Nigeria swiss based coach Adeyemi has called for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s youth football system, as a panacea to reviving the old glory of Nigeria youth football, Sports247 reports.
The coach insisted that modern football has become more scientific than physical as the continued recycling of old coaches with outdated methods has hindered the development of the country’s U-17 teams, which prevented the Golden Eaglets from qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
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“It’s unfortunate that our U-17 boys can no longer qualify for competitions once dominated by the Golden Eaglets, having missed three consecutive editions,” Adeyemi lamented.
He spoke further :“Until our local coaches upgrade their game technologically, the team will not progress.”
The coach urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to look beyond Nigeria-based coaches and consider qualified Nigerian coaches abroad who possess the modern skills, knowledge, and experience required to handle the national youth teams.
“If the NFF continues to employ coaches who lack a full grasp of modern, scientific trends in youth football, the result will remain the same,” he warned.
“We cannot keep using old tactical, technical, and physical approaches and expect different outcomes.”
Adeyemi highlighted that Nigeria’s past successes came in an era before the introduction of MRI scans, which now enforce stricter age verification standards. “The NFF’s technical committee must stop recycling old coaches. We need those who understand youth football development tactically, technically, theoretically, and scientifically,” he added.
According to him, many local coaches are still stuck with outdated methods and have failed to upgrade themselves to meet modern standards, which has negatively affected both male and female youth teams.
“It’s a disgrace that our U-17 teams are now being thrashed at global tournaments. If this trend continues, it will soon be difficult for the Super Eagles to find quality players coming through the youth ranks,” he cautioned.
Adeyemi concluded by urging the NFF to prioritize competence over sentiment.
“The federation must place the right people in the right positions. Modern coaches must be able to collect and analyze data—on their teams, individual players, opponents, and tournaments—to make informed decisions. Without that, success will remain out of reach,” he stated.
