By Coach Uni Dan KAKWI
From the streets of Lagos, Akure, Ibadan, Ijebu-ode, Oshogbo, Ondo, Okitipupa, across the entire southwest to the red sand streets of Benin city, Sapele, Warri, Agbor, Abudu, Asaba, Oghara, Ozoro, down to Port Harcourt, Calabar, Uyo, Ndoni, Obigbo, Yenegoa, Aba, Umuahia, Owerri, Oguta, Orlu, Akokwa, crossing Ihiala, Onitsha, Abakaliki, Nnewi, Abagana, Akwa, Heading to Enugu Nsuka, the entire south and southeast touching Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Zaria, Minna, Katangora, Dutse, Kaduna, Kano, Keffi entire Northern Nigeria.
Our coaches could not pick out just 18 Boys that will win the U 20. Over 15,000 boys journeyed to goal project Abuja bearing high hopes of being picked to represent their fatherland but all these hopes were dashed even before it set out. Some of these boys arrived at 2 am, 3 am.
Each of the 6 zones in Nigeria can present a U20 team to the world. The unique environment of Jos alone can present a team that will go all the way at the World Cup. Today we have over 50,000 eligible kids who our coaches can by merit pick from but no viable procedure and scouting accessibility.
We have failed not because we lack talents but because we lack God-fearing men to lead us, Someone will ask but we got it right before, yes we did use a method that didn’t always reward.
Technically, I have witnessed the selection of players to represent Nigeria Youth teams(U17, U20) from the portals of the Rojenny stadium-to Goal project in Abuja 2017 and watched our youth team handlers demonstrate their god-like authority, sentiments, and corrupted#there has not been any different.
Significantly, many may not know what we have lost for these last 5years after our U17 and U20 performed woefully; without achieving much…Even though is not about winning from the cadet level _ exposure and development matter.
The question is – did we expose and developed the right players?
Purposeful, the following players are products of these events_Obi Mikel, Ogenyi Onazi, Efe Ambrose, Kanu Nwankwo, Jay Jay Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Chris Ohenhe, The Ibadan Lawal Brothers, Suleiman Mohammed, can’t just continue because it is endless. National youth teams U17, U20 have given us more stars than our league in the last 20years the result is not a secret.
98% of our players that played for European big Teams are from these school(U17, U20) Ajax (Kanu, Tijani) Barcelona (Amunike, Okonowo)Madrid saw( Adepoju, Ugbade) Juventus (Oliseh) Inter Milan( Taribo, Papilo) Milan (Taribo, Taiwo)Lazio( Onazi, Sani) Chelsea (Babayaro, Mikel, Omerua) Arsenal ( Papilo, Nwakali) Liverpool (Awoniyi) Man city ( Iheanacho, Nwakali) Osimhen(Napoli)…
Just to mention a few.
We have just recorded the result of the saying” we become tomorrow what we do today”
