NFF must shun outdated coaches eyeing youth national teams

Once again, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is set to call for applications from suitably qualified coaches to fill the existing vacant positions in the country’s cadet national teams. The needed coaches are for the Dream Team (U-23), the Flying Eagles (U-20), the Golden Eaglets (U-17 boys) and the Flamingos (U-17 girls). NFF’s plan to […]

Once again, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is set to call for applications from suitably qualified coaches to fill the existing vacant positions in the country’s cadet national teams. The needed coaches are for the Dream Team (U-23), the Flying Eagles (U-20), the Golden Eaglets (U-17 boys) and the Flamingos (U-17 girls).

NFF’s plan to engage new coaches for the youth national teams couldn’t have come at a better time, considering that the present deplorable state of the teams is becoming alarming. Nigeria is no longer where it used to be in youth football; no thanks to inept coaches.

We all are aware that the major bane of the teams has been the failure of Nigeria’s football authorities to shun sentiments and personal interests in the appointment of coaches. It is disturbing to know that most times, these teams are entrusted in the care of coaches who are either incompetent or completely outdated. However, because most of them are highly connected, they are constantly recycled to the detriment of the country and the teams they are assigned to handle.

Without any doubt, some of them have paid their dues in Nigerian football, but over-dependence on some of these obsolete coaches has greatly harmed Nigeria’s youth football development. Apart from the U-17 World Cup he won in 2013, Coach Manu Garba’s subsequent years as manager of the Golden Eaglets didn’t add any value to the team. It is indeed sad to note that since 2015 when we last won the U-17 World Cup, the Golden Eaglets have failed to qualify for the last five editions.

Sadly, for most of the time the team failed to qualify, it was Garba who was in charge of the selection of players and prosecution of the qualifiers. One is not putting the whole blame on him, but it was evident that he had nothing new to bring to the team. Yet, the NFF continued to keep him in the seat, while younger coaches with proven abilities to revive the team watched from afar.

Similarly, the president of Nigerian Football Coaches Association, Ladan Bosso, who emerged as the longest serving manager of the Flying Eagles, failed to justify the confidence reposed in him by the NFF. After spending close to two decades as coach of the junior Super Eagles, he can’t boast of a major trophy he won with the team. Clearly, he had nothing new to offer the Flying Eagles, but the football federation kept bringing him back while the team continued to lose its dominance even in Africa.

So, now that another opportunity has come for the NFF to appoint new coaches to reinvigorate and reposition the teams, those who have become serial failures with the youth teams should be avoided like a leprosy infected hand. The NFF is free to continue to patronise the coaches who have faded but they shouldn’t be brought close to the youth teams again. What these teams need urgently are young and vibrant coaches with fresh ideas to transform the teams.

Furthermore, we can’t discuss the poor performances of the youth national teams without a mention of the negative roles of football agents, and owners of football academies, who have literally hijacked the teams for their selfish interests. It is common knowledge that some of these agents and academy owners are so powerful that they don’t only influence the selection of players, they also determine who is appointed to coach any of the teams. This makes it easy for the agents to remote control the coaches who become indebted to them. 

Even as the contributions of some agents and academy owners to youth football development can’t be overstated, it is also necessary to recognise the sad fact that most of them often engage in acts that are inimical to the success of the youth teams. Of course, their primary objective is to project their players to the world for lucrative contracts. So, they always put their interest first before national pride.

Anyway, as the NFF moves to hire new coaches, the federation must be wary of those who are on the payroll of some of these wealthy agents and owners of football academies. Moreover, some of the coaches themselves have become players’ agents. Therefore, even when they are not collaborating with licensed agents, they still find a way to be a part of youth players’ future professional contracts. Anytime they engage in this fraudulent act, they relegate national interest to the background.  

It is also necessary to advise the federation to do something about its staff who are deployed to the youth national teams as secretaries. Most times, the coaches take almost a reasonable chunk of the blame for the failures of the teams, but beyond the surface lies a serious issue which has to do with the overbearing influence of the secretaries.

Most of these powerful secretaries are said to have the backing of some bigwigs in the NFF, so they behave like demi-gods; most times imposing players on the coaches, and even threatening to have them sacked if they refuse to do their bidding. Therefore, apart from getting new coaches for the teams, the NFF must ensure that such powerful officials who have become “permanent secretaries” are removed to create a more conducive atmosphere for the incoming coaches to succeed.

Moreover, there is always the temptation to apply a quota system in the recruitment of youth team coaches. This is an ever-present problem that must be addressed squarely by the NFF. When merit is sacrificed on the altar of tribalism, ethnicity or quota system, it inevitably produces square pegs in round holes. The first thing to be considered shouldn’t be where a coach comes from, the language he speaks, or letter of recommendation, but his professional credentials and experience.

As earlier stated, what the teams need urgently to regain their lost glory are technologically backed football tacticians. And they can be recruited from any part of the country. I am tempted to mention names, but I have to maintain neutrality to give some credibility to my solemn position against the recycling of failed coaches.

Indeed, it is better we allow politicians to sink Nigeria’s democracy with zoning and quota systems. We all know that in Nigerian politics, mediocre politicians are most times bestowed with leadership positions, simply because they are favoured by zoning formula or arrangement. If we extend this retrogressive policy to football – the opium of the Nigerian masses – we would have ourselves to blame.