Nigerian football is obviously going through a rough time, with crisis everywhere. In this article Temitope Lawal explains how some of the problems Nigerian football is facing could be tackled effectively
Yes we need change! Political pun not intended! Change in the sense that we have to bring in new ideas to erase the old ones we are accustomed to. Nigerians love football and its saddens my heart to see us struggle to qualify for tournaments with the abundance of players we have both home and abroad.
Am no football analyst but i can tell you football starts from the grass roots,from youth tournaments to the national league. We could change football administartors, coaches and players and still struggle to represent our beloved nation, we need a better approach towards improving our football. Firstly our youth system need proper monitioring and exposure,we have seen so many talents get wasted because they didnt get enough attention to fulfill their potential,one cant help but fancy european teams style of play yet we must not forget greatest players who made names for themselves today where given attention opportunities to showcase their talents.
Secondly our football league needs change! ranging from sponsorships to restructuring. Having watched nigerian football league a few times I couldn’t help but imagine how far we are compared to european leagues. Even our South-African counterparts have packaged their league to an extent that they attract players from all over Africa, we should work towards that too.
Lastly I want us to review our mode of picking players for the national team, it is sad to see a player that cannot command a starting shirt in their various clubs become our first choice,yet we have other players who play week in week out not getting recognised. We should stop picking players depending on their name rather than form and ability when the need arises. With the aboundance of talents have seen over the years am sure we can produce a new team for every tournament if there is a need for it. I would suggest we act fast before 2017, so we could to show the world what we are capalble of; that we are gaints of africa and we must lead by example.
About Author:
Temitope Lawal ( contributing staff )
He is a passionate football lover who also likes reading and exploring the world! #Arsenal
@irockyourjunk
