The appointment of respected youth development coaches Olumide Ajibolade and Isa Abdullahi to the technical crew of Nigeria’s U-17 national team has continued to attract praise across the country’s football community.
Enough Rangers U19 Coach, and youth football figure Coach Felix Ifeanyi Nwosu popularly known Coach Abacha described the appointments as a “round peg in a round hole,” applauding the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for assembling what many believe is a technically sound coaching team capable of restoring the lost glory of the Golden Eaglets.
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The newly constituted crew will work under head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere, popularly known as Ebo Uwe, with highly-rated youth tactician Olumide Ajibolade joining as assistant coach, while Isa Abdullahi takes charge of the goalkeepers.
Reacting to the appointments, Coach Felix expressed confidence in the trio’s ability to reposition Nigeria at youth level.
“Round pegs in round holes. Congratulations Coach Olumide of Beyond Limits and Coach Isa Abdullahi of Sporting Lagos. May God guide and give you wisdom to support Coach Ebo Uwe in returning Nigeria to her past glory when we conquered the world at youth competitions,” he said.
Ajibolade arrives at the national team setup with a glowing reputation built at Beyond Limits Football Academy, where he has become one of Nigeria’s most admired youth coaches.
Under his leadership, the academy recorded historic achievements, including becoming the first African side to win the prestigious Viareggio Cup in Italy and also lifting the Gothia Cup title in Sweden.
The tactician also guided Beyond Limits to multiple domestic youth titles and played a major role in developing several elite Nigerian talents, including players who have progressed to European football.
On the other hand, Isa Abdullahi brings extensive experience as both a former professional goalkeeper and coach. Currently serving at Sporting Lagos, he has earned recognition for his work in goalkeeper development and his tactical understanding of the game.
Abdullahi previously represented Nigeria in beach soccer and later rose to become head coach of the Super Sand Eagles.
His appointment to the Golden Eaglets setup is seen as another strategic move aimed at strengthening the team’s technical depth.
With Nigeria seeking a return to dominance at FIFA youth tournaments, expectations are already rising that the combination of Ebo Uwe’s data driven leadership, Ajibolade’s developmenAndroid expertise, and Abdullahi’s experience could usher in a new era for the Golden Eaglets, and have all lost glory restored.
