Former U-17 Coach Emmanuel Amuneke Criticizes State of Nigerian Youth Football

Emmanuel Amuneke has come to speak out on the poor state of Nigeria youth football games. The former Nigeria U-17 coach attributed the struggle of the junior teams to a lack of plans and political influences. To him, talented players are still much on the streets of Nigeria, and until developmental strategies are put into place, they will continue their struggles. Nigeria remains the most successful U-17 team in the World, having won the FIFA U-17 World Cup a record five times and been runners-up on three occasions.

“A nation that fails to develop its youth football is a failure. I don’t know why they suddenly believe they will win because we have prayed, because when you compromise hard work to pray, then nothing will happen,” Amuneke told The PUNCH.
“When other nations are busy developing their young ones, the ones that will take over in the next five years, we are busy here playing politics. These are the reasons for the failures of these youth teams.”

Nigeria's youth national teams have underperformed in recent competitions. The U-20 men failed to advance past the second round of the World Cup, the U-17 women lost their opening World Cup match, and the U-17 men missed their World Cup and AFCON.