While the country grapples with qualifying for the Nations Cup, rot
at the base of the game could be reason why we might never
really make great strides.

A young man visited my family at home on Sunday afternoon and we began to delve into the matter of the strange defeat of the Super Eagles in Khartoum the day before.
As we talked about the fate of Nigeria’s
qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations hanging in the balance and how it seems many players in the national team do not deserve their place, my visitor opened up on his experience playing in a youth academy.


While growing up, this young man realized he had special talent for
football and had his father register him with one of the most famous
football academies in the country.
Every Saturday, he went to train with many other young boys who hoped
to one day become stars and represent their country on the big stage.
Joseph (not his real name) told me how he trained so hard that every
breathing moment was used in imagining himself at a top club playing
alongside his heroes.

However, at the academy he realized that no matter how hard he trained,
when there was any opportunity to play competitive matches, himself and
his hard working colleagues were sidelined for new players who emerged
out of the blues.
It dawned on them that many of the players who were featured in their
place had been included very late due to the influence that their parents had
with the coaching directors.
Not only were these new players favoured, their parents seemed to grease
the palms of the coaches in order that their children could catch the eye of
scouts during those important competitions.
Joseph spent seven years playing at the academy, training every Saturday
and often twice a week ahead of tournaments, but played less than five
competitive matches throughout.
On realizing that he wasn’t going to get the push he needed to catch the eye
of the scouts and move into the big leagues, he eventually opted to learn
photography as his life trade.
I was touched after hearing his story and was saddened at how corrupt
football at the grassroots is in Nigeria.
Like Joseph, many budding talents have been lost to the corrupt system.
When a talented young boy or girl fails to find someone to give them that
edge in a corrupt system, their talent fades away and they lose interest.


Imagine how many Jay Jays and Papilos have abandoned their talent
because they had no father or uncle to grease the palms of the academy
coach who could field them in a competition where they would have
caught the eye of a Nigeria Premier League club’s scout.
So we end up with less than talented players on the youth national teams
who have gotten there mainly because their agent or parent paid nicely to
the coach in charge.
Fingers have always been pointed at national team coaches for asking for
bribes from players and players’ agents in order to receive call ups.
However, nothing has ever been proved because players are afraid to speak
out or rock the boat.

No one wants to be accused of bringing down another man even in the face
of blatant abuse of power. Hence, the cycle continues as we wallow in
silence.
Inadvertently, Nigeria ends up with mediocre players who have learnt from
their youth that the best way to achieve success is to grease the palm of the
coach and you will be called up to his squad.
Like Austin Okocha tweeted on Saturday, Nigerian football has died long
ago we’re only just witnessing its obituary.
It is killed by every academy and national team coach who insists on
fielding undeserving players after collecting gratification from their parents
and agents.
They are the ones killing the dreams of many young Josephs out there,
inadvertently shortchanging our country’s football development.
http://m.goal.com/x/en-ng/news/5181246/