Pius Ayinor
Hello reader, it’s good to be back with you after quite a long break. Over the course of time I will explain why I had to take a break. But before then, I am so grateful that you were able to wait this long. Thank you.
I wrote this ahead of the semi-finals game between Nigeria and Mexico at the U-17 World Cup because the result of the match cannot alter what I have put down or my thoughts on the FIFA age-grade competitions. Having reached that stage of the competition, I do believe that Nigeria presented a good set of players as the Golden Eaglets squad of 2015. My wish is that a great majority of Nigerians would see the team that way irrespective how they finally finish in Chile.
Over the years, the expectation Nigerians place on our age-grade teams is usually quite enormous. The pressure does not just come from the fans alone but it unfortunately also comes from those entrusted by the people to develop and market the game – the Nigeria Football Federation members. And this is common to many African countries, who always desire to win the U-17 FIFA event rather than expose the lads and get them ready for the national team about five years from the period. We can place our priority right by making it clear to the players that Nigerians do not really expect them to return to the country with the trophy but that we are rather interested in how well they are able to express themselves on the pitch. And more importantly, how many of the players are able to develop to quality national team players afterwards. Winning the trophy should just be a bonus.
On Wednesday, I watched a live match between the Chelsea youth team and their counterparts from Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Champions League. This is the standard for the European competitions. The young players are steadily training, playing and getting the necessary exposure that would help them to succeed as adult professionals. The players don’t just appear on the scene suddenly as the process starts as early as when they celebrated their seventh birthdays. And that’s my dream for Nigeria football. Our league clubs must incorporate their young players. If they can’t play leagues, the FA can make them play cup games yearly. If we have functional youth teams we can assemble national youth teams, and formidable ones at that, within three months. But can we be patient enough to start youth teams properly and reap from such investment in years to come? I very much doubt.
I am always saddened when I hear NFF officials remind U-17 players that the trophy is the target. And winning the trophy is nothing new to Nigeria or Ghana but we hardly get the benefit of seeing our young players graduate in the same way to the senior team. Let’s take a look at the 2007 Golden Eaglets squad. If your team is able to win a competition and also produces the Highest Goal Scorer, it simply suggests that you have one of the very best packs of players. It is expected that of the 18 players or the starting 11, that at least four or five of them should progress to the highest level. Now can anybody tell me where the Nigerians of the 2007 team are playing? If you can’t find them with the Super Eagles or any big European team then check up what the other players from the European teams that didn’t win the trophy are doing now.
From England we have Danny Welbeck and Victor Moses and from Belgium are Edwin Hazard and Christian Benteke. There are also Toni Kruz (MVP) and David De Gea just to mention a few. Their countries are using the competition to develop playersas the planners in FIFA desire. The day Nigerians begin to pay less emphasis on the trophy and think more of using the right players that will be when we begin the true football development. That is how to celebrate the U-17 World Cup.
Enyimba versus Warri Wolves
I have had fun following the Nigerian football league this year. The last three years or thereabout witnessed quite a lot of improvement but I have been blown away by the number of matches teams have won away from home and also the number of goals being scored in games.
The free flow of events nationwide was marred last week by violence in Taraba and Akure. I don’t know anywhere in the world where fans still beat up match officials the way they did in those two venues. I know they are already serving punishments but I guess it will always serve the system better if there are specific punishments directed at the coaches and club managers. These officials in most cases instigate the fans into rioting. They always give this sad impression that they are being cheated even when it is not true. And in many cases they always have the means to protect the referees but they would rather look away for the fans to have their way.
But away from those miscreants, I’m looking forward to this super Sunday with the two top teams facing each other. This match will go quite a long way in determining who wins the league. The odds favour Enyimba but I don’t expect Wolves to simple lay themselves on the ground to be trampled upon. It is the fight back that will surely make the match a good one to watch. I do hope the teams live up to their billings.
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