Kog45:
Oga Joe,Mikel Obi was born here but Man utd and Chelsea fought over him.

TheGoodJoe:


I did not say football there would be no hope. I have made it crystal clear. The term is opportunity. The tournament gave Kelechi Nwakali the opportunity to better his life. Jumping to do more with his development is far fetched. I am talking of footie development for the grassroot players. Did Kelechi Nwakali get that? Yes. So why are you bringing him up.

With respect to grassroot footie development, it is a rot in Nigeria. For the foreign borns, it is heaven.

With respect to grassroot development, the U17 stands as a big opportunity for a very limited amount of kids. How can we justify taking it away for those who have it in luxury?

Talking age cheating is off topic because I am talking of developing kids, not men.

TheGoodJoe:
How can we justify taking opportunities away from those who do not have for those who have opportunities in luxury.

TheGoodJoe:
Look at Lateef for instance who penned a Boot deal with Adidas at 13 years old. Do you have an idea the magnitude of exposure he had at 13 before such a deal.

The exposure over there is too much. We do not need to bring them to take more slots.

They should focus on the U20 that has a more professional spin when they get close to the age bracket while we keep using the U17 for serious grassroot development until we make strides to fix our grassroot football structure.

chrisooblog:
So joining Enyimba feeder team is the same as playing in Chelsea academy? Please tell me more.

VillageBus:
yes, it is the samething. They both have training materials and coaches.

Most Nigerians are ashamed of the npfl, and the most talented of the aspiring footballers in Nigeria don't want to play in the npfl, it is the average and below that quickly accept npfl clubs invite. In the past I have adviced many very good young ballers to join an npfl team, none of them agreed, some said they rather not play football than play in the npfl, others that said they will give it a try never did. December last year I saw one of them he currently plays for wikki tourist, he did quit trying to become a footballer at age 21, after been scammed by fake agents after fake agents, at 25 during there uni break he decided to follow his younger bro whom trains with wikki feeders to there training, the coach invited him to join the team, within one year he have been moved to there main team. I watched him last year he isn't half as good as he was, despite that he is one of there best players, a club swedish second div even contacted him last year.

In summary, opportunities dey everywhere for aspiring young footballers in Nigeria but na Dem dey feel too big to work just because Dem dey talented.

Koboko99:
I think so many monikers here just analyse football based on what they see on tv. Many didn't play the game at a serious level or don't understand how things work in this country.

You think it's that easy for a 10 years old to just go walk to an NPFL team and Join feeders team or academy.

In your state of residence, how many teams are in the NPFL, NNL or how many academies are in your state?

Do you know how many the number of football clubs and academies in London alone?

VillageBus:
even if there is just one npfl team in your state, if you want to become a footballer is there anything stoping u from joining there feeders team?

TheGoodJoe:


The point is opportunity. Opportunity.

Mikel had the opportunity because Babawo Mohammed found him on the streets and got him into Pepsi Academy under the tutelage of Kashimawo Laloko. Then Eguavoen scouted him from Pepsi Academy for the U17 and took him to Manchester United Camp where Alex Ferguson spotted him.

Without that opportunity, Mikel might have been one working-class citizen. I have repeatedly said I do not want foreigners in the U17 because it is one of the few opportunities for exposures of our local talents.

Meanwhile, the players in England and Europe have far better exposures to this special opportunities that exposed Mikel.

That is the point. The Europeans have more opportunities. Far more. It is not even a debate self.

TheGoodJoe:


As he is in Wikki Tourist, what is the chance of him getting signed by a top club in Europe. Literally zero. Unless he gets some national team exposure or some international tournament.

As for Foden, it took playing for Manchester City academy to get signed for a top club in Europe, Manchester City.

Yet, you see playing for Wikki Tourist feeders the same as playing for Manchester City academy, when even NPFL does not have weight.

TheGoodJoe:
Look at Lateef for instance who penned a Boot deal with Adidas at 13 years old. Do you have an idea the magnitude of exposure he had at 13 before such a deal.

The exposure over there is too much. We do not need to bring them to take more slots.

They should focus on the U20 that has a more professional spin when they get close to the age bracket while we keep using the U17 for serious grassroot development until we make strides to fix our grassroot football structure.

TheGoodJoe:


It is not easy. We have thousands of boys in Port Harcourt desperately willing to join Rivers United Feeders. Even on my street, I can pick 10 boys ready to join the feeders tomorrow morning.

I know one in the area I was before who broke into Rivers United Feeders. It took him over two years of running around before it happened. It is not easy at all.

VillageBus:
what is your obsession with getting signed by top european team?

When the top talents starts playing in the npfl, the teams will perform better in the CAF CL, and the CL is enough exposure for them.

LOL. You compare playing CAF champions league to playing for Manchester City or Barcelona or Inter Milan.

Do not crack my ribs with laugh.

Even you will dance Alanta if your son gets the opportunity to sign for Sassuolo over Accra Hearts of Oak.

CAF champions League.

VillageBus:
what is your obsession with getting signed by top european team?

When the top talents starts playing in the npfl, the teams will perform better in the CAF CL, and the CL is enough exposure for them.

