U23 AFCON: Minister reveals plans for Nigerian football after Dream Team exit
Minister of youth and sports, Mr. Sunday Dare has revealed plans to map out strategies to end the setback that has bedeviled Nigerian football this year after the elimination of Dream Team VII at the ongoing U23 African Cup of Nations championship in Egypt.
Imama Amapakabo’s tutored-side failed to progress to the next round of next year’s Olympic Games qualifiers after playing out a 0-0 draw against South Africa in their final Africa U23 Cup of Nations (Afcon) group game at Al-Salam Stadium in Egypt on Friday night.
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Nigerian football across the spectrum will benefit from this new outlook which will involve critical stakeholders. Government, mindful that Nigeria is a football nation will be bold in embracing best practices in modern football.
— Sunday Dare (@SundayDareSD) November 16, 2019
With Cote d’Ivoire beating Zambia 1-0, Nigeria needed only a win to guarantee qualification to the next round of CAF U23 Nations Cup, but that did not see the light of the day at the end of regulation time.
Government will take appropriate steps and in a timely fashion to improve our football fortunes. Current outcomes offer the opportunity to review, restrategize and develope a long term plan for football development. We will dust up great ideas already abandoned and implement
— Sunday Dare (@SundayDareSD) November 16, 2019
A result that means Nigeria will not parade any representative at Tokyo 2020 Olympics football tournament as the Super Falcons also bowed out to Ivory Coast in the qualifiers recently.
Nigeria’s game against S.A. which ended in a draw concentrates the mind. Time to take a look back and find out where the rain began to beat us. Like I said before, our football needs a return to the basics of grassroot football, pristine sports admin, sound technical coaching…
— Sunday Dare (@SundayDareSD) November 16, 2019
Equally, the CHAN Eagles missed out of the African Nations Championship slated for Cameroon next year , no thanks to 4-3 aggregate defeat to Togo last month.
A disappointed Minister Dare took to social media to reveal his plans to end the rot in Nigerian football.
“Nigeria’s game against S.A. (South Africa) which ended in a draw concentrates the mind. Time to take a look back and find out where the rain began to beat us. Like I said before, our football needs a return to the basics of grassroots football, pristine sports admin, sound technical coaching.
Read Also: AFCON U23: SA star talks tough ahead of Dream Team VII clash
“Government will take appropriate steps and in a timely fashion to improve our football fortunes. Current outcomes offer the opportunity to review, restrategize and develop a long term plan for football development. We will dust up great ideas already abandoned and implement.
“Nigerian football across the spectrum will benefit from this new outlook which will involve critical stakeholders. Government, mindful that Nigeria is a football nation will be bold in embracing best practices in modern football.”
Interestingly, both the Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets’ were also knocked out by Senegal and the Netherlands, in their respective World Cup tournaments.