A Lagos-based grassroots coach, Angel Ebiye Jombo has called for the introduction of inter-local government football competitions as a way of reviving the round leather game in Nigeria.
Coach Jombo stated this among other solutions while airing his views in ‘Hot Seat’ segment of Inside Naija Sports, a live streaming programme on YouTube from the studio of Sports247 Naija TV, every Friday at 11:44am.
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The founder and head coach of United Squad Football Academy of Kosofe also added the need for better facilities, financial grants, opening useful affiliations and supply of sports equipment as other necessary corrective measures.
He further pointed out, “There should be competitions every time in all the states. Mini stadiums should be built everywhere and school pitches must be made accessible to all youth clubs.
“There are some areas in this country where you can’t see a good pitch. You find it hard to find a standard 11-a-side field and you have to make do with a small space.
“Apart from that, most good pitches are in public schools, but getting permission to use them is always very difficult. These are things that state FAs should work on – to help us get permission from schools and be able to use their pitches.
“As a grassroots football coach, I don’t have enough money to pay for a school’s pitch that I want to use. This means we can’t bring up talents the way we want to.”
Jombo then turned his focus fully on financial matters and pointed out that world football governing body, FIFA normally gives football development grants to its member associations, which he believes Nigeria also beenefits from.
He expatiated, “We know that there’s some money FIFA gives every year to each country’s FA as grants that are meant to be sent to grassroots teams.
“The NFF should use such money to build muni-stadiums, provide footballs, give out kits and supply equipment to various youth teams.
“They must give attention to teams at the grassroots, because football cannot grow without a foundation.”
He concluded by advocating a progressive structure of football development from the local governments, to state levels and then youth national teams in order to instil a well-organised approach to development of the game in Nigeria.
“States should organise tournaments from the local governments and divisional level. Each of them should have a standing team with players brought together from various communities.
“Each local government will provide their best players for a team that will be something like Lagos United, comprising talents from all the local governments.
“They will play up to state level in a progressive format that would help us get an organised way of selecting players for the youth national teams,” Jombo posited.
