Former Junior International, Soga Sambo, has expressed apprehension regarding the delayed appointment of the coach for the national U-17 team, with barely five weeks remaining until the WAFU U-17 championship in Ghana.
Sambo voiced his concerns over the timing of the decision, questioning the efficacy of the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) approach.
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“Yeah, I don’t know. Sometimes, I don’t know how they do their things. Seriously, we Nigerians, we should try and change,” he remarked. “I don’t know whether they are trying to set someone up or something.”
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Sambo emphasized the need for immediate action to assemble players and begin preparations.
“At the end of the day, they will say he is not giving results. Now, they are giving him a job,” Sambo noted.
“Let them even try to assemble players even though he is not going to be the one training them.”
Sambo suggested that appointing the coach sooner would facilitate player selection and training, thus maximizing the limited time available.
“When they assemble players, they have appointed Manu Garba as head coach now,” he explained. “At least, it will be easier for him because already players are on the ground training. His own is just to call for the players to start blending.”
Expressing scepticism about the efficacy of the scouting process given the time constraints, Sambo urged the NFF to consider the implications of their decisions carefully.
“Now, they’re going to start a scouting program across the state looking for players to fill for the under-17,” he observed.
“Okay, tell me, how long are they going to do it? To look for the players, and we have one month, one week.”
Soga Sambo called for greater consideration and efficiency in the selection process to ensure the success of the national U-17 team in upcoming competitions.
