The appointment of Ladan Bosso by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as coach of the U20 national team of Nigeria came as a shock only to those who don’t know the antecedent of the Niger State born coach.
Bosso has unearthed 12 senior national team players of Nigeria ranging from the first time he was made coach of the Nigeria U20 team for the 2007 World Cup in Canada.
In that team that crashed out after losing 0-4 in the quarter final to an Alexis Sanchez inspired Chilean team as many as six players made the jump to the senior national team.
The quartet of Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echiejile, Brown Ideye and Ikechukwu Ezenwa are the names that resonate when mentioning players of the team who made the jump to the Super Eagles.
Aside them the duo of Olufemi Oladapo and Chukwuma Akabueze were at some stage capped by Nigeria at senior level. A testament to how well players of that team progressed.
“ I remember six of us playing for the senior national team. My case was particularly funny because I came to the camp as a winger. It was Bosso who converted me to a central defender”, Efe Ambrose told Owngoalnigeria.com.
In 2009, the coach who was unfairly axed from his position as coach of the team despite securing qualification for the World Cup via the Africa U20 Cup of Nations made good use of his time at the helm.
In his first qualifiers game as coach of team, the coach blended the boys of late coach Yemi Tella from the 2007 all conquering U-17 team of Nigeria with some new names leading them to a 5-0 win over Sudan in Abuja.
That day the trio of Nosa Igiebor, Gbolahan Salami and Obiorah Nwankwo who were later part of the senior national team of Nigeria made their bow in international football. Nwankwo and Igiebor won AFCON 2013 with the Super Eagles.
The well travelled and respected NPFL coach didn’t just use the national team to unearth players for the senior national team with names like Aminu Umar, Austin Obarakpo and Chisom Chikatara making the step up after Bosso handed them their breakthrough.
“ At Abia Warriors we had no money to recruit big name players after losing our key players to other teams fairly richer than us. In came Bosso as coach and he recruited young boys with Obarakpo and Chikatara among the players he gave breakthrough that season”, Chairman of the team Emeka Inyama said.
Erstwhile captain of the Nigeria U23 team Azubuike Okechukwu, who has also played for Nigeria at senior level, was handed his career breakthrough by Bosso who picked him from then second division side Niger Tornadoes to Bayelsa United.
Aminu Umar is another player who the incumbent U20 coach of Nigeria nurtured to limelight while at the helm at Wikki Tourist. So much is Bosso’s faith in Umar that he wanted to bring him over to Kano Pillars when he was made head coach.
Base on the submission above, it’s safe to say the coach has what it takes to handle the team and discover players who will fulfill the ultimate aim of youth football, which is progress to the senior national team of Nigeria.
Full List:
Elderson Echiejile
Oladapo Olufemi
Efe Ambrose
Chukwuma Akabueze
Brown Ideye
Ikechukwu Ezenwa
Nosa Igiebor
Aminu Umar
Azubuike Okechukwu
Obiorah Nwankwo
Gbolahan Salami
Austin Obarakpo
Chisom Chikatara
