Former Golden Eaglets head coach John Obuh has blamed Nigeria’s recent slump in the under-17 level on undue interference from agents and administrators in the selection of players.
Obuh, who led the Golden Eaglets to a silver medal at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, stated this in an interview with Brila FM.
He noted that inadequate preparation and persistent external interference in team affairs have affected the team’s progress at major competitions, leading to disappointing performances and a failure to qualify for recent tournaments.
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“Bringing the likes of Amuneke back, who won with the Eaglets, isn’t the issue it’s the attention being given to them that matters.
“If you give the team attention and work that team up to want to get results, you will definitely get results. I think there is a lot of interruptions in the selection of players today.
“A lot of people want their players to be picked. There’s the question of nepotism and tribalism. We don’t have a coach that will say, ‘I am selecting my team if I fail, sack me.’ Unfortunately, most of them today play to the hands of the person who gave them the job.
“When they fail, it becomes a problem no one will come to own up, and they will sack you. So let the coaches who are given this job stand their ground and take the best out of the players they feel are qualified. If they fail, sack them but allow them to do their job.”
