Nigeria Golden Eaglets don miss out on the African U17 Cup of Nations again, and Nasarawa State grassroots coach Rabo Bala Okoye say prayer or luck no go fix the problem. The Eaglets draw 1-1 with Cote d’Ivoire in their second match at the West African Football Union (WAFU)-B U17 Championship inside Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Dem lose the first game 2-1 to Niger Republic, and the draw no reach to give dem semi-final ticket. Na that result knock Nigeria out of the U17 AFCON for third straight edition.
Sports247 report say the coach, wey also be sporting director at Si14 FC of Keffi, put his suggestions inside long article wey e share for social media. Among the things wey e list, e talk say Golden Eaglets need longer camping periods, make NFF stop open screening, look closer at school football, start geo-political scouting, and improve welfare for the players.
The coach still yan say Nigeria without Golden Eaglets be like Brazil without Samba. E talk say Nigeria be most successful team for FIFA U-17 World Cup history with five titles for 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015. E name Kanu Nwankwo, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze and Taiwo Awoniyi as some players wey the country don produce. But e add say for last 10 years, Nigeria no qualify for back-to-back FIFA U-17 World Cups and even fail at WAFU level. Ghana, Burkina Faso and Senegal dey dominate now, according to am.
E talk say the team dead, but reviving Golden Eaglets no be about prayer or luck, na about returning to a SYSTEM. For him blueprint, e call for true age-grade football and end to age cheating. E add say NFF must enforce MRI test at U-13 and U-15 level, not just U-17.
