Former Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Barrister Chris Green, has delivered a scathing verdict on the state of Nigerian football, declaring that the country’s youth development system has completely collapsed, and blaming it on years of neglect, incompetence, and the rise of unregulated academies.
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In a brutally honest assessment, Green said Nigeria has made “zero progress” in youth football over the last few years, warning that the foundation of the sport has crumbled while administrators look the other way.
“There has been no development. Youth football in Nigeria is in a very poor state; it’s practically dead,” he said.
He lamented that instead of structured development programmes, national scouting frameworks, and continuous training pathways, the country has handed over its future stars to what he described as “questionable academies”.
“We have left our youth talent in the hands of people who lack proper knowledge, proper structure, or proper vision. How can we expect good results?” Green asked.
The former CAF committee member said the decline has been obvious for years, pointing out that the domestic league once capable of producing top-quality players is no longer nurturing talents who can comfortably represent Nigeria at U-17, U-20, or even senior levels.
“The league used to produce bright players that made Nigeria proud. Today, that pipeline is dry. We are no longer grooming the kind of players who can help the national team,” he added.
Green argued that without a strong youth system, Nigeria will continue to recycle ageing players, struggle for consistency, and fall behind nations with proper developmental models.
He also criticised leadership at various levels of football administration for lacking competence, strategic direction, and the willingness to overhaul a broken system.
“We can’t progress when the structure is weak and those in charge lack the knowledge and exposure required to run football properly,” he said.
Green challenged the NFF to urgently rebuild youth football through proper academies, certified coaching, modern scouting, and nationwide competitions that actively identify and groom talent.
His final warning was stark, “If we don’t fix youth football now, the Super Eagles will continue to fail, and the decline will only get worse.”
