Another request has gone out to officials and top shots of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to give massive support to young players at the grassroots.
Sports247 reports that the latest request comes at a point when cogent questions are being asked about the rapid slump Nigeria is facing in age-grade football across Africa and globally.
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Passing on the request is Isiaka Ayodele Abiodun, an emerging striker with United Squad Football Academy of Kosofe, Lagos, who used his personal experiences on a daily basis to highlight the struggles grassroots players normally go through.
Abiodun made a herty request for assistance from the NFF while speaking on ‘Athlete’s Corner’ segment of Inside Naija Sports, a live streaming programme on YouTube from the studio of Sports247 Naija TV, starting at 11:45am every Friday.
While using himself as an example, Abiodun pointed out that young footballers struggle in terms of money for transportation and buying kits, while facing lack of adequate welfare and playing on bad pitches.
He pointed out, “As a grassroots player, I have a lot of challenges, especially in terms of finance. For instance, our club does not have a sponsor, so we have to struggle in order to take ourselves from one place to another.
“I love my coach, and I have been with only his team since I started playing football in 2010. To God be the glory, we are moving on, but there are many things we are lacking.
“He’s the only one that is grooming us all, and we give thanks to God for helping him. My coach encourages me a lot, and I always listen to him because of the guidance he is giving me.
“He always lets me know that to become a great footballer is not a day’s job, and I just need to keep on working harder in order to get there.”
Abiodun reasoned further that the effort he and his coach are putting up towards shaping his career and that of other lads in the team at Thomas Ajegunle area of Kosofe would have a bigger impact with adequate support from the NFF.
He added, “I will plead with the NFF to support us at the grassroots and that they should also help us develop the local league.
“If they give total support to grassroots football and the league, no young player will be thinking of going abroad to play football. They should put things right so that we young players can start from the league.
“If we will finally go to Europe, it would be after we have stabilised ourselves in the local league. That’s why they have to look closer at the grassroots and the league.”
He concluded by mentioning structural aspects that the NFF also has to urgently look into in order to encourage young players to grow in Nigeria before they start thinking of going abroad.
“Let the NFF provide all the equipment we need in the national league. They need to improve the standard of our stadiums and start showing our league matches on television.
“They have to bring out laws that will make the salaries and payments of players better. All these improvements will make young players satisfied to be playing in Nigeria instead of rushing to go abroad,” Abiodun submitted.
