The leadership of the Football Coaches Association of African Nations (FCAAN) has heaped plaudits on the Nigeria Football Federation for organizing the recent Coaches’ Instructors Course, which took place at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project, MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja last week.
Speaking from his base in the United States of America, President of FCAAN, Dr. Terry Babatunde Eguaoje said the one-week course, with the full support of the NFF leadership, was a further manifestation of the understanding and appreciation of the importance of coaching education on the part of the NFF top hierarchy.
“For aeons now, lack of proper and deliberate transfer of knowledge and the poor education of Nigerian coaches have been blamed for the unflattering state of the domestic game. Now, we have an NFF administration that is committed to changing the situation and we must support them to accomplish this noble mission.
“We believe that more knowledgeable coaches will translate to better players and a better standard of the Nigeria game, which will improve the performance of our Clubs at the continental level and also rub off on the various National Teams in their quests for honour at the international level,” Dr Eguaoje said.
Director of FCAAN Coaching Education, Ambassador Henry Abiodun, who was a resource person at the one-week course that had 32 coaches in attendance, said the President of NFF, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, the General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, and indeed the entire NFF Board have opened a new vista for Nigerian football especially in the area of coaching education. Abiodun believes the new development will fast-track football development in Nigeria.
Eguaoje also praised the NFF Technical Department headed by the Technical Director, Coach Austin Eguavoen for driving the lofty initiative, and promised that the FCAAN will explore the opportunity created by the Federation to engage some of these instructors in FCAAN courses, to the financial benefit of the instructors.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Football Association (ODFA) in conjunction with FCAAN has concluded plans to organize a Grassroots Football Coaching Course for 100 coaches, as part of its commitment to developing the game of football and those involved in the state.
The training will have 75 coaches drawn from the 18 local government areas of Ondo State and five invitees from each of other five South-Western States, making 100 in all. The purpose of the coaching program is to give opportunities to 100 grassroots football coaches that are without any coaching certificates.
ODFA expects that the coaches who would be participating from within Ondo State must come through their local government football association chairmen. Also, those from the other South-Western States are expected to be recommended by their State FA chairmen.
The participating and certificate fees of all the 100 coaches will be paid for by the Ondo State Football Association in conjunction with FCAAN.
