A UEFA B-licence coach and football consultant based in Sweden, Martins Moses Ebuka has charged officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to turn their focus fully on activities at the grassroots in order to bring about a much desired revival for the under-17 national team, Golden Eaglets.
Ebuka, who runs a youth development agency named MSports Links, stated in an exclusive interview with Sports247 that officials of the NFF have turned football planning upside down by putting more attention on the senior teams instead of those at the age-grade cadres.
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Speaking against the backdrop of the Golden Eaglets’ inability to qualify for three straight editions of the FIFA U17 World Cup and the cadet female team, Flamingos recently beaten 4-0 by Italy, after managing to qualify from their group as a best loser, following two earlier defeats, Ebuka stressed that the NFF must go back to the roots.
He declared emphatically, “Football is about planning from the grassroots. Every country that is serious about gaining something big from football thinks about the grassroots. Without the roots, you can’t get a tree.
“So, the foundation is very important, and that’s where ww should start in our planning for the best results in football. You can’t leave the foundation or forget the roots and look at the tree.”
The youthful coach and football consultant, whose company and crew organised the third edition of their flagship competitions for senior females and under-13 boys, Addbrand Youth Cup, on Wednesday at Abalti Barracks near Ojuelegba in Lagos, further urged NFF officials to note that fruits cannot emerge unless there is a plant that has solid roots.
“Roots grow in a proper foundation and give rise to fruits. So, NFF, please do the right thing. Let’s take football back to the streets, back to the schools, take it back to the communities, and we will get fantastic players for our youth national teams,” Ebuka reiterated.
