With simply 4 weeks to the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles stay holed up in Abuja, coaching with out the advantage of worldwide pleasant matches.
This evident hole in preparation as soon as once more exposes the continual negligence of the Nigeria Soccer Federation (NFF) in terms of correctly equipping our nationwide groups for international challenges.
Head coach Aliyu Zubair has not been silent on the matter. He brazenly admitted after the WAFU B qualifiers that the Flying Eagles’ sluggish begins had been largely right down to the absence of friendlies.
His warning was clear: with out check matches towards robust opposition, the boys would wrestle to search out rhythm early in tournaments. But right here we’re, repeating the identical mistake forward of the largest youth competitors in world soccer. It’s inexcusable.
No critical footballing nation prepares for a World Cup with closed-door drills alone.
Coaching in Abuja could construct health, however it does nothing to organize gamers for the depth, velocity, and tactical variety they may face in Chile.
Nigeria is housed in the identical group as Norway and Saudi Arabia in Group F. South American aptitude, European tactical self-discipline, and Asian high-pressing soccer can’t be simulated in coaching periods.
Solely actual worldwide matches can expose the gamers, spotlight weaknesses, and sharpen their mentality.
Historical past has proven this clearly. Nigeria’s greatest youth outings, similar to Samson Siasia’s 2005 Flying Eagles or the 1989 squad that lit up Saudi Arabia, got here on the again of well-planned pleasant matches and worldwide friendlies.
On the flip facet, poor preparation with out check video games has too usually left Nigerian groups trying misplaced in opening matches, solely to recuperate when it’s already too late.
The NFF has as soon as once more failed in its responsibility. It’s not sufficient to assemble gamers and boast of tenting within the capital.
With out worldwide publicity, the Flying Eagles danger being undercooked, and the nation could also be compelled to look at one other gifted era fall quick on the worldwide stage not for lack of skill, however as a result of these in cost did not do the fundamentals.
If the federation actually values Nigeria’s status in world soccer, it should urgently safe high quality friendlies even when it means last-minute preparations in West Africa, North Africa, Europe, or South America.
Something much less could be a betrayal of the gamers’ efforts and the followers’ expectations. Expertise alone doesn’t win World Cups. Preparation does.
And proper now, the NFF is failing the Flying Eagles on that entrance, it’s not too late to act now.
