As reactions continue to trail the recent poor outing of Nigeria’s cadet national team, Golden Eaglets, at the West African Football Union (WAFU)-B U17 Championship, a suggestion has come for a return to the same formula that saw the team rule the world in 1993.
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Sports247 recalls that the Eaglets’ squad of 1993 won the FIFA U17 World Cup in Japan with Ambassador Fanny Ikhayere Amun at the helm of affairs, blessed with immense talents like Nwankwo Kanu, Celestine Babayaro, Mobi Oparaku and others.
To complement his array of talents, Amun (aka Transformer of Talents), who later became technical director and secretary-general of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), flourished with long-term camping of his team in Lagos.
Another factor that helped Amun clinch Nigeria’s second global title at the Cadet Mundial was his ability to embark on a nationwide tour with his squad and undertake continuous tinkering of the roster under critical assessment from observers.
Although 33 years have passed since Amun’s heroics in ‘The Land of the Rising Sun,’ his approach that led to success has been suggested by veteran grassroots football coach, Chijioke Gabriel Osuagwu as the way forward for Nigeria’s cadet team.
Osuagwu, who has also worked as head coach at Abia Warriors of Umuahia and Heartland of Owerri as well as assistant to Finidi George at Enyimba of Aba, also recalled the extensive approach that equally helped Sebastian Brodericks-Imasuen win the inaugural competition of 1985 in China.
He equally recalled the exploits of other heroic coaches who also won the FIFA U17 World Cup for Nigeria – Yemi Tello in 2007, Manu Garba in 2013 and Emmanuel Amuneke in 2015 – then called on egg heads of the NFF to answer questions regarding four failures in recent years.
Osuagwu expatiated in an exclusive chat with Sports247: “It is quite unfortunate that what we saw in the days of Brodericks did not reflect in this team. What we saw from Fanny Amun did not reflect in this team.
“What we saw from Amuneke did not reflect in this team. What we saw from Coach Tella did not reflect in this team and what we saw from Manu Garba did not reflect in this team.
“So, it’s time we start to address the situation properly. Let’s use our mind very well and know the right thing to do. The youth who will help us replace old players in the Super Eagles are no longer coming.”
The outspoken tactician, who earlier made top marks in Lagos with National Grassroots Dream Team and later at Diamond Football Academy of Umuahia, concluded with a stern view that camping the Eaglets in Abuja is not the best approach to building the team, as no one will be there to critically assess the squad’s progression.
“Moving forward, the selection of players for the Golden Eaglets must not be a self-centred thing. They must stop packing all sorts of players to Abuja, where they are recycled and hidden away from critical assessment.
“We must go back to the way Fanny Amun prepared his team for Japan ’93. He did a yeoman’s job and his effort was seen at the tournament. His results even later helped the Super Eagles.
“That’s unlike today, when we see any Dick and Harry everywhere. Those who cannot even make their state’s squad are now in the under-17 national team through the backdoor.
“It’s quite appalling and it’s got to a level in which we should be totally ashamed of ourselves. So, let them go ahead and reform the NFF. Let them make changes and let’s get back to where we belong,” Osuagwu posited.
