Former Nigeria U17 head coach Manu Garba has blamed the decline within the nation’s youth soccer success on structural modifications launched in the course of the tenure of ex-Nigeria Soccer Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick, Soccernet.ng stories.
Nigeria’s once-dominant U17 aspect — the Golden Eaglets — have seen a pointy downturn in fortunes in recent times.
The workforce has failed to copy the heights of their 2013 and 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup triumphs and can miss each the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar after failing to qualify.
Garba, who led Nigeria to the 2013 U17 World Cup title within the United Arab Emirates, mentioned the workforce’s failure is rooted in Pinnick’s controversial determination to take away match bonuses for age-grade groups.
“One purpose is that the removing of match bonuses for age grade groups by former NFF president Amaju Pinnick did extra hurt than good as paying match bonus was a type of motivation,” Garba informed the Nation.
“We’ve got seen that after we received the AFCON U17 Match in Togo 2007, FIFA U17 World Cup in South Korea, and our AFCON U17 qualifying matches in 2013, AFCON U17 and FIFA U17 World Cup within the UAE. It’s (allowances and match-winning bonus) a type of extrinsic motivation.”
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Pinnick took over the reins of the NFF in 2014, a 12 months after Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets received the U17 World Cup for the fourth time.
Underneath his watch, the workforce claimed one other title in 2015, with standout performances from Victor Osimhen, who netted 10 objectives to win the Golden Boot, and Kelechi Nwakali, who claimed the Participant of the Match.
However Garba mentioned issues rapidly modified after that success.
He claimed that shortly after lifting the 2015
World Cup, Pinnick discontinued fee of match bonuses to gamers in youth classes—a transfer he believes destroyed the motivational construction that had lengthy pushed success on the U17 stage.
Garba additionally maintains {that a} poor preparation schedule for the Golden Eaglets has performed as a lot of a dangerous position because the removing of match bonuses.
“Aside from the 2013 and 2015 FIFA World Cup-winning groups coached by me and Emmanuel Amuneke that had gotten ample preparation, the opposite technology of gamers after these feats couldn’t get sufficient time in camp to gel collectively and play cohesively,” Garba defined.
“In contrast to the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup-winning workforce within the UAE that had stayed collectively for months even earlier than the AFCON U17 Match; and that defined why that workforce nonetheless holds the World Cup report of scoring 25 objectives and conceding solely 4, successful essentially the most priceless participant award, greatest goalkeeper, second high scorer and honest play Trophy and Gold Medal.”
Since their final world triumph in 2015, Nigeria’s U17 workforce has didn’t make a major impression. They final received the Africa U17 Cup of Nations in 2007 and now face a second consecutive absence from the FIFA U17 World Cup.
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele turns right into a ball of ardour when writing about Nigerian soccer and its skills, whether or not rising stars or established legends, regionally and overseas.
From the deepest corners of the Center East, to the inexperienced fields of the Americas, to the celebrated grounds in Europe, and the wealthy soils of Africa, Imhons is greater than glad, normally with a glass of a tasty drink close by, to seize the essence of the sport, by connecting the dots between tradition, id, and soccer.
