How would you react to the suspension of NPFL as a results of covid-19 pandemic?
The halts in the continuation of NPFL owing to the global pandemic by the League Management Company(LMC) is laudable and in order.
If you look at the global world, all sporting activities have been stopped abruptly, and I think Nigeria can’t afford to be exempted.
This virus is novel to our society and if you look at it’s rates of transmission as said by medical experts, one of the surest means to curb it spread is to put an end to all gathering cum sporting activities.
I appeal to all the stakeholders and fans to strictly adherent to the rules and regulations puts in place by the Government toward curtailing the scourge.
What informed your Grassroots Football Development?
It as an avenue to give back to the society that made me. I looked it that what can I use to contribute to my society because they have given me much. So in my own little way, I said where I should start is the grassroots.
When we say grassroots, that is the primary school. The primary school is the basic. We need to encourage our youths at that stage and let them see the good in football.
I took it upon myself to make it an annual event and am thinking on how to partner with well-meaning Kwarans so as to make these youths realises their potentials, ” he said.
The next grassroots competition will be taken across all the 16 Local Government Area of Kwara State, and with this I think the lost glory of scouting raw talent from the grassroots will be redeem.
How would you describe the performance of Nigerian Referees in the recent time?
Nigerian Referee Council in the recent time deserves commendations as a result of an improvement in their job.
I think this is the second season we have seen the best in our Referees. Though we haven’t get there yet, but I think there is any improvement. No body would dare to attack the Referees unlike before.
I give it to the fans too because they make the environment conducive for the Referee. If am to score our Referees, I will give them 60 per cent. We will get there soonest.
What are the challenges before Nigerian coaches?
It’s not easy as some people thought. But I thank God today that am where I’m and am still planning to move further. It is not an easy journey because I have not really achieved what I set out for as a coach. But I’m happy, am still on the way.
Though being a coach in this clime comes along with its challenges unlike what is in vogue in other clime. If you look at an average coach in Nigeria, hardly many of them have sound health and this owes to the environment we operate.
There are lots of challenges in the job. The day you pen down a contract, you should have it at the back of your mind that your relieve letter is also puts somewhere.
How would you rate the League Management Company(LMC) in the recent time?
The LMC have tried in their own way despite the major bane before them is this issue of sponsorship. Football is capital intensive, and if don’t have the laxity no matter your idea it would amount to nothing.
So if LMC have a good backing, a good sponsorship, I bet you they can compete with the likes of Laliga, and Series A.
And I think it is on this note the LMC is emphasizing much on the quality of the game, because no sponsor would want to puts his money where there is no sanity.
What is your take on the rift between Gernot Rohr and NFF on the inclusion of home based players?
I wouldn’t want to blame Gernot Rohr for his disdain on home based players, rather the structure and the system.
If you want any home based player to take up a shirt at the national team, I think he has to undergo the process and the progression from U-17, U-20, U-23 and to Super Eagle.
In the past when we had influx of home based players at the national team, they all started from U-17. You don’t buy experience, you earned it.
Until we go back to the 80s how we developed our national team from the progression cadres. I think that is the bridge between the local players and the professional players.
