Brazilian legend and Bayern Munich ambassador Giovane Elber has expressed satisfaction with the performance of 20 grassroots’ coaches drawn from six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who had a one-day special coaching clinic on how-to deliver organised and fun football session for young footballers.
Speaking through an interpreter, the legend said Nigeria is an industry of young footballers and if properly harnessed, the country will be among the best three football nations in the world.
He said the players needed good coaches who can teach them the rudiments of the round leather game and guide them to the senior level.
The coaches, comprising 18 male and two female, were drilled on how to handle young talents with available facilities to get the best results. Elber praised the enthusiasm of the coaches, saying Nigeria is known in world football following the nation’s historic victory at 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
The coordinator of the programme and FCT FA executive committee member, John Wakili, fondly called Coach Waco, extolled the vision of the FCT FA chairman for the clinic, saying he has continued to lift football to greater height in the FCT.
“The coaching clinic was put together by FCT FA and Bayern Munich FC through the efforts of our able chairman. We commend the vision of our chairman, Abah Mouktar. He is a man of vision and he has continued to lift football development in the FCT with good initiatives like this clinic.
“The coaches were taught on how to manage players at the grassroots and get the best out of them. Our major challenge is lack of facilities and the coaches were advised on how to make best use of the available facilities and still get best of the players,” Wakili said
The facilitator of the programme and FCT FA Chairman, Abba Muhammed Mouktar, described the one-day training as historic, assuring that Nigerian players will benefit from the exercise.
“It is a historic moment in Nigeria to have former Brazilian international and Bayern Munich ambassador to train our coaches and inspire our young players.
Meanwhile, Team Kano yesterday in Lagos beat their Jos counterparts 1-0 to win the Bayern Youth Cup Nigeria with Elber running the rule on the budding talents on parade.
Altogether 80 players were selected from the tournament with 10 players selected from each of the eight participating teams.
Mouktar said that the trained coaches would select from this pool of players to represent Nigeria at the Bayern World Youth Cup in Germany in May.