President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has outlined moves the football body is about to carry out in order to address the recent decline in the performance of the country’s junior national teams.
Gusau expressed worry following Nigeria’s disappointing results across different youth competitions in recent months.
The Flying Eagles had a poor campaign at the just concluded FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile where they were thrashed 4-0 by Argentina in the round of 16.
Also the Golden Eaglets was eliminated, in the semifinals of the 2025 WAFU-B Cup which means they miss out of next year’s U-17 AFCON in Morocco.
Despite his concerns, Gusau assured that there is hope for the future, revealing that the NFF is already setting up structures in place.
“I am worried because the future of our football starts with them. However, the good news is that the NFF and FIFA have developed a talent development program for the U-15 boys and girls, which remains a top priority,” Gusau said.
“You may recall that last year, the U-15 boys were in Morocco to play some friendly matches. We are starting afresh. In the near future, it won’t be business as usual for the U-17s. Instead of calling open camps where over a thousand boys show up, selection will now begin from age 14.
“It’s a worrying trend because Nigeria has always been one of the best youth footballing nations in the world, not just in Africa. So we must act quickly.
“We’re collaborating with FIFA to establish a program that will eliminate open screening camps. Instead, zonal programs will identify the best players, who will then be brought to Abuja for close monitoring. Hopefully, we’ll get out of this situation soon.”