A mini crisis has engulfed the U17 team of Nigeria who are presently undergoing screening in preparation for the regional WAFU B championship which will take place in Benin Republic.
The tournament will run from the 5th to 20th of January 2021 and it will serve as qualifiers for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations which will take place in Morocco.
Ahead of the tournament, the Nigerian team have resumed training in Abuja with the players selected into two batches. The first set to train daily are the ones scouted by the coaches of the team during their scouting mission across Nigeria.
Another set of about a hundred player are usually allowed to train after the main team who are in camp with the coaches keen on any prospect from their mix.
Owngoalnigeria.com witnessed four different training sessions of the team and after speaking with sources who have been there from the start of training, we gathered a lot particularly the shady practices of a few.
Already two senior board members of the NFF are at loggerheads over the selection process as one is unhappy that most of the players he recommended have been dropped with the support of the other.
Furthermore, NFF are finding it hard to control the head coach of the team as he was suggested to them by an authority higher than them. “ We have complained to the NFF but they can’t do anything about the coach. He came from a man at the top”, a source told Owngoalnigeria.
“ There is an agent who acts as the go between in all these and many people here call him to help their players get a chance to train. Some who have money or connection use two board members of the NFF who are into players transfers and deals.
“ I know of a boy who was picked yesterday but his agent had to tip someone to let him in to train. We that don’t have anybody can’t do anything and the camp will close this weekend. It’s really sad”, he concluded.
