Sports
Amuneke Tasks NFF On Grassroots Sports Dev
Former Nigeria international, Emmanuel Amuneke has said that the early exit of Nigeria’s age-grade teams from FIFA tournaments in 2019 should send the Nigerian Football Federation back to the drawing-room.
The former Barcelona winger who led Nigeria to U-17 glory in Chile in 2015, rued the performances of the Golden Eaglets and the Flying Eagles at their respective World Cups and suggests a return to effective grooming system to turn the tide.
“We have the talents to qualify for major age-grade events and do well but, we seem to have deviated from that winning formula,” Amuneke said.
“Sound developmental programs will curb age cheat that has always impeded the seamless transition of players to the next grade.
“Nigeria failed to go far at the U-17 and U-20 World Cups so, it should be a cause for concern for our administrators.”
One particular player that enjoyed a seamless transition from the U-17 under the former Taifa stars coach is Lille hit-man, Victor Osimhen.
Others are Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze and Wilfred Ndidi.
The 20-year-old was part of the Golden Eaglets side that won Nigeria her fifth U-17 title in Chile scoring 10 goals to win the Golden Boot award.
The 49-year-old who Osimhen recently credited for his meteoric rise to stardom thanked former NFF Chairman, Aminu Maigari, for giving him the freedom to nurture and select stars like Osimhen.
“I have to say a big thank you to Aminu Maigari who backed our programme in 2012 and allowed us choose players on merit and not based on where you come from or who is your ‘Godfather’.
”We should allow players from academies play the age-grade competitions. Whether they win or lose is not the thing. Look at Osimhen, Ndidi, and others. They are making us proud now.
“Tell me, how will a league player still be 17 years old and he features in the league regularly? We should do things properly.
“During our days, coaches like James Peters brought out the best in us with hard work. It is not only about winning but also shaping the individual to be responsible to himself, society and world at large.”
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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