I am starting from the scratch- Eaglets coach

The former coach of Gombe United was last Wednesday appointed coach of the U-17s and would be assisted by former internationals, Emmanuel Amunike, Nduka Ugbade and Emeka Amadi. Speaking to Feverpitch yesterday, the coach said there is nothing on ground for him to start with and so he would have to go round the country […]

The former coach of Gombe United was last Wednesday appointed coach of the U-17s and would be assisted by former internationals, Emmanuel Amunike, Nduka Ugbade and Emeka Amadi.

Speaking to Feverpitch yesterday, the coach said there is nothing on ground for him to start with and so he would have to go round the country in search of talented players who are within the stipulated age to build the next national U-17 team.

He said together with his assistants he would beam his searchlight on some of the established football academies across the country for players.

Apart from the academies, Garba said he would also monitor closely youth tournaments, especially those organized by bodies like YSFON where he hopes to discover talents.

The coach who was an assistant to late Yemi Tella in 2007 added that he would extend his search to some of the  feeder clubs as he said if properly checked, good players could be found among them.

“I am going to start from the scratch. There is nothing on ground for me to build on. This is going to be an entirely new team. My plan is to comb the nooks and crannies of this country for the best U-17 players.

“I will go round the established football academies to fish for talents. I will look at some of the feeder clubs of some of the Nigeria Premier League clubs. In addition, I intend to monitor youth tournaments for good players”.

The coach expressed readiness to hunt for talents as he said he is willing to face the daunting challenges ahead of him.

“This is the time that God wants me to handle the team. There is time for everything and I am not under any form of pressure. I have capable assistants and together we would build a formidable team.

“Moreover, I will need the support of all well meaning Nigerians to succeed. I may have the best ideas but if there is not support, my plans for the team may not work”.