Ladan Bosso, who led Nigeria’s U-20 national team in the recently concluded FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Argentina, has strongly denied allegations that he demanded money from players in order to include them in the squad for the competition.
Claims had emerged suggesting that players who were more deserving were dropped from the team because they could not afford the alleged financial requests made by the coaching staff.
This issue of coaches allegedly seeking gratification in player selection has not been limited to Bosso alone. Nduka Ugbade, coach of the Golden Eaglets, and Salisu Yusuf, coach of the national U-23 team, have also faced similar accusations in relation to their respective squads. Ugbade allegedly dropped players who were unable to pay for inclusion, while Yusuf faced similar claims following the failure of both the home-based Eagles and the U-23 team to qualify for the African Nations Championship and the African U-23 Nations Cup, respectively.
Although Nigeria’s Flying Eagles suffered a defeat in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup against South Korea, Bosso, who is currently seeking re-election as president of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, has vehemently denied any involvement in the alleged financial impropriety. During a radio program in Lagos, he emphasized that he does not compromise his job and that no one can claim to have provided him with any benefits to secure a place in his team. Bosso called for increased support from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure coaches have the necessary resources and avoid situations where they are forced to select players who should not be included in their squads.
There are rumors circulating that Bosso is being considered as a potential replacement for Salisu Yusuf as the coach of the U-23 national team, which failed to secure a spot in the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament determines Africa’s representatives for the football event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. However, these reports remain unconfirmed at this time.
Bosso highlighted the achievements of his team, noting that they defeated Italy, a feat no other Nigerian team had accomplished before, and also secured a victory against Argentina on their home ground for the first time. Despite Nigeria’s recent underwhelming performances in international competitions, Bosso emphasized the need for comprehensive support from the NFF to enable coaches to fulfill their roles effectively and select the most deserving players for national teams.
