ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to use the case study of a Nigerian football coach caught on video tape collecting a bribe to illustrate how ‘moral repair’ Walker (2001) and ‘Ethics of Care’ (Gilligan, 1982) can be a complementary part of the predominantly punitive and retributive justice system in Nigeria. Football is no doubt the number one sport in Nigeria and it unifies the nation the way nothing else does. The Super Eagles and the Super Falcons (male and female national team respectively) are well loved in the country and have enjoyed great successes in Africa and world football (Nff.com.ng, 2020). Football coaches in Nigeria, especially with the national teams are high-profiled and subjected to close scrutiny especially during run-ups to continental and international tournaments. The dominant narrative (within the media and fans) however is that the players selection process had been corrupted. Players are chosen not entirely based on their ability on the field but for their capacity to bribe the coach. There was no empirical evidence until this case. The chapter will deliberately focus on the aftermath of the discovery of the coach’s behaviour. How was the wrongdoing dealt with by the football authorities? Bearing in mind that Nigeria’s justice system is highly punitive and retributive, could the incident had been dealt with by the federation using the moral repair (Walker, 2001) and Ethics of Care (Gilligan, 1982) theory? Would the attempt at ‘restoring trust’ have been aided through the care and justice principles inherent in Walker and Gilligan’s, rather than focusing on punishing and getting even with the coach? The chapter will conclude with recommendations on what could be done to discourage similar behaviour in future with values such as care, remorse, ethics and virtue-based rules at its core.