VillageBus:
what part is not easy? Is it the walking to where they train with your boots or the 3 days trial they usually give?

TheGoodJoe:


I do not get your point. And what do you mean by who is the best young player.

I do not get you but with respect of football development, we have not scratched the shell of the egg when it comes to Spain.

For instance, the academy coaches in Spain are UEFA licensed coaches. They have regional tournaments in Spain and have regional teams of young players.

Every club to the third tier have quality academies with high grade professionals.

So with such luxury, is it worth taking an opportunity of a boy who has never had a professional coach to give it to a kid from a Spanish academy? Hell no.

TheGoodJoe:


How does that equate to over 50 players Samuel Chukwueze's age playing professional football in Spain?

You are missing the point thinking Samuel Chukwueze is a reward for our development.

Heck, there was a time almost every player in the Barcelona starting line up came from the academy of Barcelona.

That is what you call high quality grassroot development.

TheGoodJoe:


Same people like you I can guess will not want a local coach and will not want the coach to invite home-based players to the Super Eagles. Abi, home-based players do not play CAF champions League.

TheGoodJoe:


It takes more than that. I know for sure because I have players fighting for the opportunity.

VillageBus:
yes, it is the samething. They both have training materials and coaches.

Most Nigerians are ashamed of the npfl, and the most talented of the aspiring footballers in Nigeria don't want to play in the npfl, it is the average and below that quickly accept npfl clubs invite. In the past I have adviced many very good young ballers to join an npfl team, none of them agreed, some said they rather not play football than play in the npfl, others that said they will give it a try never did. December last year I saw one of them he currently plays for wikki tourist, he did quit trying to become a footballer at age 21, after been scammed by fake agents after fake agents, at 25 during there uni break he decided to follow his younger bro whom trains with wikki feeders to there training, the coach invited him to join the team, within one year he have been moved to there main team. I watched him last year he isn't half as good as he was, despite that he is one of there best players, a club swedish second div even contacted him last year.

In summary, opportunities dey everywhere for aspiring young footballers in Nigeria but na Dem dey feel too big to work just because Dem dey talented.

VillageBus:
what are the other things one have to do?

chrisooblog:
Young Nigerian footballers feel too big to work ? you donmenit? wondafull! So all those thousands of kids that go for trials at u17 national team tryouts they are going to play ludo there abi?

So you are saying if Apple INC wants to hire people they will look at a Harvard graduate and a LASU graduate then choose the LASU because na the same opportunity na.

TheGoodJoe:


I am not running Tammy in anyway and I did not say he walked a street of gold to get to where he is.

I said, he had better opportunity to make his effort pay, while kids here have little to no opportunity. It is not even a topic for discussion.

I had a young friend while I was in Calabar that got scouted by Calabar Rovers FC. He was fifteen but massive in height.

Do you believe that the club that scouted him gave him a list of things he should buy, including boots and shin guards. Like this was a guy the club wanted to send to the U17 camp that was in Calabar. However, they still wanted him to source kits.


When he showed his dad the list (note the coaches came to the house to seek his permission to take over his management), the father said he did not have that kind of money to spend.

The boy just dropped that dream. Never followed football after that.

It is harder here. Far harder. That does not make it beans over there in Europe.

We will produce far more top quality players if they had such opportunities.

VillageBus:
yes that is it, the best talents in Nigeria usually wait for u17 trial and if they don't get it they quit football instead of joining the feeders team of the state they reside in.

TheGoodJoe:


One is a recommendation. Most times, these clubs are government-run with government appointees on the board, with government workers in the team. With government-appointed coaching crew and management.

If you think you can carry boot and enter team, you are on a long team. I have host of guys that tried to break in and could not. That is feeders.

VillageBus:
first-hand I have seen how enyimba and wikki feeders work, so I am talking from my experience with them.
Which feeders team are you talking about that need recommendation?

TheGoodJoe:


I am not running Tammy in anyway and I did not say he walked a street of gold to get to where he is.

I said, he had better opportunity to make his effort pay, while kids here have little to no opportunity. It is not even a topic for discussion.

I had a young friend while I was in Calabar that got scouted by Calabar Rovers FC. He was fifteen but massive in height.

Do you believe that the club that scouted him gave him a list of things he should buy, including boots and shin guards. Like this was a guy the club wanted to send to the U17 camp that was in Calabar. However, they still wanted him to source kits.


When he showed his dad the list (note the coaches came to the house to seek his permission to take over his management), the father said he did not have that kind of money to spend.

The boy just dropped that dream. Never followed football after that.

It is harder here. Far harder. That does not make it beans over there in Europe.

We will produce far more top quality players if they had such opportunities.

VillageBus:
first-hand I have seen how enyimba and wikki feeders work, so I am talking from my experience with them.
Which feeders team are you talking about that need recommendation?

TheGoodJoe:


Which feeders does not? Even academies in Nigeria need recommendation. Do not worry I have worked in Government set up with Politicians. You may have watched but I bet you have no idea of the recruitment process.

At least I had a friend that played for Enyimba feeders too.

VillageBus:
if he can't buy boots and shin guards by himself he isn't ready for football. Nowhere on earth or the in the nine planets where youth teams buy boots for the trainees.