We have made constructive efforts at providing you with all the bits that made the lot of the just concluded South West Zone phase of the Berackiah/Abigol Football Coaching Clinic.
Featuring about 12 sessions of training which include Theory and Practical, the clinic provided a great opportunity for Nigerian Coaches to learn, re-learn, and un-learn football concepts of various ideologies.
Gian Marco as a Goalkeeper Trainee is one of the resource people from Italy. He was able to share his knowledge with Nigerian Coaches on the fundamentals of coaching and getting the best out of goalkeepers.
Speaking to Berackiah/Abigol Media Team at the sideline of the event he said:
“I feel honored to be here and I want to thank all the people who have worked to make this project happen and make it possible for me to come”
Marco believes he is just privileged to impact on the coaches and not a ‘teacher’ who wants to teach what has not been taught before.
“What I want to do is to exchange my knowledge with the locals. I have found very prepared coaches in this course and so I am finding myself comfortable. So it’s just a first step and every journey begins with a step and we are to start.
Marco spoke highly of Nigerian Coaches for keeping the passion alive despite the myriad of socio-economic challenges and difficulties they have got to deal with.
“I admire their passion because in Europe where I came from, we have plenty of infrastructures which are lacking here in Africa and despite that, they didn’t quit and they are working in a situation that we in Europe can’t even imagine if we find such a situation with the lack of materials, infrastructure, most of the people in Europe would have quit”.
“I am not teaching anything it is a win to win the project, I learn something they learn something we are exchanging Knowledge so I am feeling better with that Marco said.
From NLO to NPFL : Marco has a dream
“I want this project to reach the topmost especially as we are starting with the lower tier of the league,we want to reach the second tier and the top division of the league and even all over Africa.
Roberto Bassi is another resource person who has taken the participants through the dynamism of the game.
He said in his words: “I am very happy to be here.
The last few days we have spent, the level of Nigerian Coaches concentration to the programme is good and they are willing to learn so I hope this programme will in the future be a point of reckoning”
Mathew Olorunleke is the CEO of Abigol Football Management and a co-facilitator of the clinic. As one of the brains behind the project, he believes the potential of Nigerian Coaches will help them scale the height coupled with what the clinic has offered.
“It is not easy this is the first time, we are trying to cope to make it better and I must say from what I have seen, the Coaches are able to learn and are trying to cope as well.
Bridging the Gap and hopes
For Mathew, there is always the need to do more. He expressed the need to bridge the gap between talents and those who tend to develop them.
If Nigeria can have one of the expensive players in the market and we have players that are doing well in Europe, It will be very wrong to say Nigeria Coaches are not good. For us, we have discovered the missing link and now keen to bridge the gap.
He argued that if Nigeria players are doing well abroad, that means Nigerian Coaches are good just that there is a need to keep developing themselves in tune with what is obtainable in the advanced world.
Coach Siji Lagunju is the Assistant Director of Training and Development at the NFF and as a veteran Coach himself, he preached the significance for Coaches to develop themselves taking into cognizance the principles of intellectuality, technicality, tactically, medically, and physically.
High Chief Festus Adegboye Onigbinde was the cynosure of all eyes at the 5-day clinic.
An ‘encyclopedia many will call him. The CAF/FIFA instructor urged all the participants to be inquisitive, impactful, and be selfless in the course of their duty saying that integrity is another integral part of the job.
While noting the parallels between football administrators and coaches, the octogenarian appealed to all the participants not to lose focus and continue to do their best for the country adding that there must be unity of purpose in their ranks across the country.
116 coaches who attended the coaching clinic have now been given their certificates with the hope that the effects of their newly acquired knowledge will bear a positive impact on Nigeria football.
The clinic train will now move to South-South and South East Zone where schedules will be held from 1st-5th of February in Asaba, Delta State.
The North Central and North East Zone programme will also hold in Lafia, Nasarawa State from 8th-12th February.
