Heartland FC of Owerri’s former head coach, Chijioke Gabriel Osuagwu, has raised doubts over the possibility of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical buffs accepting a suggestion by ex-international striker Victor Nosa Ikpeba regarding employing scouts all across the country.
Ikpeba told Sports247 at the start of this week that a major solution to recent setbacks hitting the under-17 national team, Golden Eaglets, would be the presence of NFF’s scouts to monitor emerging talents at the grassroots in all six geo-political zones of the country.
The 1997 African Footballer of the Year also suggested a more enhanced and progressive focus on the current under-15 national team, Baby Eagles, as a credible source and verifiable process of developing talents for the Eaglets.
However, in an instant and skeptical reaction to Ikpeba’s suggestions, Coach Chijioke, who worked with National Grassroots Dream Team before moving into a series of national league clubs, opined that personal interests among football officials will block any move to roll out talent hunt scouts nationwide.
The vastly experienced coach, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, further insinuated that ethnic issues will also play a key role in blocking efforts by anyone to put in place a concrete and well-articulated approach towards relaunching the Eaglets based on merit.
The tactician fondly called Oburuonu, who handled 2015 Eaglets winger, Samuel Chukwueze and captain of the side, Kelechi Nwakali at Diamond Football Academy of Umuahia, before they went on to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, alleged further that NFF officials always have a hidden agenda for the cadet national team.
“Victor Ikpeba, they won’t even listen to this your request, cos they could imagine that it may not benefit them. Kudos to them, bros, they know the game,” Osuagwu stated cynically in a comment he posted on a social media platform.
Sports247 reports further that the outspoken gaffer pointed out that experts of grassroots football and coaches with proven track records in youth development should be saddled with handling the Eaglets, not people who lobby for appointments by the NFF.
Osuagwu, who also previously handled Stationery Stores, Flamingos, Nigerdock and AS Racines of Lagos as well as Abia Warriors of Umuahia, Bussdor of Umuko and Police Machine of Owerri, also called for a transparent approach to the issue of reviving the Eaglets.
