As program ends in Abuja

Dr. Mohammed Sanusi

By Rasheed Adewuyi

The General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, on Saturday, stated that the one-week NFF D-License Coaching Course held at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project, MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, was meant to identify, empower and engender focus for coaches at the grassroots.

Speaking at the program’s closing ceremony, which included both practical and classroom sessions, Sanusi said the NFF has, through the Technical Department, identified those among the participants who are capable of working assiduously with the Federation to drive real talent discovery at the grassroots.

“The NFF contacted the Confederation of African Football about organizing this course, and CAF, on their part, also escalated it to FIFA, which was approved. We decided to do the D-License first to identify and empower those coaches who work with young talents at the grassroots and those among them who can help the NFF administration’s vision of developing the game from that point.

“The Technical Department has informed me that a good number of the participants exhibited great knowledge and understanding and will be able to work on our youth programs. They have all been certificated and empowered to be even more professional in their work and make diligence and hard work their watchwords.”

Forty coaches participated in the week-long program, which was coordinated by the NFF Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, his deputy, Mrs. Faith Ben-Anuge, Assistant Technical Director Abdulrafiu Yusuf, and Chief Technical Officer Garba Lawal.

Sanusi told the participants to prepare to identify and nurture the next generation of Nigerian football stars.

“It is a non-negotiable fact that we must keep the supply chain rolling and with good talent. Apart from the fact that football is a booming industry, it is the most significant factor that unites and creates the strongest bond among people from diverse places, cultures, languages, religions, orientations, and backgrounds. We must always endeavor to ensure that football works at its optimum level.

“In a few weeks, we will organize the women’s version of this D-License program and await CAF’s approval for higher-grade courses (C, B, and A in that order) throughout the year.”  

The highly experienced Coach Henry Abiodun was among a team of resource persons that also included Coach Eguavoen, Dr. Paul Onyeudo, former Super Eagles’ star Edema Fuludu, former FIFA referee and special assistant to the NFF General Secretary Mohammed Adebayo Ameenu, and Dr. Robinson Okosun, a retired director in the NFF Technical Department.

Football stakeholders storm Abuja for talent drive initiatives

Nigeria’s past football stars line up for an exhibition game, stakeholders are seeking to develop more stars for the future

By Rasheed Adewuyi

Nigeria’s football administrators and stakeholders across different spectra will converge in the nation’s capital, Abuja on Thursday to mull, deliberate and cogitate on new developmental initiatives as the FIFA Talent Development Scheme project drivers hold a workshop in the city.

As the game of football (nicknamed The Beautiful Game by the late King Pele) continues to grow in all its ramifications, the need for new ways and manners of discovering talent to make the game even more beautiful cannot be over-emphasized, and this has brought world football-governing body, FIFA into the mix to help the cause of bringing to the fore future matadors of the game.

FIFA High Performance specialist Abdul Faisal Chibsah and FIFA Talent Development Scheme strategist Amit Desai are in Nigeria to moderate Thursday’s meeting which seeks to educate all stakeholders on the importance of the scheme and to get them to key into the initiative.

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau will declare the meeting open, with Members of the NFF Executive Committee and the Management, led by Dr. Mohammed Sanusi (General Secretary) also expected to be in attendance.

Dr. Sanusi told thenff.com: “The FIFA Talent Development Scheme is designed to discover football talents from the grassroots, which is actually one of the key objectives of the Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led NFF administration. The meeting is meant to educate administrators and stakeholders on the scheme and to get their buy-in.”

The principal objectives of the gathering, according to the visiting FIFA officials, is to “initiate conversations and create greater alignment towards our goals for Nigeria Football, and to understand how we as the team can get the best out of one another and the team as a whole.”

The mission is chiefly designed to initiate the dialogue and feedback between the Nigeria Football Federation and its key stakeholders towards joint goals, and to understand where each stakeholder can support the NFF across its technical priorities.

NFF’s Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen and assistant directors Abdulrafiu Yusuf and Faith Ben-Anuge have been working in tandem with the FIFA officials to develop the programme of the day, including the topics for discussion.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi will deliver an opening address to administrators and stakeholders that will include NFF Executive Committee members, NFF Management, Chairmen of the State Football Associations, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, representatives of the National Institute for Sports, representatives of the Nigeria School Sports Federation, chairmen and chief executive officers of the Leagues and representatives of the Universal Basic Education scheme.

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar are expected to be special guests.  

As enhanced indemnities for match officials become a reality

Chairman of the NFF Match Commissioners’ Appointment Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli

By Rasheed Adewuyi

Chairman of the NFF Match Commissioners’ Appointment Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli has showered encomiums on the President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for matching words with action with regards to enhancement of payments to football match officials in the country.

“You will recall that at our Match Commissioners’ seminar in Abuja last month, the NFF President promised that indemnities paid to match commissioners and other officials would be enhanced. I am happy to report that this has become a reality.

“Officials for last weekend’s matches got the new improved rates. Most of them got their money before they arrived at their match venues. This is a step in the right direction for our football.”

Echoing the words of Gusau at the seminar, Kalli reiterated that to whom much is given, much is expected.

“The enhanced package comes with responsibilities, as there cannot be benefits without responsibilities. We want officiating and match commissioning at our league and other matches in the country to improve greatly. There is now virtually no excuse for shenanigans. There must be high-level professionalism and a commitment to meeting the highest standards.

“We implore the Board of NPFL to maintain the enhanced payments and they will see wonders. Match officials now have absolutely no reason not to be fully focused on their match or not to upskill and bring new touches and flair to their work. We will continue to monitor our match officials and scrutinize their reports thoroughly, and those who fail to measure up will be excused without ceremony,” Kalli added.