Obuh Blames Interference for Nigeria’s U-17 Decline

Former Golden Eaglets head coach John Obuh has attributed Nigeria’s recent slump at the under-17 level to undue interference from agents and administrators in player selection.

Obuh, who led the Golden Eaglets to a silver medal at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, made these comments in an interview with Brila FM. He noted that inadequate preparation and persistent external interference in team affairs have hampered the team’s progress in major competitions, leading to disappointing performances and a failure to qualify for recent tournaments.

“Bringing the likes of Amuneke back, who won with the Eaglets, isn’t the issue it’s the attention being given to them that matters. If you give the team attention and work that team up to want to get results, you will definitely get results. I think there is a lot of interruptions in the selection of players today. A lot of people want their players to be picked. There’s the question of nepotism and tribalism. We don’t have a coach that will say, ‘I am selecting my team if I fail, sack me.’ Unfortunately, most of them today play to the hands of the person who gave them the job.”

Obuh highlights that coaches often feel compelled to select players favoured by agents or administrators, rather than picking the best talent available, which undermines team quality and performance.