Nigeria's Flying Eagles boss, Ladan Bosso, has emphasized the importance of proper scouting and selection of players for national teams, stating that he aims to avoid the mistakes made by the handlers of Nigeria's Olympic Eagles.
Bosso's comments come after the Olympic Eagles lost to Guinea in April, effectively knocking Nigeria out of the football event at the 2024 Olympic Games.
With the U-20 World Cup in Argentina just a little over two weeks away, Bosso revealed that he did a thorough job scouting the foreign players he invited to bolster the Flying Eagles' attack.
The coach stated that he was pleased with the players' positive feedback and that he and his team had gone to great lengths to research the players' performances in their respective leagues.
Bosso noted that only players who had been regulars in their teams would be considered for the Flying Eagles squad. He stressed that it was a grave mistake to invite players whose form and fitness levels were unknown, which could harm the team's performance.
The coach expressed his optimism that the Flying Eagles were on the right track to avoid the errors that had led to the Olympic Eagles' elimination.
“Thank God, everything about the (foreign-based) professionals has been positive,” Bosso told Nigerian Info. “We've been able to Google and download and get the statistics of the appearances of the foreign players we have invited in the last ten matches.
“So, if you're not a regular player in your team, you can't be here. All we are trying to do is to avoid the mistakes made by the Under-23.
“Because it's a grave mistake inviting players that you don't know their form. So, we have to take our corrections from there. And I think all things being equal, we are on the right way.”
Bosso also revealed that the Flying Eagles plan to play some Argentine clubs when they arrive in Argentina next week to further prepare for the U-20 World Cup.
Previous international friendlies with Niger and Benin Republic have been cancelled due to time constraints. However, Bosso is confident that his team will be adequately prepared for the tournament and will make Nigeria proud.
