Ex-Director Bemoans Eaglets Inclusion In Super Eagles

A former Director of Sports at the National Sports Commission (NSC), Amos Adamu, has said the invitation of some under-17 players into the Super Eagles may impede their development.

Adamu told  newsmen in Lagos that the players should be allowed to develop gradually.

Eagles’ chief coach Stephen Keshi recently invited goalkeeper Sunday Alampasu, midfielder Kelechi Iheanacho and forward Taiwo Awoniyi to the team’s camp in Abuja.

The senior male national football team is preparing for the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled for South Africa from January 11 to February 1.

Keshi had called up as part of a preliminary 30-man squad the three players who were members of the 2013 Golden Eaglets team.

The Eaglets had in October won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup recently in the UAE.

“It will kill them. If you are 17 years old and you want to play against 23-year-olds, you can get discouraged.

“So, I believe they should be left to grow at their pace,’’ Adamu, a former FIFA and CAF Executive Committee member, said.

He recalled that a coach was once moved from the under-17 team to a senior team after he excelled at that level, only to fail to live up to expectations.

“We had a coach that was moved to a senior team because he won the U-17 World Cup. But he didn’t make it, even as a coach, not to talk of young players.

“If they (the players) want to jump while they should still be crawling, they will automatically fall,’’ Adamu said,