As someone heavily involved in grassroots football for close to two decades now, Mr. Charles Emordi knows a thing or two about the state of local football in Nigeria.
In a chat with Sports247 during the just concluded “Game On”, Festac edition, Mr. Emordi claimed that grassroots football in the country has been neglected.
He adds that the lack of proper funding and the fact that scouts no longer invest in players like before makes it hard for most players to make the grade.
“You find out that over the years there has been neglect in the grassroots football,” he told Sports247.
“There’s no funding anymore. I give you an example now; I run a football academy for 18 years I don’t have any sponsor. And I have been running my money for a very long time on it.
“There’s no sponsors and scouts do not come in anymore like we use to have scouts in those days. It’s not easy. That’s why you see most players stay very old.
“They stay up to 30 years no movement. They spend their young age in the grassroots. Because the funding is very, very poor.”
Emordi reiterates that things were much better in the past compared to the present. And that’s not a question of there being talented players.
“I think the organization was much better in the early stage. It was much better than scouts will just come in, put their money, take players out without asking for anything. But now you can’t just do it.
“I think we have better talents but the problem we have is funding and no access to having proper agents and good managers.”
