with a match to spare and since I left, Nigeria has never smelled that place,” he added.

Reacting to criticisms of his performance in office, Dalung challenged those who described his tenure as unsuccessful.

“So, before you say Solomon Dalung performed woefully, what happened that since he left that place Nigeria has not qualified?” he asked.

He went further to describe himself as “the most successful minister of youth and sports development”, citing several infrastructure projects he said were revived or completed during his time in office.

According to him, key sporting facilities that had been abandoned for years were restored under his leadership.

“The national swimming pool in Lagos stadium was abandoned for 20 years, I renovated it, put it into use and it is being used today,” Dalung said.

He also said the paralympic gymnasium at the National Stadium in Lagos, as well as the basketball indoor court, were revived during his tenure.

“The paralympic gymnasium in Lagos national stadium was abandoned, I revived it. The basketball indoor court in Lagos, I revived it,” he stated.

Dalung further said he initiated and completed three sports infrastructure projects across the country.

“I built three national mini stadia in Daura, Makurdi and Kano,” he said.

The former minister added that he was the only sports minister who completed projects he initiated within the same tenure.

“I was the only minister who started a project in 2016 and completed it in 2018 before I left,” he said.

He, however, spoke sarcastically while responding to those who still describe his performance as poor.

“So, all these are woeful performance and I accept it,” Dalung said.